George Kirby's 10.38 ERA Against San Diego Is The One Number M's Fans Can't Ignore

Alright, M's fans, we're in a tough spot heading into Sunday. Ugh. We just dropped a 7-4 game to the Padres yesterday, making it three losses in our last four, and now San Diego is gunning for a season sweep right here at T-Mobile Park in this Vedder Cup series. We've been hovering around .500, only breaking past it for a single day all season back on March 30 when we were 3-2. This isn't the start we wanted, and today feels like a HUGE pivot point.

The Padres Roll In With a New Arm and Old Habits

The Padres, meanwhile, are feeling pretty good after yesterday's win, and they're bringing a new face to the mound for his season debut: right-hander Lucas Giolito. The guy's been chilling all winter, waiting for a call, and the Padres finally signed him on April 22 for $3 million. He's made four minor league starts to get ready, and he's apparently stoked to be back. Giolito said, "I've been doing this for a long time. Pitching in the big leagues, being in a rotation, that's normal for me." He also added that the last few months were "abnormal" and he's glad to feel like he belongs again. Gotta respect that drive, even if he's pitching against our guys.

San Diego needs him, too, with Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, German Marquez, and Matt Waldron all sidelined with injuries. Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA for Boston last season, so he's no slouch. Padres manager Craig Stammen basically said Giolito knows how to get outs in the big leagues. And get this: in four career starts against Seattle, Giolito is 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA. Yesterday's loss saw Walker Buehler pitch five innings for the win, backed by dingers from Nick Castellanos, Gavin Sheets, and a two-run shot from rookie Rodolfo Duran, which was his first major league hit after going 0-for-10. Rough to see that against us, but good for him, I guess.

Kirby on the Mound: We Need to Turn This Around NOW

So, what about our guys? We're sending George Kirby to the bump today, and he's got a decent 5-2 record with a 2.84 ERA this season, fresh off a 3-1 win against Houston where he gave up just one run over five innings. That's our guy, right? EXCEPT, and this is the stat that's keeping me up: Kirby is 0-2 with a staggering 10.38 ERA in his two previous starts against the Padres. That is NOT good. We can't afford another outing like that, especially with the team having lost three of four.

Logan Gilbert, who gave up a season-high seven runs yesterday, said after the game, "I think we know we're not playing all the way to our capabilities, but it's a long year." He added, "The biggest thing is not to panic. Second thing is, how quickly can you turn it?" Well, Logan, the answer for us has to be TODAY. We're also crossing our fingers that third baseman Brendan Donovan, recovering from a groin strain, and catcher Mitch Garver, dealing with back tightness, are back in the lineup after being late scratches yesterday. We need all hands on deck for this one, Emerald City! Let's go get this W and stop this slide.

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