It’s no secret who will take the ball for Detroit in the decisive Game 5 of the ALDS. That’s just how it is when you have a clear ace like Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. For the Mariners, however, with their deep rotation that’s missing their own staff ace Bryan Woo, the choice of a starter isn’t as clear-cut. Dan Wilson provided clarity today in a press conference at T-Mobile Park following a team workout: George Kirby will take the mound first for the Mariners.
In explaining why Kirby gets the nod,
Wilson pointed to the extra rest Kirby has had, and how effective he was in the series opener, one home run to Kerry Carpenter excepted. He also pointed to the fact that Kirby is no stranger to pitching at home in an elimination game.
“This is what all of us as kids did in the backyard,” Wilson said. “This is what we imagined. And having been through it for George and being in this situation before, that certainly helps you again tame the emotion in the right direction and have it work to your advantage.”
“It definitely helps to get a little experience under my belt a couple years ago,” said Kirby. “It helps with how you deal with all the nerves and all that kind of stuff that goes into the game.”
Dan Wilson did say that the Mariners will adopt an “all hands on deck” approach in tomorrow’s win-or-go-home game, so Kirby’s leash could be short if he struggles out the gates. But Kirby threw his best inning all season against the Tigers in the first game of the series, touching 99.4 on his heater and striking out the side. Having missed the first month of the season, he’s also fresher than most of the pitchers on the postseason roster, saying he feels great physically—something that can sustain him after the adrenaline of the first inning wears off.
This will be Kirby’s third postseason start at T-Mobile Park, and he’s looking to earn his first win. Last Saturday’s series opener offered Kirby an opportunity for redemption after a brilliant seven-inning start in 2022 against the Astros. But the game ended much the same as the 18-inning gut-wrenching contest that saw the Mariners bounced out of the ALDS, with a crushing extra-inning loss. Both times, the offense sputtered out, and the Mariners lost both games despite strong performances from Kirby, something that has to grate on Kirby, who is as fierce a competitor as there is in the game.
But it’s also a more seasoned George Kirby who will take the mound on Friday. Each one of those experiences has helped shape the pitcher he is today. If he could give a piece of advice to his 2022 self, he says he’d tell himself not to make the moment bigger than it is.
“Nothing changes. It’s still the same game. The stakes are higher, but there’s no need to go out there and be someone who you’re not. Take the day and go out there and have some fun. Do what makes you good.”
The Mariners are hoping that’s exactly what Kirby will do in a win-or-go-home game. More importantly, the offense needs to show up for him in ways they haven’t yet, although that will be a tall task against the presumptive Cy Young winner in Skubal. It all comes down to this.
“This is the excitement of postseason baseball,” said Wilson. “This is what we play for.”
