The fourth-year starting pitcher will get the nod in Game 1 of the Mariners' final regular season series of 2025
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners have three more games left in the one of the most successful regular seasons in recent franchise history.
The Mariners are set to begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 6:40 p.m. PT on Friday at T-Mobile Park. In Seattle's series sweep against the Colorado Rockies, the M's clinched a playoff berth for the second time in four seasons; won the American League West title for the first time since 2001 and guaranteed a top-two seed and wild card bye in the playoffs.
The Mariners will try and work in rest for their normal starting players to keep them fresh for the playoffs, but Seattle still has an opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference and a series win against the Dodgers, defending World Series champions, could help build momentum into the postseason.
Right-handed pitcher George Kirby will be the first Mariners starting pitcher to get a crack at the 2024 champs Friday.
Kirby was announced as the starter by Seattle manager Dan Wilson after the team's win against the Rockies on Thursday. The starters for Games 2 and 3 of the series Saturday and Sunday are to-be-determined.
Mariners ace Bryan Woo is still working his way back from right pectoral inflammation and it's still unclear whether he'll be held out until the playoffs or if he'll get a crack at Los Angeles.
Kirby will enter his start on a solid stretch. Kirby has posted two-straight quality starts in his outings against the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros on Sept. 14 and 20, respectively.
Over those pair of starts, Kirby has fanned a combined 21 batters and has allowed two earned runs on eight hits (two home runs). He didn't allow a free base in either start. Fourteen of his strikeouts came in his start against the Angels, which matched a single-game career-high.
Kirby began the season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. He missed nearly two months of action and was activated off the IL on May 22. He's posted a 4.24 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 121 innings pitched across 22 starts.
The injury led to inconsistency for Kirby throughout the year as he attempted to work his way back. His recent outings indicate that he's reached midseason form, and it couldn't come at a better time for Seattle.
RELATED MARINERS STORIES
SEATTLE MARINERS SWEEP COLORADO ROCKIES IN 6-2 WIN: Emerson Hancock and Eugenio Suarez helped lift the Mariners to their fourth sweep in five series. CLICK HERE
FORMER MARINERS OUTFIELDER SHARES ADVICE HE GAVE TO JULIO RODRIGUEZ: Former Mariners slugger Mike Cameron shared advice with the franchise superstar before the team's dominant stretch in September. CLICK HERE
EMERSON HANCOCK TO START SERIES FINALE AGAINST COLORADO ROCKIES: The right-handed pitcher will get the nod for the Seattle Mariners for Game 3 against the Rockies. CLICK HERE
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!