The Mariners left Philadelphia with a split in the story and a split in the results. They took two of three from a Phillies team with real playoff expectations, and that alone says something about where Seattle stands right now.
But Wednesday’s 6-0 loss was a reminder that the floor is still right there beneath them. With this club, the highs and lows travel together.
The rotation has become the center of it all, and the last two days delivered three very different headlines.
Start with Bryan Woo, who came back from right shoulder discomfort saying he was good to go. Instead, the Phillies greeted him with a rough one in Seattle’s shutout loss.
Woo worked four innings and gave up five hits, six earned runs and one walk while striking out five on 76 pitches. Bryce Harper opened the damage with a two-run homer in the first, then Kyle Schwarber added a three-run blast in the second.
By then, the game was already slipping away.
The cleanest read is that Woo simply didn’t execute. His velocity was there, and the strikeouts showed he still had enough to miss bats, but too many pitches leaked over the plate and Philadelphia made him pay.
It’s impossible to ignore the shoulder after his abbreviated start in Houston, though. Until there’s something more concrete, this looks like poor execution first and foremost.
George Kirby, on the other hand, gave Seattle exactly the kind of outing it has been chasing. After giving up 11 runs over his previous two starts, he turned in 7 2/3 strong innings in Tuesday’s 4-1 win.
Kirby allowed six hits and one run, walked one and struck out nine on just 92 pitches. He retired 15 straight batters before Bryce Harper finally broke the streak with an eighth-inning single.
The fastball was especially lively on Aug. 25.
Kirby averaged 97.9 mph with it, up 1.3 mph, and Philadelphia managed only three of 20 balls in play at 95 mph or harder. When Dan Wilson pulled him, the reaction told the story.
We saw “Furious” George in full effect, and honestly, that’s a good sign. A starter pitching like an ace and acting irritated when his night ends is the kind of energy this rotation has needed more often.
Then there’s Bryce Miller, who added a new layer to the conversation when he was seen walking out toward the Mariners’ bullpen during Wednesday’s series finale. Adam Jude later described it as a "just incase" option.
That alone doesn’t mean a role switch is coming, but it’s enough to keep everyone watching. Seattle plans to carry six starters for now, Kade Anderson is staying, and the front office has already said performance will determine the next move. Miller’s recent stretch makes him the arm to follow closely: he has a 7.19 ERA over his past eight outings, and all eight of those Mariners losses came with him on the mound.
The lat soreness matters too, though Miller and the club say he feels ready. For now, the bigger question is how Seattle uses him.
A bullpen or piggyback role could trim his workload and let him lean on his best stuff more often. It would also acknowledge what the numbers have been saying: not every rotation turn needs to be protected the same way.
In Other News...
Bryce Millers Bullpen Move Put Seattles Rotation Under The Spotlight
During the Mariners series finale against the Phillies, Bryce Miller was shifted from the dugout to the bullpen as a situational move driven by concerns about bullpen coverage. It was the kind of in-game decision that can look bigger than it is, especially for a club that has leaned heavily on starting pitching as its identity and is now trying to keep every arm in play.
Manager Dan Wilson was quick to clarify that the move was specific to that game and not necessarily a sign of a permanent role change for Miller. Still, with Miller having struggled in the second half and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson already up in the majors, every decision involving the rotation gets extra scrutiny, and Seattles pitching picture has started to feel more open-ended than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found One Pitcher Who Solves Two Problems
The Mariners have been keeping a close eye on Kaima Taira, the Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher who has emerged as one of the more interesting arms in Nippon Professional Baseball. Seattle was among several clubs scouting him, and it is not hard to see why: Taira has put together a 1.46 ERA this season and has shown he can handle work both as a starter and out of the bullpen.
For a Seattle staff that always values versatility, that kind of profile is appealing on multiple levels. The Mariners appear to view him as either a bullpen option or a possible future starter, which gives the club a rare bit of flexibility as it looks to add depth without locking itself into one role too early. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Have A Shot At Familiar Help They Desperately Need
The Mariners infield need has been obvious for a while, and now a familiar name has entered the conversation in a way few would have expected. Eugenio Suarez has been placed on waivers by the Reds, and Seattle is reportedly in a strong position to claim the third baseman if it decides to make the move. Given the injuries the Mariners have been dealing with at third base, the timing is hard to ignore.
Suarezs season has been uneven, which is part of why this is not a simple yes-or-no decision. Even so, the Mariners standing in the waiver order gives them a real chance to grab a player who once fit comfortably in their plans and could help stabilize a thin spot on the roster. For a club trying to patch together the hot corner, the question now is whether this is the kind of opportunity worth acting on quickly. [Read more 🡒]