The third-year starting pitcher is among elite the best pitchers in MLB history in a specific category after his latest start against the Houston Astros
The Seattle Mariners earned a crucial 6-4 win against the Houston Astros on Saturday at Daikin Park in Houston.
The victory clinched the series win and the season series advantage for the Mariners and placed them two games ahead of the Astros in the American League West. Seattle also occupies the No. 2 seed in the American League by one game over the Detroit Tigers (two in practice due to the M's owning the tiebreaker), which would give the Mariners a bye through the wild card round of the playoffs.
If Seattle holds on to win the AL West, it would be the franchise's first division title since 2001 and the team's second postseason berth in four years.
A large part of the Mariners' crucial win Saturday was the quality start put together by starting quarterback George Kirby.
The fourth-year hurler and former All-Star pitched six scoreless innings. He struck out seven and allowed five hits. It was his second consecutive quality start.
According to a post on "X" from Kristilyn Hetherington of the Mariners communications department (@khetherington21), Kirby also joined MLB history with his scoreless start.
According to the post, it was the 37th time in 111 starts Kirby has pitched six or more scoreless innings without issuing a walk. That's the second-most starts of that ilk through 111 outings in MLB history. The only pitcher that has more through 111 starts is Deacon Phillippe, who pitched for the Louisville Colonels in 1899 and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900-1911.
Kirby began this season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. The injury kept him out for the first two months of the season. He wasn't activated off the IL until May 22 against, coincidentally, the Astros.
Kirby has posted a 4.24 ERA this season with 127 strikeouts in 121 innings pitched across 22 starts. He'll likely make one more start this season before the postseason begins.
Seattle will conclude the series against Houston at 4:10 p.m. PT on Sunday. Logan Gilbert will start for the Mariners and Jason Alexander will start for the Astros.
After the series finale, Seattle will have an off day Monday and return home for a six-game homestand at T-Mobile Park to close out the season. The first three games of the homestand will be a series against the Colorado Rockies from Sept. 23-25 and the final three contests will be against the Los Angeles Dodgers from Sept. 26-28.