George Kirby had an impressive game, striking out nine batters in five innings to earn his first win in nearly a month. This helped the Seattle Mariners secure a 4-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.
Josh Rojas got three hits, Luke Raley contributed with two hits and an RBI, and Ty France drove in two runs, all helping the Mariners maintain their lead in the AL West. This win also marked manager Scott Servais’ 57th birthday.
After a successful homestand, where they won six out of seven games, the Mariners have continued their winning streak, now at four games, and have won eight of their last nine games.
“We’re starting to find our rhythm, but there’s still room for improvement,” Kirby commented. “We’re doing well in pitching and hitting. We have a strong team, and it’s about time we see these results.”
Abraham Toro’s RBI single and JJ Bleday’s two singles were among the highlights for the Athletics, who have struggled lately, losing five out of their last six games.
The game had a low attendance of 5,624 at the Coliseum. Meanwhile, the Oakland Ballers, an independent minor league team in the Pioneer League, drew a sellout crowd of over 4,200. This team was formed in response to the A’s plans to move to Las Vegas.
Kirby, who had faced two losses and a tie in his previous three starts, showed his skill against the Athletics, allowing only two runs on six hits with one walk.
Throughout the season, Kirby has been known for his accurate pitching, having only allowed seven walks in 73 1/3 innings.
Manager Scott Servais praised Kirby’s performance, saying, “George’s pitches were really effective. The Athletics struggled to get easy outs against him. Although they managed to create some pressure, Kirby made crucial pitches to get out of tough situations.”
After Kirby left the game, three Mariners relievers each pitched a scoreless inning. However, Andrés Muñoz allowed a run in the ninth inning due to a wild pitch before leaving the game with back soreness. Tayler Saucedo then secured the final out, earning his second save of the season by retiring Brent Rooker on a comebacker.
