Mariners Roundup: Seattle bounces back after disheartening start to Oakland series

Best Pitcher: George Kirby

6.0 IP, 85 P, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

Kirby commanded the strike zone excellently, avoiding any free passes while striking out nine. He had 13 whiffs, split evenly across his slider, sinker, knuckle curve, and four-seam fastball. He also had 18 called strikes, eight of which came against his sinker.

His sinker has had excellent command all year and despite having a whiff rate of 11.7%, 19.7% of them end up as called strikes. It also helps that Cal Raleigh is one of the best framing catchers in the sport this season, sitting in the 98th percentile for framing runs above average with 12.

Honorable Mention: Luis Castillo

7.0 IP, 99 P, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Castillo was effective but fell victim to the long ball with both of his earned runs coming by way of solo homers. Nonetheless, he had 10 swinging strikes (four against his changeup) and seven called strikes. Netting only five strikeouts over seven innings seems quite low for Castillo who has been around the 10 K/9 mark throughout his career, but he still managed to limit the damage and put up a quality start.