George Kirby Was Brilliant, But the Mariners' Bats Went Silent in 101 Degree Nightmare
The Mariners came into Friday night riding high after dropping 20 runs on the Cubs the night before. Then reality hit like the Phoenix heat: they managed just one run in a 7-1 loss at the Peoria Sports Complex, and yeah, that one run came on a wild pickoff throw. Not exactly the way you want to finish spring training at home.
Kirby's Performance Was the Bright Spot
Here's the thing though: George Kirby was absolutely locked in. The right-hander worked 5 and one-third innings, giving up just one run on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Sure, he gave up a run early in the first inning, but after that? He was untouchable. Four straight scoreless innings. That's the kind of stuff you want heading into the regular season.
"I'm super excited," Kirby said about the season opener looming. "Yeah, the weather's gonna be different, but having that atmosphere and the energy in the crowd in the stands for the first week can be pretty exciting to be back into. I'm stoked, and I think everybody else here is ready to get back."
The Offense Was Nowhere to Be Found
Josh Naylor managed to scamper home from second in the second inning after Cubs starter Colin Rea threw a wayward pickoff attempt, and that was basically it for Seattle's night offensively. The bats that had erupted for 20 runs on Thursday? Completely silent. Just five hits total against the Cubs.
Manager Dan Wilson wasn't too concerned though. "After the big explosion offensively last night, not as much offense tonight, only the five hits," Wilson said. "But I thought George threw the ball very well. A little bit of a slow start for him, but I think he really settled in about that third inning. I thought he and Cal worked really well together. I think this was a good way for him to end the Cactus League down here and be ready to go north."
The Heat Drew a Crowd Anyway
Even though it hit 101 degrees at first pitch, a packed house of 11,029 showed up for the Mariners' home finale this spring. The Emerald City faithful came out strong all spring too: Seattle drew 121,888 for their home games, the most since 2016 spring training.
What's Next
The Mariners head to Camelback Ranch on Sunday to take on the Chicago White Sox in the penultimate game of the Cactus League schedule. First pitch has been pushed back to 6:05 p.m. PT due to the heat. Bryan Woo gets the start for Seattle, with Jhonathan Diaz, Jose A. Ferrer, Andres Muñoz, Cooper Criswell, and Casey Legumina also scheduled to pitch. Chicago will counter with Sean Burke.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.