Michael Wacha has been closer to pitching a no-hitter than he came Monday night, when he didn’t allow a hit until Michael Massey singled leading off the eighth inning.

It was still a thrill for the 31-year-old Wacha, whose strong effort in his eighth start with his new team helped the struggling San Diego Padres beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0.

Massey’s hit to right field came on Wacha’s 103rd pitch and manager Bob Melvin immediately came out to pull the right-hander, who left to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 43,828. Nick Martinez came on and retired the side and then finished the combined two-hitter.

Wacha (4-1), signed as a free agent on Feb. 16, walked one. He had a perfect game going before hitting Edward Olivares with a pitch with one out in the fifth. Wacha walked Bobby Witt Jr. with two outs in the sixth before first baseman Jake Cronenworth made a terrific diving stop of Vinnie Pasquantino’s grounder to preserve the no-hit bid.

Brad Keller (3-4) walked four and hit a batter with a pitch to load the bases three times in the second, but the Padres were able to score only two runs. Tatis hit an RBI single and the other run came in when Machado was hit on the hand by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Keller was pulled after issuing consecutive walks with two outs in the fourth, giving him eight for the night, against just two strikeouts. He allowed three runs, two earned, and three hits.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Brady Singer (2-4, 7.71 ERA) and Padres RHP Seth Lugo (3-2, 3.18) are scheduled to start Tuesday night in the middle game of the series.