George Kirby delivered a dominant performance on Sunday, striking out a career-high 14 batters across seven innings while giving up just two hits to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels, snapping their five-game skid.
Kirby (1-3) was in complete control from start to finish, walking none and retiring the first 11 and final 10 batters he faced. His 14 strikeouts were the most by a Mariners pitcher since James Paxton’s 16 in 2018, and tied Miami’s Max Meyer for the most in a single MLB game this season.
Randy Arozarena paced the Mariners’ offense with three hits, including an RBI double in the first. Donovan Solano knocked in the go-ahead run in the fifth as Seattle avoided a series sweep and picked up just its fourth win in 14 games.
Taylor Ward provided the Angels’ only runs with a two-run homer in the fourth, his 18th of the season. The Halos were held to just three hits and struck out 18 times overall, matching their season-high for strikeouts in a game.
Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz earned his 18th save, returning to form after a week off and rebounding from two consecutive blown saves. He issued a leadoff walk in the ninth to Jorge Soler but ended the game by striking out Mike Trout.
Angels starter Tyler Anderson (2-3) gave up eight hits and struck out six over 4 2/3 innings, but remains winless in his last nine outings.
Key Moment
Mike Trout broke Kirby’s early no-hit bid with a two-out single in the fourth, and Ward followed with a towering homer to give the Angels a brief 2-1 lead. Kirby bounced back by freezing Chris Taylor with a perfectly placed slider to end the inning.
Key Stat
Trout tied Rafael Palmeiro’s MLB record with 435 total bases against the Mariners and scored his 145th career run versus Seattle, tying Rickey Henderson for the most all-time.
Up Next
The Angels return to action Monday night with Yusei Kikuchi (1-5, 3.23 ERA) starting against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The Mariners head to Arizona, where Emerson Hancock (2-2, 5.19 ERA) will take the mound.
