George Kirby turns in worst start of career, Tigers hand Mariners worst loss of season

DETROIT – When the third inning mercifully ended, third baseman Josh Rojas sought out Mariners starter George Kirby in the visitors dugout.

“I made sure to let him know, ‘Hey, that’s some sloppy defense behind you. That can’t happen,’” Rojas relayed later. “ ‘Just keep pitching your butt off.’ ”

It didn’t get any better for Kirby or the Mariners defense after that.

And it hasn’t been any worse at any point this season for the Mariners.

In the ugliest start of his career, Kirby was hammered for 11 runs (six earned) on 12 hits, and the Mariners’ four-game winning streak ended in the most demoralizing fashion possible – a 15-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at Comerica Park.

The Mariners (63-57) opened an important nine-game road trip with easily their worst performance of the season, in every phase of the game, and in the process fell 1.5 games behind the Houston Astros (63-55), who won their seventh straight game Tuesday.

“I thought I pitched pretty good in the first couple of innings. Stuff didn’t go my way,” Kirby said. “I should have made some better pitches. That’s pretty much all it comes down to.”

The Mariners’ defense didn’t do any favors for Kirby, who was initially credited with 11 earned runs. An official scoring change was made an hour after the game, charging rookie shortstop Leo Rivas with a throwing error early on in the Tigers’ six-run fourth inning.

Kirby’s final line: 3.2 innings, 12 hits, 11 runs (six earned), one walk, five strikeouts on 86 pitches.

But the bottom line is the Tigers (57-63) didn’t miss when Kirby did miss in the strike zone, and Kirby was visibly irked at the carelessness of the defense behind him.

Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter, coming off the injured list hit two home runs off Kirby, and Jake Rogers’ grand slam was the back-breaking blow during the Tigers’ six-run fourth inning.

“It was one of those games where whatever I threw these guys were on it,” Kirby said. “It doesn’t help that I didn’t hit my spots.”

The Mariners were coming off their best game of the season in Sunday’s 12-1 romp of the New York Mets on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.” Their about-face Tuesday was stunning.

Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal, the Seattle U. product, boosted his AL Cy Young résumé by beating the Mariners for the second time in six days. Skubal allowed one run on three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts over six innings. He now leads in the AL in wins (14), ERA (2.53) and strikeouts (180).

“I’ve gotta say, I’ve been in this league a long time and have seen a lot of left-handed pitching,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “The stuff, the command, the various pitches (from Skubal) – it’s as good as you’re going to see. He’s putting it all together and having a heck of a year.”

Kirby was – past tense – a Cy Young contender himself going into his start against the Tigers last week back in Seattle.

No longer.

Kirby was, as you’d expect, brusque in a brief postgame interview. He said he’s already looking forward to his next scheduled start later in the road trip.

“I’m not going to take my foot off the gas,” he said. “It’s one out of 33 games that I’ll pitch this year. And I’m … excited for Pittsburgh next week.”

In an otherwise promising homestand for the Mariners, the Tigers had taken two of three in Seattle last week – and would have swept if not for Mitch Haniger’s ninth-inning heroics Thursday.

Last Wednesday, the Tigers took an aggressive approach against Kirby, and it worked. Kirby needed 95 pitches to get through five innings, allowing three runs in a 6-2 loss in the first matchup opposite Skubal.

The Tigers’ plan worked even better Tuesday.

Detroit’s leadoff hitter, Matt Vierling, hit an awkward grounder to third base that the Josh Rojas bobbled, allowing Vierling to reach on what Detroit’s official scorer ruled an infield single – the first of three infield singles in four innings off Kirby.

Vierling would come around to score the Tigers’ first run, after he’d reached scoring position on an aggressive first-to-third sprint when a throw from Victor Robles in center field pegged Vierling in the back.

In the third, Carpenter hit an opposite-field homer to left field on a first-pitch fastball Kirby left in the heart of the plate. That made it 2-0.

Kirby got several more ground balls, but they either found a hole through the infield or were misplayed by Mariners infielders.

“We’re facing big-league ballclubs, and when you give them extra outs and extra runners, it’s going to be tough on (the starting pitcher),” Rojas said. “He’s going to put pressure on himself to get those outs with runners on bases. And today they cashed in. It was a tough one.”

One play, in particular, epitomized the Mariners’ defensive day.

On an 0-2 pitch, Detroit’s Bligh Madris hit a grounder into the hole between first and second. Dylan Moore made a diving stop to his left, popped up and made a throw to first baseman Justin Turner – but Turner was off the base, with Kirby standing nearby attempting to cover.

Two batters later, with two outs, Rogers drove a 3-2 fastball the other way – clanking off the right-field wall for a two-run double to make it 5-0.

Rogers’ grand slam came on a 2-2 pitch – on another fastball he belted the other way. Rogers finished with seven RBI.

“Obviously, not our night,” Servais said. “You’ve got to give the Tigers credit. They put a lot of balls in play. We didn’t make some plays that needed to be made tonight.”

The Mariners called on Rivas to pitch the eighth inning – he allowed one hit but no runs using a 46-mph pitch.

Julio Rodriguez doubled in his first at-bat off Skubal, easing gingerly into second base as he continues to build up strength in his sprained right ankle.