By Tim Booth / Associated Press
SEATTLE — George Kirby matched his career high with 10 strikeouts over seven innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 5-0 on Thursday.
Teoscar Hernández and Mike Ford homered as Seattle earned a split of the four-game set.
The split came thanks to a terrific start on the mound from one of Seattle’s All-Star selections. Kirby retired 11 of his first 12 batters and didn’t allow a hit until Matt Wallner dribbled a single just inside the bag at third base with two outs in the fourth.
Kyle Farmer tripled with two outs in the fifth, but he was the only Twins baserunner to advance past first base with Kirby on the mound. Farmer was stranded when Julio Rodríguez ran down a drive from Christian Vázquez in right-center to end the threat.
Kirby (9-8) allowed four hits, and the 10 strikeouts matched his outing against Miami last month. It was the rebound performance the Mariners were hoping to see after Kirby was knocked around for six earned runs and eight hits by Detroit last week.
Hernández lined an RBI single during a laborious first inning for Pablo López, who went to a full count on four of his first seven batters and needed 36 pitches to get through the frame. López (5-6) settled down after the rocky beginning, but Hernández got the better of him again when he led off the fourth with his 16th homer.
López allowed six hits and struck out seven, but the high pitch count early on had the Twins going to their bullpen by the sixth.
Ford hit a two-run shot off reliever Jorge López in the eighth inning. Ford has 27 hits since coming up from Triple-A, 10 of them homers.
INJURED LIST
Kelenic went on the 10-day injured list after breaking a bone in his left foot kicking a cooler in the dugout in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s loss. Kelenic lost his cool after striking out with two runners on base. Kelenic tearfully apologized for his actions, and there’s no timetable for his return.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (8-6, 3.77 ERA) gets the start as Minnesota begins a series at home against the Chicago White Sox and Lance Lynn (6-8, 6.06 ERA). Ryan threw 5 1/3 innings and got a no-decision in his last start against Oakland.
Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (6-3, 3.66 ERA) takes the mound as Seattle opens a series with Toronto. Former Mariners pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 4.13 ERA) is scheduled to start for the visiting Blue Jays. Miller threw five shutout innings against Detroit in his return from the injured list due to a finger blister.
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