On Tuesday night, George Kirby delivered another standout performance, keeping the Braves grounded for seven innings. However, the Mariners' offense couldn't keep pace, striking out 16 times as an early lead evaporated in a 3-2 loss.
The game started promisingly for Seattle, with J.P. Crawford launching a two-run homer in the third inning. But that was the extent of the Mariners' offensive fireworks—they managed just one more hit the rest of the way, rarely threatening while piling up strikeouts at an alarming rate.
The decisive blow came in the ninth inning, when reliever Andrés Muñoz surrendered a go-ahead home run to Matt Olson, sealing the Braves' comeback victory.
Despite the loss, Kirby's outing was a bright spot. The right-hander has been an enigma this season, walking more batters and striking out fewer than ever before. Yet, he entered the day with a stellar 56.5% ground ball rate—fifth-best in baseball—and a 2.84 xERA that suggests his unorthodox approach is working. Even Kirby seems puzzled by the ground ball surge.
"Guys are just kind of hitting them on the ground, honestly," Kirby said postgame. "I think that's just what happens when you try and get strike one. You're in the zone a lot throwing quality strikes. So, the more ground balls, the better. It helps me go deeper in games and eventually get the swing and miss when I need it."
Kirby's inning-by-inning breakdown on Tuesday showcased his ground ball prowess: a groundout, groundout, strikeout first inning; a groundout, single, groundout double play second; and a strikeout, weak fly out, ground out third. He posted a remarkable 65% ground ball rate for the night, continuing a clear trend that has defined his season.
However, a less fortunate pattern has emerged for Kirby: a noticeable dip in effectiveness on the second turn through the order. He entered the game with a stellar 2.79 FIP on the first pass but a 4.21 FIP on the second. That issue surfaced again in the fourth inning, when Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson delivered back-to-back singles, and Mauricio Dubón doubled them home to tie the game at 2-2. The contact wasn't particularly hard, and most of it stayed on the ground, so it wasn't a case of Kirby getting shelled—just a reminder that even the best pitchers have areas to refine.
For the Mariners, the loss underscores a growing concern: a lineup that can't consistently support strong pitching performances. As the season progresses, finding offensive consistency will be key to turning these close games into wins.