Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby will make his second start of the season against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.
The first one went very well for Kirby, who struck out a career-high 14 batters and didn’t walk one in seven innings of a 3-2 victory on June 8. He allowed a two-run homer by Taylor Ward and one other hit overall before exiting after just 96 pitches.
“That’s the guy he can be,” catcher Mitch Garver said of Kirby (4-5, 4.65 ERA). “It’s probably one of the most important starts we’ve had.”
Another big one comes Saturday night as the Mariners look to bounce back from a 3-2 loss in 10 innings to the Angels. Seattle is clinging to the second wild-card slot in the American League.
Shortstop Zach Neto celebrated his first-ever bobblehead night with the first walk-off hit of his career, a two-out single that drove in LaMonte Wade Jr. from second base.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Los Angeles, which closed to within 4 1/2 games of the final wild-card spot.
“It means everything, seeing everybody with my bobblehead. It’s very special,” Neto said after getting doused with Gatorade. “We needed this win. Flush it at midnight and come back in tomorrow and try to do the same thing.”
“That was tremendous,” interim Angels manager Ray Montgomery said. “Bobblehead nights (are) good omens. I’m sure he was excited about it. That was good. It was fun. I’m glad he got the opportunity to do it.”
The question is will it stop the Angels from being sellers at the trade deadline? Several media outlets reported that Los Angeles was shopping closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Yoan Moncada, utility infielder Luis Rengifo, starting left-hander Tyler Anderson and Ward.
Anderson (2-6, 4.43 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday night for the Angels.
He is 1-3 with a 5.01 ERA in 10 career starts against the Mariners. He picked up the loss in Kirby’s gem on June 8 allowing three runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Kirby is 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA in nine career starts against Los Angeles, including 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six starts in Anaheim.
Seattle’s runs on Friday came on solo homers by center fielder Julio Rodriguez. It was the fifth multi-home run game of Rodriguez’s career as he became the third player in Mariners’ history to have five or more multi-homer games by the age of 24. The other two were Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (14) and Alex Rodriguez (14).
“Incredibly talented player,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said of Julio Rodriguez. “He continues to let that talent shine. Just really seeing the ball well right now. Couple of homers off a tough opponent tonight in (Jose) Soriano. Just thought he was on each pitch and seeing the ball well, and when he got his pitch he was able to drive it.”
First baseman Josh Naylor, obtained in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, flew across the country from Pittsburgh on Friday and had a single in four at-bats in his Mariners’ debut.
–Field Level Media
