Cardinals' Michael Wacha loses no-hitter in ninth vs. Pirates

After nearly throwing a no-hitter five years ago, Michael Wacha once again came just short of making history.

The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander tossed eight hitless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates before pinch-hitter Colin Moran broke up the no-no by hitting an 0-2 pitch for a clean single to lead off the ninth.

"I had Moran where I wanted him. I just didn't make the pitch when I needed to," Wacha told the Fox Sports Midwest television broadcast. 

Wacha had allowed just two baserunners — both on walks in the fifth inning -- until he was removed after Moran's single after throwing 111 pitches.

Reliever Jordan Hicks came in to get the final three outs and preserve a 5-0 shutout. 

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Wacha came achingly close to a no-hitter in his rookie season, when on Sept. 24, 2013, he held the Washington Nationals hitless until Ryan Zimmerman broke it up with two outs in the ninth inning on an infield single.

Wacha was bidding to join the other pitchers who've been on the mound for no-hitters this season: James Paxton of the Seattle Mariners, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ foursome of Walker Buehler, Tony Cingrani, Yimi Garcia and Adam Liberatore, and Sean Manaea of the Oakland Athletics.

The last Cardinals pitcher to throw a no-hitter is Bud Smith against the San Diego Padres in September 2001.

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