Mariners' George Kirby didn't want to pitch 7th inning - ESPN

Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby regrets one pitch from Friday night and didn't even want to be on the mound when it happened.

Kirby gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Tampa Bay's René Pinto in the seventh inning on what was his 102nd and final pitch of the game.

«I wish I wasn't out there for the seventh [inning], to be honest,» Kirby said after the game.

«I was at 90 pitches,» Kirby explained, «and I didn't think I really could go any more. But it is what it is.»

The Rays pulled away for a 7-4 victory while Kirby earned a no-decision.

Kirby, 25, is 10-9 with a 3.48 ERA and was a first-time All-Star this season. He leads the Mariners with 17 quality starts and has exceeded 100 pitches five times this year. However, Kirby has not won a game since Aug. 5, a stretch that has seen him go 0-1 with four no-decisions.

In his second year in the majors, the 2019 first-round pick has already thrown a career-high 165⅔ innings for a Mariners team that is looking to make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in over 20 years.