Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction: Can Luis Castillo, Mariners Stay Hot?
The Seattle Mariners host the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game series starting tonight. Can Luis Castillo and the Mariners stay hot? Ben Rajavuori breaks down this game.
Ben Rajavuori - August 11, 2023, 5:02 PM EDT
5 minSeattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction: Can Luis Castillo, Mariners Stay Hot?
The Seattle Mariners host the Baltimore Orioles this weekend in a three-game series from T-Mobile Park. The Mariners and Orioles have had one other head-to-head series this season when the Orioles took two of three in Camden Yards back in June. The Mariners enter this series 62-52, while the Orioles still hold the second-best record in baseball at 71-44. Can the Mariners win another series and stay hot, or will the Orioles be too much?
Mariners vs. Orioles Date, Time, and Where to Watch
Date: August 11, 2023
Time: 10:10 pm ET
Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles Prediction
All of a sudden, a seven-game win streak has propelled the Mariners to just 1.5 games out of a wild card spot in the American League. The Mariners have only lost one game in August so far, and they have swept the Padres and Angels over their last two series. The Mariners have not lost a series dating back to their clash with the Tigers in mid-July. With the Mariners getting seriously close to a playoff spot, momentum is heavily on their side tonight, as they have gone 33-26 at home this season.
Starting for the Mariners tonight is Luis Castillo, who has been the ace for this M's squad. Castillo may have a 7-7 pitching record, but he has an incredible 3.21 ERA on the season. Castillo is coming off a rough outing on the road where he gave up seven runs in six innings, but the Mariners still managed to beat the Angels 9-7 in that game. That start further expressed how Castillo has been on the road versus in T-Mobile Park. Castillo is 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts at home but 2-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts on the road. Tonight, he pitches at home again for the first time since July 19th. The Mariners have lost his last two home starts, but this is his first start at home since the Mariners have gotten hot, so I expect them to bounce back for Castillo here in the midst of their win streak.
On the bump first for the Orioles tonight will be Kyle Gibson, who has been doing better this season for the Orioles than he was for the Phillies the past two seasons. He had a 5.07 ERA across two seasons in Philly but has now been a little better with a 4.5 ERA so far this season for the Orioles. That is slightly below his career 4.52 ERA, and he has helped set the Orioles up for a potential deep run in the postseason as the team with the best record in the American League at the moment.
Like the Mariners, the Orioles have been pretty hot. They are 7-3 over their last ten games, but they will run into a bullpen issue tonight after Gibson is done. One of the best closers in the league, Felix Bautista, has pitched two of the last three days and will likely be unavailable for tonight's game. That's the same case for another one of the Orioles' best bullpen arms in Yennier Cano. That's the top two relievers for the Orioles that will unlikely be able to pitch in this series opener.
On the Mariner's side, they are coming off an off day, meaning they will have their best arms available. They have also been at home the last few days and have had lots of rest, while the Orioles traveled overnight from Houston without a day off for this series. At least in this opener, the Mariners have a rest and bullpen advantage. They also have the better starter in Luis Castillo, and they are also incredibly hot as a team. The Orioles might be the better all-around team in 2023, but this is a prime spot for the Mariners to take this series opener.
Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles Pick
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