AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 13, 2025

George Kirby

Rogers Centre

Seattle Mariners

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Regardless of how today turns out, just how confident will you guys be to go back home with you, Luis, and then it sounds like Bryan, in order?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, one, having Bryan back is going to be awesome. He's been feeling good. Yeah, just to be in front of the home crowd again is honestly huge for us. Everyone gets super excited being back home, the crowd energizes us, and yeah, we're definitely looking forward to those two games at home for sure.

Q. Now that you've had a few days to think back about Friday, how do you kind of encompass your performance that night, and then kind of how everything else sort of played out after that?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, I was super proud of the way I threw. Gave the team a chance to win and had some good battles, getting out of some runners in scoring position-type stuff.

But yeah, the guys that came in after me went out and did their job. A lot of guys came out on short rest, you know, Luis and Logan kind of doing something they'd never done before and just fighting to the last second.

I just think those close games, we've been in so many of them. We're super prepared for them, and especially at home. I feel like that crowd definitely helps us kind of edge it out a little bit at the end.

But yeah, super happy that everyone kind of didn't quit, and we got the win at home.

Q. Beyond the crowd, what about pitching at T-Mobile Park makes you so comfortable and confident?

GEORGE KIRBY: One, it's a great pitcher's ballpark, but two, yeah, the crowd is really awesome. Every moment, every big pitch, they're always behind you. Just as a player, that kind of just gives you a lot of confidence. It kind of eases your mind a little bit that everyone is here cheering for you, supporting you, and yeah.

Q. With how close you guys are in the clubhouse on and off the field, how much does that come in handy in times like Friday night and times like this?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, it's huge. You're able just to -- you kind of just take away all that selfishness or ego and you're just battling for each other. At that point nothing really matters. Being able to be super close with everyone and have good relationships, it's easier to perform and just kind of enjoy being on the baseball field.

Q. For your starting staff to have gone through the bumps that it did throughout the season injury-wise and not having the continuity and then to be able to come back now and reassert yourselves as you are who you thought you were, I suppose, what has that meant to you to be able to go down the line and everyone continually sort of show that?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, I think it's definitely frustrating when you get hurt, whenever that might be during the season, and kind of working back from it. You're kind of figuring out how to get back to who you want to be and all that confidence.

Sorry, can you repeat -- my bad.

Q. What has it meant to be able to see you guys go down the line and show that you're still that group that you were last year?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, I think as everyone has kind of got more comfortable health-wise and everything, it was kind of just a matter of time before we kind of stacked up some games, and everyone in the starting five is so unique and everyone does something so well, and that's kind of what we've all been getting back to, just what we're all good at, and just kind of hammering away at it.

Q. I know you're not making your next start here, but you played here. You pitched here in 2022 during the playoffs. What do you remember from that one inning of work in 2022?

GEORGE KIRBY: There's nothing cooler than coming out to close a game, especially as a rookie.

The three games -- or two games we played here were super electric. I was just like, whenever you need me, I'm there, and my name got called. Yeah, it was a moment I'll never forget coming out of the bullpen there and getting in the playoffs for a long time.

Q. Two pretty different lineups between the Tigers and now the Blue Jays this postseason facing them. How do you plan on attacking a lineup like this one, and what are you watching for in these two first games here?

GEORGE KIRBY: Just kind of pick up on some tendencies and how guys are approaching certain at-bats, and you kind of go from there. You game plan for that.

Yeah, I mean, I'm never going to stray away from what I do well and what my strengths are, and I think if I'm able to do that, it's better than what anyone else is doing at the plate, so that's kind of my mentality.

But you have to mix it up here and there and definitely watching some games before I go is super helpful.

Q. Logan said he now wants fire when he leaves the bullpen after a game. Do you have a similar question?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, some fire and some doves. That would be cool.

Q. When you look back at what Bryce did yesterday, from a pitching standpoint and someone who's watching him do it, what stood out to you as something that he did exceptionally well as a fellow pitcher yesterday?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, I mean, lead-off home run is never fun, but the way he was able to just get back in the zone and stay on the attack the whole game was super impressive after something like that kind of shocks you a little bit, might hurt you mentally during the game. But he stuck to his plan. He just attacked them and -- you start 0-1, it just makes the at-bat so much easier. You're able to command it and control it a little bit more.

Yeah, especially coming back on short rest, too, it was super impressive what he did last night, and it was huge to get the first win.

Q. You threw a ton of sliders against the Tigers on Friday. How important was that pitch in that outing, and how much did it help you set up the fastball at the top of the zone as well?

GEORGE KIRBY: Yeah, I feel like 1 through 9, most of those guys are just looking for a located heater kind of first pitch, so just being able to give them a different look and then kind of used my year off, the off speed was super helpful instead of just starting with it.

Yeah, sometimes that's all you need to do is just start with something else and kind of attack from there, so glad I did that.

Q. Today is actually Canadian Thanksgiving. I don't know if you were able to wish your two Canadian teammates a Happy Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for just as a Mariner right now?

GEORGE KIRBY: I'm just thankful for the group of guys we have and the coaching staff, and it really is just an exceptional group of people that we have. It's just fun going to the ballpark every day and being able to play in the playoffs with these guys and go to battle every day. Super grateful for that.