George Kirby's career-high 14 strikeouts led the Mariners to a 3-2 win over the Angels on June 9, 2025, snapping a 5-game skid. See how his historic day unfolded.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Just when the sky felt like it was falling, George Kirby put the Seattle Mariners on his back and delivered one of the most dominant pitching performances in recent memory. In a must-win game to avoid a sweep against the Angels, Kirby was simply untouchable, fanning a career-high 14 batters to power the M's to a desperately needed 3-2 victory and snap a five-game slide.
14 strikeouts. 7 innings. 2 hits. 0 walks. That was George Kirby's line, the most strikeouts by a Mariner since 2018.
From the first pitch, you could tell Kirby was on another level. He was efficient, he was electric, and the Angels' lineup had no answers. He retired the first 11 batters he faced and the final 10, completely controlling the game. His 14 strikeouts were the most by a Mariners pitcher since James Paxton punched out 16 back in 2018. It wasn't just a great start; it was an ace-level performance that single-handedly stopped the bleeding for a team that was spiraling.
While Kirby was dealing, the offense did just enough to get the job done, and Randy Arozarena was the catalyst. Randy collected three hits, including an RBI double that got the M's on the board early. His hustle was on full display in the fifth inning when he singled, stole second, and scored the tying run. That set the stage for Donovan Solano, who delivered the go-ahead RBI, proving that even a little bit of timely hitting can be enough when your ace is shoving.
After Kirby's exit, all eyes were on Andrés Muñoz. Coming off back-to-back blown saves and his first earned runs of the season, the pressure was immense. After a leadoff walk, the tension mounted, but Muñoz dug deep. Facing none other than Mike Trout with the game on the line, he reared back and got the strikeout, securing his 18th save and a massive sigh of relief from the T-Mobile Park faithful. It was a huge bounce-back performance for the closer when the team needed him most.
The win was crucial, but the team isn't entirely out of the woods. Jorge Soler missed Sunday's start with groin tightness, and his status for the upcoming series against the Diamondbacks is uncertain. His bat will be missed if he's out for any length of time. On a historical note, Mike Trout continued his Mariner-killing ways by tying franchise records for total bases and runs scored against Seattle, but thankfully, it came in a losing effort for the Halos.
One win doesn't erase a five-game losing streak, but it's a start. The Mariners (33-31) now hit the road for a tough series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Emerson Hancock taking the mound against Merrill Kelly on Monday, the question is simple: Was Sunday's victory a turning point or just a temporary reprieve? This road trip will tell us a lot about the resilience of this ballclub.
