Mariners sweep Angels thanks to Kirby and rejuvenated offense

George Kirby once again proves he’s the real deal, while Seattle Mariners offense continues to roll in 11-7 win over Angels.

The Mariners equaled their second-highest scoring total of the season on Wednesday afternoon. As a result they completed a sweep of their divisional rivals, with a 11-7 win over the Angels.

Questions may remain about the consistency of the M’s offense, but for now, all that matters is the team keeps winning. Entering Thursday’s slate of games, they hold the first wild card spot in the AL.

An early star for the scoring barrage

Unlike the late run-blitzes of the previous two games, Seattle got rolling early in the series finale. The fun started in the third inning, as they got to Los Angeles’ starter Touki Touissant.

From the minute Touissant hit Sam Haggerty with a wild pitch, he lost his composure. He gave up a trio of walks, struggled with his command and had to contend with three bases loaded situations.

As a result, Touissant didn’t even make it out of the inning. The Mariners scored four runs in all, and the reality is it could — and maybe should — have been more.

While it’s only the Angels, you can feel the confidence in the Mariners’ offense right now. Of course it always helps, when players such as Mitch Haniger and Julio Rodriguez return from injury.

Regardless, Seattle wasn’t done yet, as they added three runs in the fifth and another couple in the sixth. They scored two more in the ninth — they had 11 combined in the final inning of the three Angels games — to complete their latest offensive highlight show.

Production throughout the Mariners lineup

There was plenty of praise to go around including for Haniger, who had two hits and one RBI. The revitalized Frazier also had a couple of hits, while Jesse Winker blasted a two-run homer on his 29th birthday.

Particular credit however goes to Cal Raleigh, who is enjoying a breakout season for the Mariners. On Wednesday, he had two hits – both for home runs — and scored three RBI.

The two homers were a single-game career high for Raleigh. To provide further context, he had two home runs in total during his rookie campaign last year.

The catcher was sent down to the minors early this season. Asked about how different he was now as a player, he said:

“I don’t feel like I’m a different player, I just feel like it’s a different mindset. It’s just a perspective change. I had to change some things – what I was doing, how I was going about my business. Obviously I fixed some things physically (too), but it was more of a mental thing.”

In the end, the 11 runs by the Mariners were almost a necessity. Whenever it looked like they were pulling away, the Angels would score a couple of runs and keep hanging around.

Los Angeles would match Seattle’s 10 hits, but weren’t quite as productive. The Mariners’ bullpen was poor compared to its usual standard, but the same can’t be said about starter George Kirby.

Young pitching star continues to roll

In some respects, yes, Kirby is still a work in progress. However, what he brings to the mound is undeniable and was there for all to see in Anaheim.

The Mariners are understandably conscious of the 24-year-old’s workload during his first season in the Majors. However, he was relatively efficient with 94 pitches on Wednesday, coming within one out of six innings.

While in the game, Kirby mesmerized the Angels, even if it didn’t feel like he always had his best stuff. He also displayed his mental toughness, particularly in the bottom of the third.

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The righty had just given up a run due to some soppy play and bad luck, and reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani was coming to the plate. However, the two-time All-Star was subsequently dispatched with three consecutive strikes.

Kirby also extended his Major League record of not allowing more than one walk, to his first 17 career starts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he leads all pitchers with a 3.4% walk rate.

On the afternoon Kirby allowed six hits and three earned runs, while striking out seven. Braking down his performance afterwards, he said:

“I definitely could have used the changeup more today I thought, on certain counts. There were a couple of pitches I wish I had back. But yes, that two seam late on lefties was a huge weapon for me.”

The skipper gives his take

Manager Scott Servais spoke glowingly about Kirby and how he approaches the game. He said:

“He’s very competitive. He’s not going to show people up or do any crazy stuff out there, but he’s going to keep going after you. He’s not afraid of getting in the strike zone and letting guys go after his stuff, because he’s got really good stuff.”

As for the game in general, Servais had an interesting term to describe it. He said:

“It was a meat grinder, is what I felt like. It was just constant. You never really felt comfortable as they kept coming back … (However) we did some awesome stuff offensively. We need that to carry forward. I would have liked that game to have been about 11-2, but that’s not the way it was. When it’s hot out there like that, a day game after a night game, it can get a little bit challenging. A great job offensively (though) and George was really solid again.”

The Mariners now have a much-needed rest day, ahead of a three-game series in Oakland. They are scheduled to send Marco Gonzales to the mound on Friday, as they aim to continue their winning ways.

What impressed you most, during the sweep of the Angels? Looking ahead, how many games do you predict the Mariners will take from their weekend series in Oakland? Let us know in the comments section below.