On the same day that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh matched Mickey Mantle's record for most home runs by a switch-hitter in the same season, pitcher George Kirby came away with a solid individual performance himself.
Pitching in the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Kirby stymied the Halos' bats, allowing just two earned runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings of work on the mound.
Kirby also punched out a total of 14 Angels hitters while issuing zero walks through 101 pitches in Seattle's 11-2 victory. Perhaps not many realize it during and after the game, but Kirby just became the first pitcher ever in franchise history to have at least two starts in a season where the pitcher had 14 or more strikeouts and zero free passes.
“George Kirby is the only pitcher in @MLB this season with multiple games of 14+ strikeouts AND 0 walks. He is also the only pitcher in @Mariners history to accomplish the feat multiple times in the same season,” Seattle shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Interestingly enough, both such games this season for Kirby came against the same team. He had 14 strikeouts and zero walks issued while giving up only two earned runs on two hits through seven innings in a 3-2 win over the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on July 8.
Kirby certainly benefited from the healthy run support provided by Raleigh and the Mariners' offense. Seattle scored all its 11 runs in the game during the first four innings. On the season, the 27-year-old Kirby has a 9-7 record with a 4.46 ERA and 120 strikeouts through 21 starts and 115.0 innings.
Seattle has now swept its last two series and extended its win streak to nine games. More importantly, the Mariners have taken over the top spot in the American League West standings with an 82-68 record and just 12 games left to play on their schedule.
The Mariners will take a rest this Monday before starting a three-game series on the road against the Kansas City Royals. After that is a crucial series versus the Houston Astros, followed by a set against the Colorado Rockies. The Mariners play the reigning World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers, for their regular-season finale series.
