SEATTLE -- When the Mariners unveiled how they’d roll out their rotation for this weekend’s huge series vs. Houston to start the second half -- opting for Luis Castillo, then rookie Logan Evans, with Sunday marked as TBD -- it evoked more perplexity than anything.
But the roll of the dice, at least in Act I, paid off in a big way.
Castillo twirled 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Randy Arozarena and Mitch Garver crushed solo homers, then the Mariners rallied for a four-spot in the eighth inning that included an RBI single and the 11th stolen base from Cal Raleigh to pave the way for a 6-1 win on Friday night in front of a packed house at T-Mobile Park.
And for just the third time since June 8, the Mariners won on the same day that the Astros lost -- with the caveat of this being their only head-to-head matchup in that span. Seattle (52-45) also cut Houston’s (56-41) lead atop the American League West to four games, its closest margin since June 11.
The last time these teams squared off -- in Houston from May 22-25 -- the Mariners entered with a 3 1/2-game lead before splitting the four-game series. But things have changed since, with the Mariners going through a few topsy-turvy stretches while the Astros turned into one of the sport’s hottest teams, before a 1-5 stretch leading into the All-Star break.
Which is why this weekend, even with so much schedule ahead, could mean so much once the dust settles in 2025.
“This is the team that's ahead of us right now, and we want to do what we can to narrow that gap a little bit,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And tonight was a good start.”
Castillo has now led the Mariners to a win in each of his past four starts while quietly putting together a stat line much more reflective of peak “La Piedra,” as he now has a 3.21 ERA that's on pace for his best since 2022, when he arrived in a Trade Deadline blockbuster.
The ninth-year veteran surrendered only three hits and two walks, the second of which being a nine-pitch sequence to former Mariners outfielder Taylor Trammell that ended his night. He also K’d Jose Altuve three times, including a big escape for the third out in the third inning that stranded two runners in scoring position.
“That one strikeout was the key to kind of get out of that inning with some traffic out there,” Castillo said through an interpreter. “So I think just going out, being able to battle, get out of there was definitely key for here in this game.”
Castillo opening this series carried plenty of merit based on the roll he’s been on. It was more so Seattle’s decision to start Evans on Saturday, instead of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby or Bryan Woo, the latter of whom would be the favorite to slot into Sunday’s TBD spot. Evans was tagged for six runs on nine hits in his last outing in the Bronx.
Kirby (right shoulder inflammation) and Gilbert (right elbow flexor strain) were each sidelined for extended periods earlier this season, and Wilson said that the decision was not related to any concern on those issues, but rather, piggybacking the baked-in rest from the All-Star break.
Gilbert hasn’t pitched since Sunday and Kirby since Saturday, meaning each would have over one week off, if Woo -- who threw eight pitches in Tuesday’s All-Star Game -- is indeed slotted for Sunday.
“Obviously this is a big series,” Wilson said, “but they're all big series going forward, and so we're trying to set ourselves up the best way that we can so that we're in a good spot as we go out throughout the second half.”
Arozarena, meanwhile, continued his scorching stretch that led to him being a last-minute All-Star, homering for the 18th time this season and 10th time in his past 14 games. MLB’s only other hitter this year with that many homers in that short of a span? Raleigh, who’s in the midst of a historically great season.
On a grander level, the Mariners offense has been one of MLB’s most productive for over a month now, with their add-on eighth inning being a prime example why. Dating back to June 13, the Mariners are 19-11 and lead MLB in homers (51) and OPS (.804).