Cardinals’ Michael Wacha Falls Short Of No-Hitter In Ninth – VIDEO

This is video of St. Louis Cardinals rookie pitcher Michael Wacha losing a no-hitter in the ninth inning of a game against Washington on Tuesday night, when Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman reached on a two-out, infield single.

Zimmerman hit a chopper just over the 6-foot-6 Wacha, between the pitchers mound and the second base bag. St. Louis shortstop Pete Kozma grabbed it with his bare hand, but his throw to first that was a little wide, pulling Matt Adams off the bag as Zimmerman arrived.

The no-hitter would have been the first for the Cardinals since Bud Smith in 2001.

The last rookie to throw a no-hitter was Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox, against the Baltimore Orioles, in 2007.

The 22-year old Wacha did record his fourth win of the year, going 8.2 innings, while allowing only the one hit. He finished the game with nine strikeouts and only two walks.

Homer Bailey, of the Cincinnati Reds, and Tim Lincecum, of the San Francisco Giants, are the only two pitchers that have thrown non-hitters in 2013.

Wacha is the third pitcher to come within one out of a no-hitter this season.

Texas' Yu Darvish had his bid broken up April 2 at Houston by Jose Altuve and San Francisco's Yusmeiro Petit had his perfect game bid need broken up by Arizona's Eric Chavez with two outs on September 6.