Mariners vs. Royals: Raley wreaks havoc, Kirby K's the side, and Mariners find their mojo

Best Pitcher: George Kirby

7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

After giving up four earned runs in five innings to the Twins in his last start, Kirby bounced back in a big way, posting a classic Kirby-esque statline: six strikeouts and no walks. He had 11 swings and misses, eight of which were on his four-seam fastball. It continues to be his best pitch and is striking out opposing batters at a 33.3% rate.

His other fastball, the sinker, has also been immensely potent with opposing batters averaging just .163 against it. It's more of a soft contact pitch with a whiff rate of just 8.8% and a strikeout rate of 15.4%, but his control over the pitch and ability to freeze hitters is incredible.

His season ERA and WHIP now stand at 3.58 and 0.95 over 50 ⅓ innings.

Honorable Mention: Andrés Muñoz

3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Because of the sheer quality of Seattle's rotation, it's rare that relievers find themselves mentioned in these series recaps. However, with Muñoz's two saves and six strikeouts in just three innings of work, he deserved to get a shoutout. He's been lights out this year, posting seven saves, a 1.47 ERA, and 0.87 WHIP over 18 ⅓ innings pitched so far in 2024. He may not be talked about as much as other closers in baseball but don't let him slip under your radar.