Michael Wacha led the Royals to a win over the White Sox on Saturday.
The Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox by a final score of 2-0 on Saturday. Kansas City's lineup did not have the best game, but Michael Wacha turned in a dominant start on the mound. The veteran right-hander went eight scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking only one along the way. Wacha surrendered four hits as well.
After the win, Royals manager Matt Quatraro shared his thoughts on Wacha's stellar effort.
"Well, the efficiency is what was impressive about it," Quatraro said. "I mean, he was in control the whole time... He was ahead of everybody. So that was a masterclass right there."
Wacha threw 88 total pitches in the game. 63 of those pitches were strikes. He probably could have pitched a shutout, but it is early in the season. There is no reason to push the veteran too far in April. Nevertheless, Lucas Erceg entered the game in the ninth and shut the door en route to his fifth save of the season.
Wacha, 34, is now 2-0 across three starts in 2026. He has allowed only one earned run in his 21 starts, which is good for a 0.43 ERA. In other words, Wacha has been incredible to begin the 2026 campaign.
Starting pitching was a question mark for the Royals heading into the season. Sure, Cole Ragans has been a Cy Young-caliber starter in the past, but he was limited in 2025 due to injury. Kris Bubic is a good pitcher, but it remained to be seen how the other starters would perform.
Wacha has stepped up without question. He was reliable in 2025, as he pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 31 outings. Wacha has looked like a Cy Young candidate so far this season, however.
Royals Defeat White Sox on Saturday
Kansas City is now 7-8 after defeating the White Sox. It has been an inconsistent start to the year, but the Royals have displayed signs of their potential.
Pitching told the story for the Royals on Saturday. They still had some strong offensive moments, though.
Maikel Garcia led the game off with a home run. He ended up going 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Vinnie Pasquantino did not record a hit, but he did drive in the Royals only other run of the game.
The series is now even at 1-1. Sunday's contest will represent the deciding game of the series.
Left-hander Noah Cameron will get the start for Kansas City. The White Sox will turn to right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM EST in Kansas City.