Though his team ended up losing when Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals to a 3-1 win on Wednesday, Seattle Mariners rookie George Kirby had nothing to hang his head about after starting the game with a record-setting performance on the mound.
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Kirby, who struck out nine in seven innings and gave up a single run on eight hits without a walk, set a major league record by throwing 24 straight strikes to start the game. Though he gave up five hits during his 24-pitch run, Kirby did not throw a pitch that was ruled to be a ball by the home-plate umpire until the third inning. (Pitches that result in hits or outs are considered strikes regardless of whether they are located inside or out of the strike zone.)
George Kirby set an MLB record today when he didn’t throw a ball until his 25th pitch.
