SEATTLE — If only George Kirby’s usage didn’t have to be monitored and limited.
It’s not going to be easy for the Mariners to keep the rookie right-hander working on shortened starts and on a limited basis as they head down the stretch given what he’s shown he can do at the MLB level.
On a sunny afternoon made pleasant with a slight breeze, Kirby delivered a dominant effort on a limited pitch count and the Mariners provided just enough run support thanks to a two-run homer from Ty France to grab a 2-1 victory over the Angels in Game 1 of a split doubleheader.
Using a new two-seam fastball that he picked up a few weeks ago after watching Robbie Ray, Kirby pitched six innings, allowing just one run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in just 80 pitches.
Facing right-hander Jaime Barria, France launched a two-run homer into the Mariners bullpen in the third inning for a 2-1 lead.
Kirby and the Mariners bullpen made it stand up with Matt Festa, Andres Munoz and Erik Swanson holding the Angels scoreless over the final three innings.
