The Seattle Mariners finally got a look at their new toy on Wednesday afternoon. Right-hander Luis Castillo, Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday., made his Mariners debut at Yankee Stadium and couldn’t have made a better first impression. Castillo held the New York Yankees to three runs in 6 2/3 innings, striking out eight in a relatively easy win (SEA 7, NYY 3).
Three runs in 6 2/3 innings is better than great, though Castillo held the Yankees to one run before surrendering a two-run home run to Kyle Higashioka, the pitcher he faced. . Seattle led 7-1 at that point and the game was already in hand. Castillo had retired 14 of the last 17 batters he faced before the stat line-ruining homer in garbage time.
Seattle paid a hefty price to get Castillo — consensus top-50 prospects Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, and two others — and it was for games like Wednesday’s, against another contender’s ace. The Mariners haven’t been to the postseason in a generation, not since Ichiro Suzuki’s rookie year in 2001, and the Castillo trade was an all-in move to get Seattle over the hump.
“You’re coming to a team that’s very close to being in the postseason.” Castillo told MLB.com after joining the Mariners earlier this week. “And so the only thing left to do is continue what the team is doing and working hard.”
Castillo’s Mariners debut was impressive, but Castillo pitching well is hardly a surprise. Shockingly, Seattle ambushed Yankees pitcher Garrett Cole in the first inning, tagging him for six runs on three homers. This is Cole’s most runs in an innings of his career. On June 9, he allowed five runs in the first inning against the Twins..
Wednesday marked the third time Cole allowed at least five runs in his past six starts after allowing just twice in his first 16 starts. He has given up 15 home runs in his past 11 starts and allowed six home runs in his first 11 starts. Cole settled down and pitched six innings to save the bullpen, but his recent slide has given him a decent but not very ace-like 3.56 ERA on the season.
Wednesday’s win improved the Mariners to 57-49 on the season. They currently sit in the second American League wild card spot, a half game up on the Tampa Bay Rays and 1 1/2 games up on the Cleveland Guardians for a postseason spot. With Wednesday’s loss, the Yankees fell to 70-36 and still have the league’s best record.
