Bryan Woo just threw an eight-inning masterpiece for our Mariners, and frankly, nobody on the Emerald City pitching staff has done that since George Kirby back on June 29th. This wasn’t just another start, this was Woo absolutely shutting down the Athletics, allowing only one hit across eight dominant frames en route to a crucial 2-0 win. We needed this, big time, to avoid getting swept by Oakland.
Woo’s Artistry Was On Full Display
Remember when the M’s social team dubbed Woo “Leonardo de Wooski” after his 13-strikeout gem against the Angels on September 13, 2025? Even Bryce Miller, bless his heart, has been poking fun at that nickname. But what Woo did yesterday? That might have even topped the “baker’s dozen.” He wasn’t just striking guys out, though he still punched out nine A’s hitters. He was *throttling* them. Oakland’s starter, Gage Jump, pitched half as many innings as Woo and somehow had one more whiff, but Jump allowed hits. Woo didn’t. He barely let them touch the ball!
Our guy worked his secondary pitches like a maestro, especially that changeup. Against a lefty-heavy A’s lineup, Woo busted out the changeup 14% of the time, more than double his usual usage. He had those guys pounding the ball into the dirt all day, getting nine groundouts. The furthest an A’s hitter even managed to send a ball was a soft 310-foot flyout by Jeff McNeil off one of those wicked changeups. Once he had them guessing, the fastball and sweeper were lights out for the putaway. Woo himself said it’s “a feel thing, most of the time,” adding that “everything felt good, so it just made things a lot easier for us.” You could feel that good vibe through the screen!
Pereda’s Brain Was The Real MVP Behind The Plate
Let’s give some serious props to Jhonny Pereda, Woo’s batterymate. Not only did he call an absolute gem for Woo, but his ABS challenges were clutch. Think about it: early in the third inning, with two outs, Pereda put our challenge on the line for what looked like a low-stakes 0-0 pitch. Why? Because he knew it was the difference between a 1-0 and an 0-1 count, and he was “100% sure” on the call. That challenge paid off, leading to an inning-ending strikeout! We were already down to one challenge after Weston Wilson lost one in the previous inning, so Pereda was playing with fire, but he trusted his gut.
Pereda later put our *final* challenge on the line in the seventh after Woo got into a long battle with Lawrence Butler. He said it best: “If it’s early, I gotta be 100% sure. If we’ve got two strikes, I go even when I’m like, 80% sure.” That kind of trust and smarts behind the plate, combined with Woo’s unbelievable stuff, is why we snagged this huge win. With pitching like that, and a catcher calling that kind of game, who knows what this team can do next? Let’s go, M’s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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