Fri May 30 04:40:00 UTC 2025: **Mariners Pummeled by Nationals in 9-0 Rout as Kirby Struggles**

**SEATTLE, WA** – A night that began with the jarring sounds of dubstep blaring from T-Mobile Park speakers quickly turned sour for the Seattle Mariners, as they were dismantled by the Washington Nationals in a 9-0 loss on Wednesday night.

The Nationals’ bats came alive against Mariners’ right-hander George Kirby, who surrendered three home runs and six earned runs in five innings, spoiling his return to Seattle. Kirby, making his second start after recovering from shoulder inflammation, struggled to find his form, allowing seven hits and two walks while only managing four strikeouts.

“It’s not, obviously, what I wanted to have with results,” Kirby said after the game. “But I’m super glad to be back in the rotation, healthy. I got my work in these two games. I’ve just got to do better.”

The Nationals took an early lead in the second inning with back-to-back home runs from Luis Garcia Jr. and Josh Bell. In the fourth, the Nationals extended their lead with a string of hits, capitalizing on Kirby’s inability to finish batters with two outs. James Wood capped off Kirby’s outing with a towering home run in the fifth, pushing the score to 6-0.

Meanwhile, the Mariners’ offense was completely shut down by Nationals’ veteran Trevor Williams, who pitched six shutout innings, allowing only three singles. The Mariners only managed to get a runner past second base once during the game.

The loss, Seattle’s most lopsided of the season, shrank their lead in the AL West to just a half-game after the Houston Astros’ victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Despite the rough outing, Kirby remained optimistic, stating that he felt physically strong and was confident that his performance would improve with more time on the mound. Jackson Kowar made his Mariners debut, throwing a scoreless seventh inning after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Robert Hassell III added his first career homer in the eighth off Mariners rookie reliever Blas Castaño, making his MLB debut, extending the Nats’ lead to 7-0. Wood added a two-run double to make it 9-0.

Read More