SEATTLE -- There might not be another big league pitcher who would appreciate -- and utilize -- the automated ball-strike challenge system more than George Kirby, whose precise command and self-professed “hate” of walking batters has made him one of the sport’s best at limiting free passes.
The ABS technology hasn’t made its way to the big leagues yet, but its challenge system has been a full-time fixture at Triple-A since last summer, and the Mariners’ right-hander turned to it almost immediately into his second rehab start on Saturday at Tacoma.
Against his third batter, Kirby challenged a backdoor slider that was initially called a ball but instead got a called third strike vs. Daniel Johnson for his first of five punchouts.
Up at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners blew a three-run lead to the Blue Jays in a 6-3 defeat, snapping their streak of nine straight series wins. They’ll look to avoid a sweep on Sunday.
Beyond the unique ABS component that won’t be available when he returns to the Majors, stuff-wise, Kirby looked sharp, with his fastball topping out at 97.6 mph. He also mixed in the splitter, slider and knuckle curveball, generating at least one strikeout on each of his pitches.
There were some kinks, too, as Kirby issued two walks -- both of which came around to score -- and four hits, which led to three earned runs and limited him to three innings after he reached 54 pitches (36 strikes).
Had he operated with more efficiency, it’s possible that Kirby would’ve been allotted another inning, but all in all, it was another big step in the right direction for the 2023 All-Star. Kirby threw 42 pitches (33 strikes) in his first rehab start last Sunday at Las Vegas, when he also went three innings and surrendered just one hit, a solo homer, with four strikeouts.
“It was awesome,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said on Friday of Kirby’s first rehab outing. “Like, really good. ... It was 96-98 [mph] with the secondary pitches looking in midseason form, tons of strikes. It was really efficient, really good. So, very excited. And he felt great afterwards, which is the most encouraging thing.”
All three runs against the right-hander on Saturday were via a pair of down-the-line doubles into right field. Righty-hitting Jerar Encarnacion punched an inside sinker off his bat label past first baseman Austin Shenton in the first inning, then lefty-hitting Johnson yanked a hanging curveball into the corner that scored runners on first and third base, also past a diving Shenton.
Those knocks were among five hard-hit balls (anything 95 mph or higher) against Kirby of the seven total in play, as he faced 14 batters total.
It’s possible that Saturday’s outing was a penultimate tune-up for Kirby before rejoining the Mariners’ rotation later this month. He’s expected to make at least one more rehab start, likely for Tacoma again next weekend at Albuquerque. High-A Everett might be an option, too, given its proximity to Seattle, though the Aqua Sox will be in Vancouver.
Kirby was initially shut down on March 7 with right shoulder inflammation during Spring Training, and this is his first career stint on the injured list.
Up in Seattle, one of the rotation fill-ins -- rookie Logan Evans -- had a serviceable start by going five-plus innings, but he and the bullpen couldn’t hang on to the early 3-0 lead that Seattle’s offense built.
Evans gave up a two-run homer to Bo Bichette in the fifth inning, then a leadoff single he surrendered to George Springer in the sixth came around to score after he exited. But the game’s decisive moments manifested in the eighth, when Toronto put up a three-spot vs. Carlos Vargas, who gave up three hits and two walks among seven batters faced.