Good, Bad, and Ugly: Offense Struggles Again, But Mariners Shut Out Pirates Again to Finish Sweep
Sweeps are cool. Bust out the brooms.
The Seattle Mariners finished off the final home stand before the All-Star break with another 1-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, wrapping up the seven-game stretch with five victories at T-Mobile Park.
As we are prone to do, let’s look at the good, bad, and ugly from Sunday’s sweep-finishing victory.
Good: The Paul Skenes/George Kirby Duel
Do you like pitching? You loved Sunday then. Both Skenes and Kirby were fantastic, and Skenes showed why many consider him the best pitcher in baseball with 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings. There’s a very good chance he’ll be starting the All-Star game in Atlanta for the second consecutive year, and it was readily apparent why.
But you’re here to read about the Mariners, and Kirby was just as good - if not better - in his 6 1/3 innings. He struck out nine, held the Pirates to four hits, and didn’t walk anyone. That now makes three straight starts that Kirby has gone at least six innings while not allowing more than a single run, and his command just keeps getting better. Remember, Kirby didn’t have a spring training for all intents and purposes, and there was obviously some rust to shake off. It was clear that rust is gone based on Sunday’s outing.
The Mariners held the Pirates without a run over all three games with Bryan Wood, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby all pitching spectacularly. Did they take advantage of a poor offense? Sure, but to say they passed the eye test is an understatement. This team can flat-out pitch.
Bad: The Offense. Again.
Yes, credit to Skenes, and the Pirates have one of the better - and certainly one of the most underrated - bullpens in the National League. Still, it’s another day where the Mariners were only able to score a run, and there were some very middling at best offensive games during this homestand. You can’t score two runs over two games and win both very often. It’s bad process with middling result, and middling may be too nice of a term. This team has to start scoring on a more consistent basis, particularly with the teams they’re going to face on this upcoming road trip.
Good: The Bullpen. Again.
Kirby left with a runner on in the seventh inning, and the relief corps was more than up to the task. Carlos Vargas did give up a hit but was able to escape the mini-jam. Gabe Speier looked as good as we’ve seen him in 2025, and that’s not faint praise. He struck out the side and showed he’s more than capable of getting right-handed hitters outs while being death to left-handers. And once again, Andres Munoz breezed through the Pirates to pick up another save while lowering his ERA to a miniscule 1.06.
There was never any reason to doubt that Munoz was going to be an upper-echelon closer nor that Matt Brash would be among the best relievers in baseball, but there was reason to be skeptical of the rest of this relief group. They’ve become much more asset than detriment, even if I would be looking to add a southpaw to the mix by the trade deadline.
Good: Randy Arozarena. Again.
Again with the again. After Skenes exited, Arozarena absolutely shellacked a pitch from Carmen Mlodiznski over the left field wall to give Seattle their only run and ultimately a victory. That’s the 14th homer of the season for Arozarena, and six of those came on this homestand.
Arozarena has run hot and cold in terms of power production throughout his career, and no one should be surprised if there’s regression based on not being able to stay this hot forever, and also because this has just been what he is throughout his career. Fortunately, he should continue to draw free passes, and this remains one of the better acquisitions in Jerry Dipoto’s career.
Scary: This Coming Road Trip
I’ve been dreading these six games for a while, and time will tell how well it goes (obviously). But this could be tough. The Mariners get a deserved day off after playing 17 straight games, and then head to New York for three against the Yankees with three more coming against the Tigers in Detroit. Those are two of the best teams in the American League, and while the Yankees aren’t playing near their best baseball, that’s a team with a lot of talent that’s due for some positive regression. The Tigers, on the other hand, have the best record in baseball and the Mariners are scheduled to face Tarik Skubal for the second time this year.
A .500 trip would be fantastic, but that’s far from a guarantee, and that’s why Seattle needed this 5-2 homestand so badly.
Good: Four All-Stars
The All-Star rosters were announced Sunday, and the Mariners were able to get four players on the roster. We all knew that Cal Raleigh was the starter at catcher, but on top of that, Brian Woo, Munoz, and Julio Rodriguez were also selected.
It’s very fun to see four guys from the hometown nine get to go, and all are deserving in my opinion. Munoz and Woo don’t need any explanation, but Rodriguez might for those who just view the counting stats. Yes, the offense has been simply average at best, but he’s been other-worldly with the glove and provides so much value with his speed that he’s well deserving to be included in the exhibition. Is some of this faint praise because the American League isn’t loaded with, well, All-Star worthy talents in the outfield? Maybe, but it’s awesome to see people recognize Rodriguez’s abilities.
J.P. Crawford was snubbed, in my humble estimation, but there’s a good chance he’ll be a replacement player for Jeremy Pena, as the Astros star is currently on the injured list. Either way, it’s very cool to see close to a handful of players get that nod after just two in 2024.
