Inside The Mariners

Seattle Mariners Offense Explodes, Pitching Shuts Out Texas Rangers For Series Win

The Seattle Mariners got a seven-inning shutout start from George Kirby and a home run apiece from Mitch Garver and Randy Arozarena to secure the series over the Texas Rangers in a 7-0 win on Sunday.

Teren Kowatsch

Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during a game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday at T-Mobile Park
Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during a game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday at T-Mobile Park / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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SEATTLE — Whatever good luck came from wearing their City Connect uniforms, the Seattle Mariners got it in droves over the weekend.

The Mariners shut out the Texas Rangers 7-0 on Sunday at T-Mobile Park. The win gave Seattle a 3-1 series win over Texas. The Mariners won three straight to secure the series — all while wearing their blue and yellow City Connect jerseys.

The win on Sunday improved Seattle's record to 77-73 this season and kept it 4.5 games back from the top spot in the American League West and 2.5 back for the final AL Wild Card spot.

"A lot of positives to talk about," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Sunday. "George Kirby — outstanding on the mound today. ... Offensively, getting (those) three runs early was big. ... Guys getting a chance today to get some at-bats and really do some work today and they really responded. Great day offensively. I think 14 hits total on the afternoon, so that's outstanding. And obviously a series win, which is great. And we just got to keep winning. That's where we're focused right now."

Seattle wasted no time in setting the tone against the Rangers. Mitch Garver had his first home run since July 7 — a three-run, two-out, 408-foot shot to left field that put the Mariners up 3-0 through the first inning.

Seattle kept on tacking on from there.

Victor Robles had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth that scored Luis Urias in the former's last at-bat of the game. Robles exited after the inning with "a little soreness in his upper leg," per postgame comments from Wilson. He's expected to be "fine" for the Mariners' upcoming series against the New York Yankees beginning on Tuesday.

Randy Arozarena hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to secure his fourth consecutive 20-home run, 20 steal season. That hit bolstered Seattle's lead to 5-0. Arozarena is the only player in the league aside from the Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez to have four straight seasons of 20 steals and 20 home runs since 2021.

The Mariners added their final two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Julio Rodriguez and Justin Turner both hit RBI sacrifice flies to score Mitch Haniger and J.P. Crawford, respectively, for the eventual final of 7-0.

Kirby's start on the mound reflected the kind of dominance his Seattle teammates showed at the plate (14 hits, six strikeouts).

Kirby went seven innings and allowed one hit. He struck out three batters and gave up no free bases. Relievers Trent Thornton and Eduard Bazardo pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and retired the side in order. The one hit Kirby allowed was erased with a double play.

The three hurlers combined to face the minimum of 27 Rangers hitters. It's the first time the Mariners have faced the minimum since Felix Hernandez's perfect game on Aug. 15, 2012. It's just the third time in franchise history the team has accomplished that feat.

"Quality strikes. That's what I've kind of been lacking and I did a really good job of that today," Kirby said in a postgame interview Sunday. "Just getting in, going up and away, up and in to lefties. Kind of mixed it around the whole plate today. So (Garver) did a good job (at calling pitches). ... I feel like I didn't really miss today. And it was a great feeling."

As good as Sunday's win was, it wasn't quite the best-case scenario series for Seattle.

It missed a chance to gain a game on the Houston Astros in the AL West after losing 5-4 on Thursday to Texas.

But sometimes momentum is enough to carry a team through what it needs accomplish. And three-straight wins with a number of highlight moments is a good way to start building some steam. And that momentum is needed with 12 games left in the season and Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and the Yankees coming through T-Mobile Park.

Bryan Woo will start for the Mariners during Game 1 of a three-game series against New York at 6:40 p.m. PT on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park. Luis Gil will start for the Yankees.

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RALEY, RODRIGUEZ HOMER, AROZARENA HITS GAME-WINNING SINGLE FOR MARINERS AGAINST RANGERS:Luke Raley and Julio Rodriguez both homered and Randy Arozarena hit a walk-off RBI single to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.CLICK HERE

AROZARENA HAS HIS MARINERS MOMENT: Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena had the first of hopefully many Mariners moments with a winning hit on Saturday against the Texas Rangers. CLICK HERE

MARINERS MANAGER SPEAKS ON CONFRONTATION WITH UMPIRE: Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson talked before Sunday's series finale against the Texas Rangers about an interaction on Saturday with home plate umpire Bill Miller that almost drew the skipper his first ejection. CLICK HERE

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Teren Kowatsch
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