Wacha expected to start for the Rays against the Athletics
The Athletics will start Frankie Montas on Tuesday and the Rays are expected to counter with Michael WachaAPRIL 27, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
MICHAEL WACHA #52 - PITCHER - KANSAS CITY ROYALS
13-8 W-L •
1.19 WHIP •
3.35 ERA
13-8 W-L
1.19 WHIP
3.35 ERA
Murphy, Manaea and A's regain winning touch, beat Rays 2-1
Sean Murphy homered, Sean Manaea got some key defensive help and the Oakland Athletics rebounded a day after their 13-game winning streak ended, edging the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1APRIL 27, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Allows three in no-decision Wacha allowed three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out a batter over 5.2 innings and was not involved in the decision during Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Royals.
Impact All three runs Wacha let in came via the long ball. Hunter Dozier took him deep to left in the second for a two-run blast and then Jorge Soler led off the fourth by absolutely crushing a fastball down the middle. The 29-year-old Wacha induced just one whiff on 36 swings, as it was his first time managing just one strikeout in a start since Sept. 20, 2019. He'll carry a 4.35 ERA into his next scheduled start against the Athletics on Tuesday.
APRIL 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Royals beat Rays 9-8 on Perez's game-ending single
Salvador Perez hit a game-ending RBI single, and the Kansas City Royals avoided a sweep by topping the Tampa Bay Rays 9-8APRIL 22, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wacha scheduled to start for Rays at Royals
The Rays will start Michael Wacha on Wednesday while the Royals are expected to counter with Jakob JunisAPRIL 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wacha scheduled to start for Rays at Royals
The Rays will start Michael Wacha on Wednesday while the Royals are expected to counter with Jakob JunisAPRIL 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wacha scheduled to start for Rays at Royals
The Rays will start Michael Wacha on Wednesday while the Royals are expected to counter with Jakob JunisAPRIL 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Picks up first win of 2021 Wacha (1-1) allowed one hit and two walks while striking out nine in six scoreless innings to earn the win against the Yankees on Friday.
Impact Wacha didn't allow a runner to get past first base in the first six innings Friday, and his nine strikeouts matched the highest total of his career. The right-hander got plenty of late run support from Tampa Bay's offense to cruise to his first win of the year. He's now posted a 4.20 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 20 strikeouts in 15 innings across three appearances (two starts) to begin the season. Wacha lines up to make his next start on the road against Kansas City on Wednesday.
APRIL 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Wacha, early runs set tone in Rays' romp Coming off a rare and discouraging series loss to the Rangers at Tropicana Field, Rays shortstop Willy Adames said Friday afternoon that Tam...
APRIL 17, 2021 • MLB.COM
Rays dominate Yankees 8-2 in matchup of AL East strugglers
Brandon Lowe hit a two-run double in the first inning off opener Nick Nelson, and the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays kept up their domination of the Yankees with an 8-2 win that set of...APRIL 17, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Slumping Rays look to stop 3-game skid
Tampa Bay heads into the matchup against New York in a rut, losers of three straightAPRIL 16, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yanks' Nelson, Rays' Wacha to start series opener
Nick Nelson will start for the New York Yankees in the series opener against the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays and Michael WachaAPRIL 16, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mixed bag as bulk reliever Wacha entered Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Yankees in the third inning and allowed three earned runs on three hits and three walks over four frames. He struck out five and did...
Impact Wacha allowed the Yankees to begin their comeback by serving up a two-run home run to Gio Urshela shortly after entering in the third inning, and as evidenced by his final line, he struggled with control overall. The right-hander's first two regular-season appearances have bore zero resemblance to his excellent spring, as Wacha career-long issues with location have surfaced in the form of five walks over his first nine innings, during which he's also already surrendered 11 hits. He'll look to bounce back in what will likely be a conventional start his next turn through the rotation, potentially Friday night on the road against the Yankees.
APRIL 12, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Odor snaps late tie with 1st hit as Yankee, NY tops Rays 8-4
Rougned Odor snapped a 10th-inning tie with his first hit as a Yankee, Gio Urshela homered and drove in three runs, and New York rallied Sunday to avoid a weekend sweep with an 8-4...APRIL 11, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Set for bulk-relief role Wacha is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opener Brent Honeywell in Sunday's game against the Yankees, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.
Impact Though Honeywell was once of the top starting pitching prospects in all of baseball, Berry notes that the Rays are likely just planning on the right-hander covering an inning or two before giving way to Wacha. As a result of pitching behind an opener, Wacha may struggle to reach the five innings he covered in his Rays debut April 5 against the Boston, but the arrangement should improve the 29-year-old's chances of factoring into any decision.
APRIL 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Meadows, Arozarena homer, AL champ Rays beat Yankees 4-0
Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena homered off Domingo Germán, helping the Tampa Bay Rays extend their mastery over the New York Yankees with a 4-0 victoryAPRIL 10, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Struggles in Tampa debut Wacha (0-1) took the loss Monday as the Rays were routed 11-2 by the Red Sox, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.
Impact The whiffs were nice but otherwise it was a rough Rays debut for Wacha, who tossed 65 of 90 pitches for strikes. Tampa has plenty of rotation alternatives in the organization, so the right-hander may need to turn things around quickly to keep his spot, but his track record (4.53 ERA and 1.43 WHIP since 2016) isn't encouraging. Wacha faces a tough test in his next scheduled start Sunday at home against the Yankees.
APRIL 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Bogaerts has 4 of Boston's 16 hits in 11-2 win over Rays
Xander Bogaerts had four hits and the Boston Red Sox got on the board with 16 hits and their first win of the season, 11-2 over the Tampa Bay RaysAPRIL 6, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Red Sox take 3-game skid into matchup with Rays
Boston will try to break its three-game losing streak when the Red Sox take on Tampa BayAPRIL 5, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Orioles' sweep sends Red Sox to 2nd 0-3 start ever in Fenway
The Red Sox fell to their first 0-3 start at Fenway Park since 1948 and their second ever as Trey Mancini and Austin Hays hit two-run doubles during a seven-run third inning that c...APRIL 4, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seems ready for season Wacha finished Grapefruit League play with an 0.60 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, .176 BAA and 12:2 K:BB across the 15 innings covering his five appearances.
Impact The veteran right-hander tuned up for his scheduled regular-season debut Monday against the Red Sox with three scoreless, three-hit innings versus the Tigers on Tuesday, a game in which he actually served as the bulk reliever behind opener Cody Reed. Adam Berry of MLB.com reports Wacha is still more likely than not to serve as a conventional starter versus Boston, but manager Kevin Cash noted "it's all a possibility" when asked how he might deploy the offseason acquisition during his first regular-season turn in a Rays uniform.
APRIL 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Betts hits 2 HRs in final spring training game of the year
Mookie Betts put an exclamation point on the exhibition seasonMARCH 30, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stays hot in latest start Wacha allowed an earned run on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman across five innings in a Grapefruit League loss to Atlanta on Thursday. He struck out five.
Impact The right-hander continued his spring dominance while facing an Atlanta lineup that had plenty of regulars. Wacha now has a minuscule 0.75 ERA across 12 innings, and he'll take the mound once more in Grapefruit League play against the Tigers on Tuesday before opening the regular season as the No. 3 starter.
MARCH 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Chisox star Jiménez out 5-6 months, Rays' Anderson ailing
A week before opening day, the Chicago White Sox found out slugger Eloy Jiménez will be closed down for most of the seasonMARCH 26, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brilliant in latest start Wacha fired four scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Twins on Saturday, allowing just one hit and no walks while recording three strikeouts.
Impact Wacha worked up to 53 pitches, with Adam Berry of MLB.com reporting the veteran right-hander's fastball got as high as 94.9 mph according to Statcast. Wacha featured a four-pitch mix overall that also included an effective cutter and a changeup that he got four swings and misses on, three of those third strikes.
MARCH 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
