The Seattle Mariners inducted longtime ace Felix Hernandez into the team's Hall of Fame on Saturday night, and then got a Felix-type pitching performance in a 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Mariners All-Star George Kirby threw a nine-inning shutout, surrendering just three hits while striking out seven.
Reliever Andres Munoz took the loss after allowing the automatic runner to score in the tenth inning on a single.
The Mariners' pitching effort accomplished something not done in more than 100 years of baseball history.
Per @OptaSTATS on Twitter:
Tonight the Mariners:
- pitched 10.0+ innings
- allowed fewer than 5 hits
- allowed 0 ER
- allowed 0 BB
- allowed 0 XBH
The last MLB team to put up those numbers on the mound but still lose was the Senators on August 28, 1913, with Walter Johnson taking the complete-game loss.
It was a fitting to tribute to Hernandez, who was famous for his lack of run support during his 15-year career in Seattle. Ironically enough, the Mariners were beaten 1-0 in the playoffs by the Houston Astros - the last time that Hernandez attended a game pitched by Kirby.
The loss is an unfortunate one for Seattle as it snapped the team's eight-game winning streak and it cost them a chance to own the third and final wild card spot.
The team is now 0.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays again at 63-53.
The Mariners and Orioles will play again on Saturday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET.
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