Mariners just have one of those days in 9-2 loss to Astros

Everything that could go wrong for the Seattle Mariners did, on a day when George Kirby made his long awaited return from injury.

This was meant to be an opportunity for the Seattle Mariners to really turn the screw on the Houston Astros. The M’s had won the two season series the past couple of years and started 2025 taking two of three in Seattle back in early April.

In fact the stunning comeback 7-6 win in the rubber match of that April series had provided the genesis for the Mariners’ hot run of form. A hot run of form which saw them enter the four-game series in Houston leading the AL West by 3.5 games, and also within touching distance of the top of the American League as a whole.

Mariners off to be a bad start even before the game begins

Further excitement came on Thursday ahead of the game, with George Kirby officially activated for his season debut after being out since early March with right shoulder inflammation. However, the seeds for a tough day at the “office” for the Mariners were planted when Julio Rodríguez was scratched with back tightness about 30 minutes before first pitch.

Rodríguez has been listed as day-to-day, and the Mariners will of course be hoping he’s back very soon. As per Tim Booth of The Seattle Times, manager Dan Wilson said:

“It kind of tightened up on him during batting practice today. Just wanting to be precautious with it and again something that’s day-to-day, and we’ll assess it tomorrow when we get here.”

Things started off well enough for the Mariners, as a Rowdy Tellez’s RBI single and Dylan Moore’s solo blast gave the visitors a 2-0 lead through two innings. However, from that point onwards it began to go wrong for Kirby and company.

Things go wrong quickly for George Kirby

The damage came fast and furious from the Astros, as they blitzed Kirby for five runs over the next two innings to give the home side a 5-2 lead. In fact the Mariners’ righty didn’t even make it out of the fourth, officially going 3.2 innings and in the process allowing six hits, a walk and the aforementioned five earned runs.

Of course it was to be expected there would be some challenges for Kirby in his first Major League start of 2025, and there were some promising moments including producing four strikes and averaging 96 mph on his fastball . Regardless, the Mariners will be hoping he can get back up to speed sooner than later.

Kirby had a 75-pitch limit on the night and went to 72 in the end. He was happy with some aspects of his outing but also knows he still has more to work on, as he said:

“You really got to execute. These hitters are good so if you kind of miss a spot they’re going to make you pay for it. That’s kind of how I thought it went a little bit tonight. I felt great. It’s good to get the first one under my belt and hopefully just keep going from here.”

Overall, the 2023 All-Star was just happy to be back on the mound in Major League action. He said:

“It was a little sporadic, but yeah, it felt great to be back out there. My body feels good. It just didn’t go the way I wanted to tonight, but it’s a great step.”

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Just a bad day overall in Houston for the Mariners

Things didn’t improve for the Mariners after Kirby left, with the bullpen allowing four more runs highlighted by Jesse Hahn allowing three in the sixth inning. And things got no better on the offensive side as the lineup managed no more runs.

On the night in general the Mariners left 12 men on base and were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They also struck out 15 times, to bring back memories of last year’s nightmare in this area of their game.

To really sum up a bad day for the Mariners, pitching ace Bryan Woo was hit on his lower leg by an errant foul ball into the dugout during the eighth inning. It was bad enough that Woo had to go back into the clubhouse with assistant athletic trainer Taylor Bennett, although as things stand he’s still expected to make his scheduled start on Saturday.

Along these lines Emerson Hancock will take the ball on Friday evening for the Mariners, with Ryan Gusto on the mound for the Astros. The M’s enter the contest with a 28-21 record, 2.5 games ahead of their Houston rivals who sit in second place in the AL West.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

Taking everything into account, how many games do you predict the Mariners will win during the remainder of this series in Houston? Let us know in the comments section below.