Bryan Woo has been a model of consistency this season.
Entering a Thursday afternoon start against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, the Seattle Mariners right-hander is the only pitcher in the major leagues who has gone at least six innings 11 times this season.
Woo has hit that mark in each of his outings this year.
With fellow starters Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller all spending time on the disabled list this season, Woo (5-2, 2.82 ERA) has helped keep the Mariners in the American League West race.
“You don’t expect the injuries and stuff for our staff, as healthy and consistent as we’ve been the last couple years,” Woo said. “So, really, just trying to hold it down until those guys get back and we get back to doing what we do.”
That Woo, in his third season, would be the workhorse was unthinkable as recently as the start of last August. He had three stints on the injured list between 2023 and 2024 combined, and he endured a stretch early last summer in which he went more than four innings just once in five starts.
A conversation with catcher Cal Raleigh made Woo realize he needed to do more than just rest between starts.
“You’ve got to put in the work every day,” Woo said. “There’s no, ‘Oh, I’m going to take it easy for four days and then go pitch.’ You’ve got to get after it in the weight room. You’ve got to make sure your catch-play has intent behind it.
“I thought it was more (that) you want to make sure you rest and recover and making sure you’re taking care of yourself that way. But it was actually kind of the opposite.”
Following the pep talk from Raleigh, Woo pitched more than six innings in each of his next six starts after having failed to reach that benchmark in his first 29 major league starts.
“That was the turning point for him,” Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth said.
On Thursday, Woo will face the Orioles for the first time as he opposes right-hander Zach Eflin (4-2, 4.46 ERA). Eflin threw seven scoreless innings his last time out against the Chicago White Sox, allowing just four hits and striking out a season-high six in a 2-1 win on Friday.
Looking to lead Baltimore to a three-game sweep, Eflin is 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.
The Orioles remain in the AL East cellar but have won a season-high five straight and eight of their past 10. They rallied past the Mariners 3-2 on Wednesday thanks to Heston Kjerstad’s go-ahead two-run triple in the seventh inning.
Adley Rutschman hit a 415-foot homer for the Orioles in what amounted to a homecoming. He was born three hours down Interstate-5 in Portland, Ore., and attended Oregon State.
“He has hit the ball hard, and has had a couple of hits the other way. … He is home and there is something to that,” Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said of his All-Star catcher. “A lot of family in the stands, but he looks good right now.”
–Field Level Media
