George Kirby Pitches His Heart Out, and the Mariners Still Can't Find a Way to Win

George Kirby threw eight innings of baseball in Arlington on Sunday night. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked nobody, struck out three. It was the deepest any Mariners starter has gone all season. And it wasn't enough. The Rangers won 3-2, and just like that, the Mariners are in a hole: four straight losses, five losses in their last six games.

This is what the early season is showing us about this team. It's not talent. Kirby proved that. It's execution. In the top of the ninth, down a run with runners on first and second after Luke Raley and J.P. Crawford opened the inning with back-to-back singles, the Mariners had a real shot to force extras. Dom Canzone flew out to left. Not deep enough. Cole Young sent one to center. Not deep enough either. Brendan Donovan, who had two hits on the night, tried a swinging bunt and grounded into the final out. That's the game right there.

Kirby Dominates, But One Mistake Costs Him

Here's the thing about Kirby's outing: he was in complete control. Seven of his eight innings were scoreless. He attacked the Rangers' aggressive approach, getting quick outs on early counts and cruising through his starts efficiently. But the fifth inning happened.

Joc Pederson reached on an infield single and moved to second on Donovan's throwing error. He scored on Evan Carter's single to right-center, cutting it to 2-1. Two pitches later, Kirby left a sinker over the plate to Kyle Higashioka. Gone. Two-run homer to left. Just like that, the lead was gone and the Rangers were up 3-2.

Offense Did Just Enough, But Not Enough

The Mariners scored first and actually showed some life with the bat. Brendan Donovan hammered Nathan Eovaldi's first pitch of the game, a 95-mph fastball over the plate, into the right field seats for a leadoff homer. That 1-0 lead held up until the fifth.

In that same inning, with Cole Young on second, Cal Raleigh dumped a single to right-center for insurance, making it 2-0. Unlike the night before when they couldn't buy another run, at least the Mariners showed they could score more than one. But two runs against the Rangers wasn't going to be enough, especially after Higashioka's blast made it 3-2.

The Mariners believe they can win these close games. They have to earn that belief back through execution. Right now, they're not doing it. The next chance comes soon enough.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.