Michael Wacha snares line drive headed straight for his head (Video)
By Jack Maloney
The St. Louis’ Cardinals’ Michael Wacha was a sensation last year, coming up late in the season and posting a 4-1 record and a 2.78 ERA in 9 starts. This year he hasn’t gotten the luck in the win-loss column, but he’s been just as nasty, posting a 2.82 ERA through nine starts.
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Tonight he took to the hill again, with the Cardinals taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the top of the fifth inning, he had yet to yield a run, and he also showed off he can play the field a bit.
Martin Prado was up to bat for Arizona, and he drilled a line drive, sending it right back up the middle, and straight at Wacha’s head. Amazingly, Wacha was able to shoot his glove up in front of his face, snaring the line drive before he suffered a terrible injury.
This was one of the best plays we’ve seen by a pitcher through the first few months of the 2014 season. Check out this still that shows Wacha not even looking at the ball when he caught it.
What an amazing display of reflexes and athleticism. And good for both Wacha and the Cardinals. If he didn’t get his glove up, he would be looking at a long stint on the DL, and the Cardinals would be without one of the best young pitchers in the game.