The Seattle Mariners lost 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves on May 6 after a late home run by Matt Olson off closer Andrés Muñoz. George Kirby pitched seven strong innings before turning over a tied game to the bullpen, but the Mariners could not generate enough offense or hold back the Braves in the final frame.
This result highlights ongoing concerns for both Seattle’s offense and their two-time All-Star closer. The team managed only three hits and struck out a season-high sixteen times, continuing a trend of inconsistency that has marked their start to the season at 17-20.
Muñoz gave up his third home run of the year in this outing, raising his earned run average to 6.00 over sixteen appearances. “We thought about it,” said Dan Wilson, referring to possibly leaving lefty Jose A. Ferrer in longer against Olson. “But [Muñoz] threw the ball super well last night. And I thought he was the guy. And [Olson] was able to get him tonight.” Muñoz entered play with a lower first-pitch strike rate than his career average and Major League Baseball’s average this season.
The decision came down partly to workload management; Ferrer had already pitched one-plus inning on consecutive days and had success against Olson previously, but Wilson said Muñoz seemed like the right choice based on recent performance.
Despite these bullpen issues, Kirby continued his strong form with just eighty-eight pitches over seven innings and now trails only Max Fried for most innings pitched in Major League Baseball this year. The Mariners will look for improved production from both their lineup and relief corps as they continue through May.
