Mariners’ Kirby silences Baltimore bats

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, August 13, 2025

BALTIMORE — Behind a strong start from pitcher George Kirby, the Seattle Mariners opened a three game series with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday.

Kirby allowed three hits and struck out seven as the M’s (67-53) moved into to a tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.

Meanwhile, Baltimore pitcher Dean Kremer achieved something Tuesday for the first time in nearly three years. It still wasn’t enough to win the game.

The Orioles’ right-hander twirled eight masterful innings against the Seattle for his longest start since September 2022. But Baltimore’s bats were even worse against Kirby than the Mariners’ offense was against Kremer.

The Orioles managed only five hits and were shut out for the 13th time this season in a 1-0 loss. A comeback attempt in the ninth came up short, as Ryan Mountcastle grounded out to end the game with the tying and winning runners on base.

Earlier in the at-bat, Mountcastle hit what appeared off the bat to be a walk-off home run to left field, but it landed just wide of the foul pole. The Orioles are the only MLB team without a walk-off win this season.

The only Baltimore base runner to reach scoring position was Gunnar Henderson after his two-out double in the fourth and his two-out walk in the ninth. Otherwise, it was an anemic offensive performance.

The game’s only run scored on an RBI single by Josh Naylor in the first inning. After the early hiccup, Kremer was superb, keeping a powerful Mariners offense off-balanced and his listless Orioles lineup in the game. Kremer scattered five hits and one walk while striking out six, making it through eight innings for the first time since he pitched a complete game against the Houston Astros three seasons ago.

It’s been a difficult season for an Orioles rotation that ranks as one of the majors’ worst, but Kremer’s subtle evolution into a reliable innings-eater has been one of the few positives. The 29-year-old’s headline numbers are just so-so (4.17 ERA, 1.25 WHIP), but the way he’s pitched since his horrid April is perhaps the best version Kremer’s ever been in his six-year career.

Kremer has a 3.36 ERA in 18 starts since May began. He’s gone at least seven innings in seven of those starts while surrendering two or fewer runs in nine of them.

Aside from Henderson’s double, the Orioles’ other four hits came on singles from Jackson Holliday, Dylan Carlson and Ryan Noda. Carlson’s infield knock in the third ended his 0-for-35 hitless streak.

Kirby, one of the best strike-throwers in baseball, put his elite command on display during the best start of what’s been a slightly disappointing, injury-impacted campaign. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and zero walks.

Relievers Eduard Bazardo (former Oriole) and Gave Speier combined to record a scoreless eighth, while closer Andres Muñoz escaped the ninth with his 28th save after Henderson and Adley Rutschman both reached with two outs.

The AL’s winningest team is now resigned to playing meaningless baseball — you remember, the type they had played for most of the 21st century — after a disastrous start and a trade deadline fire sale. General manager Mike Elias noted after the deadline that for this simulation to play out the way it has, many things had to go awry.

“We are sorry that 2025 has gone this way,” Elias said. “A lot had to go wrong, and it has.”