ST. PETERSBURG -- The date was May 30, 2013. The batter was Alex Gordon. The result for Michael Wacha as he opened his Major League debut in St. Louis against the Royals?

A strikeout. The next 999 of them wouldn’t come quite as quickly.

That young gun who came up for the Cardinals had a fast start to his career, but it would become derailed in the middle by injuries and inconsistency.

In this special season for Wacha, he has found it all again. So perhaps it was fitting that Wacha got his 1,000th career strikeout on Monday against the Rays in the midst of this year of rejuvenation. This, on a day the Red Sox lost, 4-3, at Tropicana Field.

The 1,000th punchout was a 94.1 mph fastball that Taylor Walls swung through. It was Wacha’s 97th and final pitch of the day.

“I mean, I think it’s pretty cool. Yeah, I got the ball and it will probably go in a box at the parents’ house,” Wacha said. “But yeah, I don’t really go out there chasing strikeouts or anything. I try to get ahead and let the defense play behind me, and if strikeouts come, they come. It’s a pretty cool milestone for sure.”

As he has often done this season, Wacha put his team in position to win, departing after six strong innings (two runs, seven hits, no walks, seven strikeouts) with a 3-2 lead.

The fact Wacha’s efforts became undone after his departure doesn't take away from his accomplishment.

“This guy, every five days, it’s a solid start,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He gives you a chance to win. I know he got his 1,000th strikeout. He earned it. He threw the ball extremely well.”

When the Red Sox signed Wacha in November, the thought was he could help fill out the rotation as a No. 4 or 5 starter.

So many things have happened to Boston’s rotation this season injury-wise that Wacha (10-1, 2.58 ERA) has become the team’s ace.

The only blemish in his season? Two stints on the injured list that cost him a total of nine starts.

But he fought through left intercostal irritation in May and right shoulder inflammation from mid-July to mid-August and is firing on all cylinders with a month left in the season.

The Red Sox expect to win when Wacha takes the ball, and they are 13-5 in his starts even after Monday’s tough defeat.

One thing you shouldn’t expect from Wacha is much self-evaluation while the season is going on. He said after Monday’s outing that he was already looking ahead to the Orioles on Saturday at Camden Yards.

“I try not to evaluate myself really in the middle of the season. That will be something that I do towards the offseason, look back and reflect on that kind of stuff,” Wacha said. “Just try to keep building from start to start is the main focus. The ball has been feeling good coming out of the hand, and I’m just trying to get wins for this club.”

Wacha signed a one-year, $7 million contract to come to Boston. Given how comfortable the sides are with each other, perhaps they will extend the relationship going forward.

“I’ve said it before, I love pitching for this club,” said Wacha. “It’s a great place to pitch, with a great fan base.”

It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Red Sox will extend a qualifying offer to Wacha. They could also sign him to a multiyear deal.

Though there’s a perception that Wacha is older than he is -- perhaps because this is his 10th season -- he turned 31 just two months ago.

Wacha seems positioned to have a strong run in his 30s. Any keys he can cite for his in-career turnaround?

“I think just making better quality pitches overall,” Wacha said. “I feel like I have a good feel of my pitches and pitch repertoire. I feel like I’m just making quality pitch after quality pitch for the most part.”