Kirby ends M's losing streak

 

The Seattle Mariners ended a five-game losing streak yesterday afternoon in Anaheim, and the visitors did it in style.

George Kirby was the star of the game in the 3-2 Mariners win over the Angels. Kirby, who missed spring training and the first month of the regular season with an injury, threw his best game of the season (and perhaps his major league career) allowing only two hits in seven innings and notching a career-high 14 strikeouts. Kirby matches Miami’s Max Meyer for most strikeouts by a pitcher in a game this season

Matt Brash and Andre Munoz each struckout two batters for a total of 18 Angel whiffs. Munoz recovered from two blown saves last weekend against Minnesota, with his 18^th save of the year,

The Mariners entered yesterday afternoon’s tilt with ten losses in their last 13 games, six of those losses by only one or two runs. With the victory, the M’s improve to 33-31 on the season and pick up a game on the Houston Astros, who dropped a 4-2 decision to the Cleveland Guardians (fun fact: the AL West is the only division where the `Stros would be in first place). Seattle trails Houston by 2 ½ games.

Kirby, who recorded his first win of the season, had a perfect game for 3 2/3 innings, before Mike Trout singled and Taylor Ward followed with a home run into the right-field stands. They would be the only baserunners that Kirby allowed.

The Halos third baserunner came in the bottom of the ninth when pinch-hitter Jorge Soler drew a leadoff walk. But Munoz struckout Zach Neto and Trout sandwiched around Nolan Schanel’s line drive right at right-fielder Miles Mastruoboni.

This was a game the Mariners seemed to have under control although one big hit from the Angels could have given them a victory.

Seattle opened the scoring off former Mariner Tyler Anderson in the first inning. J.P. Crawford led off with a walk and Julio Rodriguez almost grounded into a double play but Anderson’s throw to second was high and Rodriguez reached on a force. The fleet-footed Rodriguez scored all the way from first on Randy Arozarena’s double to right.

The Mariners stranded five runners over the next three innings (at one point they were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position) but struck for two runs on five hits in the fifth to erase a brief Angels’ lead. Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano both recorded two-out singles to chase Anderson from the mound.

Meanwhile, every Angel starter would strikeout at least once with Neto and Trout both fanning three times.

Cal Raleigh sat out yesterday’s contest his first DNP of the season. Raleigh didn’t start one other game but came off the bench to deliver a two-run single. The M’s catcher leads the majors with 24 home runs along with 53 RBI, a .272 batting average and a .449 slugging percentage.

Rodriguez returned to the lineup after being removed in the third inning of the previous night’s game. He was hit on the shin by Arozarena’s line drive.

“Obviously at the beginning, it was very painful,” Rodríguez said. “I couldn’t really feel my foot a whole lot or move it a lot.’’

The Mariners begin a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow night. Emerson Hancock takes the mound for the M’s.