Michael Wacha comes close to no-hitter as Royals eke out 1-0 victory over Tigers
With newly (officially) retired Mike Moustakas in attendance, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers treated an announced crowd of 35,005 to an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel at Kauffman Stadium.
It was a fitting tribute to honor the 2015 World Series hero.
Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal matching him at every turn, until KC scratched across a late run to win 1-0.
“I definitely tried not to think too much about it,” Wacha said. “Obviously, I knew what was going on. I just continued to try to take it to another level, keep making my pitches and keep executing like I had been pretty much all day.”
Wacha, the 33-year-old right-hander, was sharp from the onset. He recorded three consecutive strikeouts in the second inning and showed precise command of his fastball and changeup.
He allowed one hit, one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings.
“The art of pitching was on display,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said, via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “He disrupts timing. He moves the ball around.”
The Tigers (38-21) struggled to make hard contact. Wacha navigated their lineup with relative ease — the lone blemishes were a walk to Gleyber Torres and a single to Colt Keith.
“He doesn’t throw the same pitch twice,” Hinch said. ”He pounds the strike zone early, gets you to chase late. He did all of that against us. We didn’t have much of an answer today.”
Wacha recorded 55 swings and 11 whiffs in his outing.
“It is the best changeup that he’s had all year,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He used his curveball more effectively and really it’s hard to pick anything apart. There was so much soft contact.”
Coming off the most masterful performance of his career, Skubal kept the game at a stalemate for a while. He was in his usual Cy Young form as he quieted the Royals’ bats.
KC had just two hits — both singles — and struck out seven times against Skubal.
The Royals attempted to mount an early rally. Nick Loftin singled but was thrown out while trying to steal second base. In the seventh, Loftin atoned for his aggressive baserunning by robbing Riley Greene of extra bases with a diving catch.
Neither team found its rhythm until the starting pitchers departed. Both starters earned a no-decision after Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino drove home the game’s lone run with a single.
“Honestly, it was a relief to get him out because he was pitching such a good game against us,” Loftin said. “But we were able to string some hits together ... and it turned out to be a part of the game that helped us win a ballgame.”
Pasquantino’s line drive into left field culminated his spirited battle at the plate against Tigers relief pitcher Beau Brieske.
“I was just happy with the approach,” Pasquantino said of the at-bat. “I wasn’t sure going up (to the plate).
“There was a base open and I’m facing a righty for the first time today. There’s righties all over our lineup, even though we’ve lefties on the bench waiting. So I was kind of like, ‘I don’t know what they are going to do here. I don’t want to be overly aggressive, but at the same time I don’t want to be overly patient.’”
The approach paid off when Pasquantino pounced on Brieske’s 99.7 mph offering. Loftin, who doubled to open the eighth inning, scored on the play.
“He painted the first pitch and I was like, ‘Alright, he is coming after me, so let’s go,’” Pasquantino said. “I got down 1-2 and tried to put a good swing on something and I was able to. Luckily it landed and Loftin did a great job, got a great jump on it and was able to score.”
A few minutes later, Royals closer Carlos Estévez slammed the door on Detroit for his 16th save of the year.
With the victory, the Royals (31-28) evened this series with the Tigers at one win apiece. The final game of the series is set for Sunday afternoon.
Missed previous Royals coverage?
Game 1: Royals offensive woes continue in 7-5 loss to Tigers
Injury update: How soon will Cole Ragans return? Royals give encouraging timeline
What’s next:
The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Tigers on Sunday.
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (5-2, 1.45 ERA) will start the final game of the homestand against Tigers right-hander Keider Montero (2-1, 4.54 ERA).
This story was originally published May 31, 2025 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Michael Wacha comes close to no-hitter as Royals eke out 1-0 victory over Tigers."
