Mariners blank Orioles 1-0 behind stellar outing from George Kirby

The Seattle Mariners make it a season-high eight wins in a row, as they move into a tie with the Houston Astros at the top of the AL West.

George Kirby picked an excellent time to have arguably his best start of the season, on a night when hits and even more so runs were at a premium inside Camden Yards. His stellar outing set the stage for the Seattle Mariners to squeeze out a tense and hard-earned 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

The Mariners are on an absolute roll now, taking 10 of 11 since the trade deadline and currently on a season-high eight-game winning streak. During the same period the Houston Astros have continued to freefall and following their 14-1 humiliation at home to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, there is now a two-way tie at the AL West summit.

Mariners fans everywhere will no doubt be thrilled that their team now sits atop the division with the faltering Astros with identical 67-53 records. The rivals are tied 5-5 in the head-to-head season series and their final three-game set in Houston in late September continues to loom larger with every passing day.

George Kirby back to his best

Back to Kirby specifically, he really was sublime on Tuesday night versus the Orioles, as he equalled his season-high of 7.0 innings. He only allowed three hits and no walks over 87 efficient pitches, with just one man reaching scoring position.

The 27-year-old struggled for form and consistency when he first returned from shoulder inflammation, but is now looking more like the pitcher who has excelled ever since making his Major League debut back in 2022. The Orioles game represented his fourth consecutive quality start and he finally saw his ERA fall below 4.00 for the first time this season, to 3.71.

Kirby spoke to the media postgame and discussed what is behind his recent run of excellent form. He said:

“I think my offspeed has just been really, really good, especially to lefties. Just hammering that pitch and trying to get ahead. When you get ahead, you can control the game a lot better.”

As you would expect from the righty though, he also took the time to compliment the part his teammates played in assisting his excellent outing. He said:

“The guys behind me have been a hell of a defense, and they’ve been hitting the ball really hard and scoring runs. That makes your job a lot easier too.”

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Josh Naylor continues to excel for the Mariners

As mentioned earlier, hits were at a premium on Tuesday night, and the only scoring in the game actually came in the top of the opening inning. And it was that man Josh Naylor yet again, as he hit a RBI single to bring Randy Arozarena home on one of just six hits for the Mariners.

Amazingly Naylor has already equalled his 0.8 fWAR from 93 games in Arizona this season, in just 16 contests for the Mariners. He’s in the best form of his career at least statistically, highlighted by a .908 OPS and 158 OPS+ during his time so far in Seattle.

After Kirby left the game, Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier combined to get the Mariners through the eighth. However, one more challenge faced the team in the bottom of the ninth, as they clung onto their tenuous 1-0 advantage against the Orioles and had to contend with the top of the order.

Andrés Muñoz perseveres in the ninth

Things began well enough for Andrés Muñoz as he retired the first two batters, but then he allowed a walk to get the tying run on base. This was followed by a long delay as the M’s main closer had to be tended to on the mound, with him later explaining he felt lightheaded.

This led to plenty of booing by the Orioles fans, and the situation only became worse for the M’s when Muñoz subsequently allowed a single. However, he was able to end the threat by forcing a ground out for his 28th save of the season, which is tied for third-most in the majors.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson was obviously happy with the win, and especially pleased with the effort of his pitching staff. Speaking to the media afterwards, he said:

“Not a lot of offense but wow, what a job the pitching did tonight. George was outstanding. Seven strong, he really threw the ball well. And then the bullpen slammed the door there at the end of the ballgame. … Picking up that run in the first was huge for us and the pitching made it stand. Just a good way to start the trip.”

The Mariners will send Logan Gilbert to the mound on Wednesday evening, as they aim to make it four series wins in a row and extend the current longest winning streak in the AL. Gilbert was tremendous last time out in allowing just two hits and one run in 5.0 innings versus the Chicago White Sox, and he will be aiming for more of the same against the Orioles.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

The Mariners continue to roll, but how will the rest of this series in Baltimore play out? Further, what do you predict their record will be for this overall nine-game road trip? Let us know in the comments section below.