Dan Wilson made crucial mistake making George Kirby unavailable in ALDS Game 4

It's no secret. The Seattle Mariners needed to win Game 4 of the ALDS to avoid a fourth showdown with reigning Cy-Young winner Tarik Skubal in Game 5.

The Mariners didn't win, mostly the result of a massive bullpen blowup that saw Gabe Speier, Eduard Bazardo, and Carlos Vargas combine to allow seven runs. It was not a pretty sight for Mariners fans hoping they would advance to the ALCS without having to beat Skubal for a fourth time this season.

On the surface, it appeared Dan Wilson made all the right calls. He pulled Bryce Miller as soon as he showed signs of struggle and replaced him with Speier, who had been nails all postseason. Obviously, Speier had his worst outing in a while at the worst time, as did Bazardo who followed him.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but was there a better option Dan Wilson could have employed when he removed Bryce Miller from the game Wednesday?

Where was George Kirby when the Mariners needed him in Game 4?

What about George Kirby? He last pitched on Saturday, giving him three days of rest. While that's not enough for him to have started the game, the 2023 All-Star surely could have thrown at least a few innings in relief.

Even if Speier still allows the Tigers to tie the game in the fifth, Kirby could have entered the game in the sixth inning. If he could have provided even two solid innings of relief, the baton could have been passed to Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz to throw the eighth and ninth.

And it's certainly possible that if the Tigers do not blow the game open in the sixth inning — which clearly demoralized Seattle's offense — the Mariners would have scored again in the later innings.

In the postseason, every inning of every game matters. Wilson should have managed like it, and he should have understood the gravity of the situation required him to use his best available option. In this case, that option should have been Kirby.