Mariners Pitcher Takes 102 MPH Comeback Hit To The Face, Reacts Like An Absolute Savage
George Kirby got bloodied up by a linedrive, then savagely said it didn't hurt at all.
Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby is apparently made of steel. Or at least his face is.
During the top of the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, Kirby threw a 96 mph fastball to batter Ramon Urias, who then sent a line drive at an even faster rate of speed right back at the pitcher.
It was a scary scene as Urias' comebacker left his bat at 103 mph and hit Kirby squarely in the face. The baseball ricocheted towards first base, with the play ending with an easy out for Seattle, but nothing was easy about that sequence for the pitcher.
A slow-mo video of the play shows that Kirby did manage to slow the ball down just a hair by making contact with his hand, but nevertheless, blood came pouring out of his mouth seconds after the baseball caught him.
Like a complete savage, Kirby explained after the game that the line drive to the dome didn't even hurt.
"I didn't even hurt, honestly," Kirby told MLB.com. "It got my hand -- like 50/50, hand/mouth, but we're good. There’s nothing wrong with it. I didn't even see it coming, just put my hand up," Kirby continued. "I'm just glad it kind of missed any of the bad spots on my face."
The New York native is no stranger to being hit by a baseball while on the mound. During the 2023 season, a fan from the stands pelted him in the middle of a contest against the Houston Astros.
Kirby's night was finished after the inning-ending play to close out the fifth frame. In what was just his third start of the season, the 27-year-old gave up eight hits and two earned runs in Seattle's 5-1 loss.
The loss, Kirby's third straight, may sting, but probably not nearly as bad as his jaw did as he woke up on Wednesday morning.