Seattle Mariners Duo Does Something Never Done Before in Baseball History
![Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning at T-Mobile Park on July 20. Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning at T-Mobile Park on July 20.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5513,h_3101,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mariners/01j3qrzfhykzfnzjd1yg.jpg)
The last month of baseball has been dreadful for the Seattle Mariners. The M's have gone from 44-31 to 53-51, meaning they have lost 20 of their last 29 games.
After leading the American League West for most of the season, the M's are now 1.0 game back in the American League West heading into play on Friday night.
Though the overall product has suffered, the pitching has been elite, with the M's boasting perhaps the best rotation in all of baseball. Furthermore, Seattle leads baseball in ERA thanks to that rotation.
George Kirby will get the ball for the M's on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox and he'll do so in the midst of a historic run that he shares with teammate Logan Gilbert.
Per @JayHayKid of the "Baseball is Dead" podcast on social media:
George Kirby has 65 K and 7 BB over his last 10 starts.
Logan Gilbert has 66 K and 7 BB over his last 10 starts.
They are the first pair of teammates in MLB history to have concurrent 10-start stretches with 65+ K and 7 or fewer BB in the same season.
George Kirby has 65 K and 7 BB over his last 10 starts.
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) July 25, 2024
Logan Gilbert has 66 K and 7 BB over his last 10 starts.
They are the first pair of teammates in MLB history to have concurrent 10-start stretches with 65+ K and 7 or fewer BB in the same season.
The main philosophy of the M's is to "control the zone" and Kirby and Gilbert both do that at an elite level. In Kirby's case, he leads baseball in both walk/nine (0.9) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.38).
Kirby is 7-7 on the year with a 3.20 ERA through 21 starts. He'll be opposed on Friday by Drew Thorpe. Gilbert won't pitch until Monday on the road at the Boston Red Sox.
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