Things went awry for the Seattle Mariners and their starting pitcher, George Kirby on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but took a lead with a four-run inning and went on to win 7-4.
After the game, Kirby expressed frustration with the way Seattle handled the seventh inning.
Kirby started the inning for the Mariners. And while he retired Taylor Walls to start the inning, things quickly went awry after. José Siri doubled and René Pinto homered to tie the game, bringing Kirby’s night to an end.
When the game was over, Kirby made it clear that he thought he should have been removed after six innings.
“I wish I wasn’t out there for the seventh, to be honest,” Kirby said. When asked why, he said “Because I was at 90 pitches and I didn’t think I needed to go anymore. But it is what it is.”
Kirby then added that “it will be a conversation soon,” presumably between himself and manager Scott Servais.
George Kirby was visibly frustrated postgame.
He gave up the game-tying two-run homer on his 102nd pitch.
"I wish I wasn't out there for the 7th to be honest."
Says there will be a conversation soon | #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/17XmheTb1O
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) September 9, 2023
Unless they are injured (and even frequently then), pitchers will usually argue to stay in games. So, Kirby’s blunt take that he should have been out of the game did not go unnoticed within the baseball world.
And for the most part, they were not well received.
Wow…. https://t.co/vAoufIrVwS
— Julian McWilliams (@byJulianMack) September 9, 2023
This is… an incredibly bad look. Unless there’s something we’re missing, no one should be defending Kirby https://t.co/jUG8CO4xEx
— Trident True (@TridentTruee) September 9, 2023
George Kirby rocks and I also wish the Mariners bolstered their bullpen so he wasn’t out there but “I didn’t want to be out there at 90 pitches” isn’t something you wanna say as a dude on the periph of a Cy Young race. https://t.co/PJRE3bJ66k
— Colin O'Keefe (@colinokeefe) September 9, 2023
Reputations in this town take a severe hit when athletes give fans excuses to call them soft. Saw it with Erik Bedard, Shaun Alexander, Jimmy Graham, etc. The great thing George has going for him is his career is getting started so he can change that, but woof my dude. https://t.co/fI4O2FCrFs
— Curtis Rogers (@AKidFromKent) September 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/danegnzlz/status/1700332088195506416
Part of the issue is that Seattle’s bullpen is also beleaguered. Case in point, Isaiah Campbell, who relieved Kirby, also struggled. Campbell walked his first hitter, Yandy Díaz. Then, after Brandon Lowe hit into a fielder’s choice, Tampa’s Harold Ramírez drilled a two-run homer to give the Rays a 6-4 lead. Dominic Leone then surrendered a solo shot to Isaac Paredes leading off the eighth inning.
So, even if Kirby was removed after the sixth inning, the result of the game may not have been any different.
