George Kirby’s gem, J.P. Crawford’s solo HR lift M’s past Red Sox for 1st win of season

SEATTLE – George Kirby didn’t know that he walked the first batter he faced in his 2024 season. Unaware that he’d been called for a pitch-clock violation, he was perplexed when Red Sox leadoff hitter Jarren Durran started running to first base after what Kirby presumed was ball three.

Kirby didn’t look confused when he issued a one-out walk to Masataka Yoshida, the third batter he faced of the season. He was, well, furious.

Two walks in one inning? Never supposed to happen in the M’s pitcher’s mind.

Two walks in the first inning of the season? Unacceptable.

His face wore the expression of … “What the hell is happening here?”

In 31 starts last season, he’d never walked three batters. And he walked two batters in an outing only four times. But two of those outings had two walks in one inning – the first – and they were losses to the Rays and Dodgers.

With the Red Sox poised to score first with runners on the corners and only one out, would the pattern continue?

Nope.

Kirby struck out Trevor Story and got Triston Casas to fly out to center to end the inning. He wouldn’t issue another a walk or allow a run to score for the rest of his outing, leading the Mariners to a 1-0 victory.

After issuing that second walk of the first inning, Kirby retired 19 of the next 21 batters he faced, striking out eight of them. He allowed a one-out single to Tyler O’Neill in the third inning and a single to Ceddanne Rafaela with two outs in the seventh inning. It would be the final batter he faced in the outing. Having thrown 99 pitches, manager Scott Servais went to his bullpen.

Gabe Speier allowed a single to pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes, but came back to strike out Bobby Dalbec to end the inning. Kirby’s final line: 62/3 innings pitched, no runs, three hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.

After two of the first three Red Sox reached base, George Kirby set down 17 of 18, eight by strikeout.

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta was nearly as good. The lanky right-hander, who relies heavily on a biting cutter and nasty slider, tossed six innings, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

That one run allowed came in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. After hitting the ball hard off Pivetta earlier with nothing to show for it, J.P. Crawford yanked a low cutter off the facing of the upper deck in right field for a solo homer.

How did Kirby respond to getting the lead in the sixth, he struck out the top of the Red Sox order – Jarren Duran, O’Neill and Yoshida in the bottom of the inning.

The game wasn’t without drama after Kirby’s exit.

Ryne Stanek started the eighth inning, but couldn’t finish it, issuing a leadoff walk and allowing a two-out single to Yoshida.

Manager Scott Servais called on Andres Munoz to complete a four-out save in his first appearance of the season.

Munoz got a ground ball to third off the bat off Trevor Story. But the routine play didn’t stay routine when third baseman Luis Urias bounced the throw to first base. Ty France made clutch scoop on the ball for the final out.

Munoz worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.