The Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals wrap up the fourth and final game of their series in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon. The Mariners are still battling for a wildcard spot in the American League while the Royals are out of the running but have been playing better baseball as of late. The pitching matchup on Thursday afternoon will be Mariners' righty George Kirby (10-8, 3.11) while the Royals will likely hand the ball to lefty Cole Ragans (3-4, 4.21). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:10 PM EST.
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The Mariners have seemingly taken a similar path to the 2022 season as they attempt to once again earn a wildcard spot in the American League playoffs. Last season, the Mariners caught fire in the final two months of the season and earned the team's first playoff appearance since 2001. This season, the Mariners once again started slowly but have played better baseball lately to thrust themselves right back into the playoff picture with just over a month and a half left in the season. The Mariners' push was stalled on Monday night in a 7-6 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. The Mariners bounced back on Tuesday night with a 10-8 win in extra-innings after blowing a 7-0 lead.
.@JRODshow44 for the lead! #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/UZuCPQIcaN
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 15, 2023
The Mariners will hand the ball to young right-hander George Kirby on Thursday afternoon against the Royals. Kirby is 10-8 on the season in 23 starts including an impressive 17 quality starts. He has allowed 131 hits in 144.2 innings pitched with an ERA of 3.11. Kirby has a K/9 rate of 8.1 and his WHIP is just 1.00. Kirby is 2-0 with an ERA of just 1.97 in his last five starts. He has struck out 38 batters in 32 innings during this stretch. On the road this season, Kirby is 4-5 with an ERA of 3.38.
Key Injuries: SS J.P. Crawford and OF Jarred Kelenic are out.
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