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Mariners vs. Astros: Robles rocks, Kirby cooks, Muñoz shuts the door

Seattle fell short in a pivotal three-game series against the Astros, and leave the series tied for the AL West lead

By Jason Wang |
Houston Astros v Seattle Mariners
Houston Astros v Seattle Mariners / Alika Jenner/GettyImages
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Things aren't looking great for Seattle. After their cold stretch fell in line with a Astros surge, the Mariners ceded their division-leading spot. It seemed like only a matter of time, especially with how rough Seattle's offense has been all season, but fans were hoping things would turn around eventually.

Best Hitter: Victor Robles

11 PA, .500/.545/.600, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 SB

Robles has been surprisingly impactful since arriving from the Nationals. It's a small sample size of just 49 plate appearances but he's got a 1.053 OPS. It's been breath of fresh air given the lackluster hitting of his teammates, but things probably won't last. Robles has never been a plus hitter in his eight-year major league career but for now, the team is happy to get any offense they can get.

Honorable Mention: Jorge Polanco

12 PA, .364/.417/.727, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K

Don't count him out yet! Polanco has been underwhelming to say the least, posting a cumulative .594 OPS in his first year as a Seattle Mariner. He doesn't seem to be heating up any time soon and will likely be at the center of many traded deadline discussions, but this series against the Astros may have been his best of the season so far.

Best Pitcher: George Kirby

6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Kirby gave the Mariners a great chance to take the second game of the series, even if they ended up falling short 4-2. He had 15 swings and misses, six of which were on his slider. He also had six called strikes on his sinker, something he has been known for.

Interestingly enough, his four-seam fastball, which has been his best pitch since he made his big league debut, didn't do too much against Houston. He had one swinging strike, one called strike, and nine fouls.

Honorable Mention: Bryan Woo

5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Woo got the final start of the series and was able to secure the sole win for the team. It wasn't the best start that he's had in 2024 but it was a big bounce back after a rough outing in Anaheim. He had just eight swinging strikes, five of which were on his four-seam fastball, but he did have 12 called strikes, six of which were on his four-seam fastball and four of which were on his sinker.

Best Moment: Andrés Muñoz puts up a three strikeout save

Andrés Muñoz is one of my favorite players on the Mariners he might be one of yours too. I was a little bummed that despite making the team, he didn't get an opportunity to pitch for the AL All-Star team. Luckily, we in Seattle get to watch him pitch on the regular. In the final game of the series, he managed to record his 16th save of the year and did it in style striking out the side.

With all of the offensive disappointments this year, the pitching continues to produce gems at an unprecedented rate. They don't exactly cancel each other out but hey, at least there's something to root for.

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