Boston's Michael Wacha providing valuable innings
After battling right shoulder inflammation, Michael Wacha delivered seven shutout innings against the Yankees in his return and Drew Silva discusses why he could help vault Boston into Wild Card contention.
Video Transcript
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- If the Red Sox are going to climb their way back in a wild card contention over what remains of the 2022 regular season, they're going to need better pitching. Michael Wacha, back from a bout of right shoulder inflammation, looks poised to aid that cause. After missing more than six whole weeks, Wacha returned to the Fenway Park mound on Sunday night, August 14 against the archrival Yankees and delivered seven shutout innings in what became a 3-0 win for Boston.
He surrendered only two hits and one walk and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts, with a pitch count of just 89. Wacha was a sensation when he first arrived in the majors with the Cardinals in 2013. He won NLCS MVP that year at age 21.
Shoulder problems then muddied the end of his tenure in Saint Louis. And he bounced around to two other clubs before landing with the Sox this winter. Here in the second chapter of his career, or maybe it's even the third or fourth chapter, Wacha has delivered a tremendous 7 and 1 record 2.44 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 14 total starts.
