Felix Bautista, Orioles snap Mariners win streak on Felix Hernandez HoF night

SEATTLE – On a night when the last pitcher to throw a perfect game at T-Mobile Park was in attendance after being inducted into the Mariners’ Hall of Fame, the pitcher who has to be the betting favorite to throw the team’s next perfect game or no-hitter delivered an outing that verified that belief.

Oh sure, it would’ve been easy to make the comparison or joke that the Mariners truly honored Felix Hernandez on his special night by providing no run support, as they did so often in his career, for young starter George Kirby.

How many times did Hernandez deliver outings ranging from good to great only to take a no-decision or a loss because his team couldn’t scratch out a run or two in his 15-year career?

Enough for it to become a running meme that still carries meaning years after his final start for the organization.

Remember if your dad or grandfather makes that joke, it’s probably past the point of being unique.

But in the ninth inning as a sold-out crowd of 45,823, many of them wearing King’s Court T-shirts, the thunderous chants of “K! K! K! K!” returned when Kirby got two strikes on batters. The Mariners’ most talented pitcher, who oozes with still more potential and the fiery competitive nature of Hernandez, finished nine full innings without allowing a run.

But his hope for getting first shutout victory evaporated in the bottom of the ninth when his teammates couldn’t score against Orioles closer Felix Bautista.

The victory hopes and eight-game win streak ended in extra innings. Baltimore pushed across a run in top of the 10th off Andres Munoz and Bautista worked another scoreless inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 victory.

With the Blue Jays losing earlier in the day, the Mariners had a chance to take a hold of the third wild-card spot. Instead, they remain a half game back.

Automatic runner Cedric Mullins put the Mariners at a disadvantage in the top of the 10th, stealing third base off Munoz so easily that catcher Tom Murphy couldn’t make a throw.

With the infield drawn in to prevent the first run from being scored, Ryan Mountcastle singled up the middle to score Mullins from third.

That the Mariners got held scoreless for the first five innings by Orioles starter Cole Irvin is somewhat surprising.

The lefty had not fared well vs. the Mariners in his career. In six starts previous starts vs. Seattle, all with the Oakland A’s, Irvin was 0-6 with an 8.42 ERA.

Irvin had also stoked the motivation in the Mariners hitters on May 26, 2021. After giving up four runs on 10 hits over 4⅔ innings in a loss, Irvin said. “At the end of the day just pitch execution needs to be a lot better and a team like that should not be putting up 10 hits against me or anyone.”

In 25⅔ innings pitched vs. Seattle over the past two seasons, he’d allowed 24 earned runs on 41 hits with 12 walks and 16 strikeouts. Seattle hitters had a .357/.422/.522 slash line with seven doubles and four homers against him.

So, of course, Irvin held Seattle to two hits with a walk.

Kirby’s only hit allowed through seven innings was a line drive to right field off the bat of Mountcastle to start the second.

But Kirby only faced three batters in the inning. He got Ryan O’Hearn to fly out to left field and then ended the inning by dropping in a perfect curveball on a 1-0 count to Austin Hays. It resulted in a grounder to second baseman Jose Caballero and an inning-ending double play.