Luis Castillo Looks Ready for Opening Day as Mariners Wrap Up Spring Training
The Mariners closed out Cactus League play Monday afternoon looking sharp where it counts. Luis Castillo threw five innings of impressive baseball, Randy Arozarena went yard, and the whole opening day lineup got meaningful at-bats before the real season kicks off Thursday night. Sure, the Padres took this one 10-3 in the Arizona heat, but that's spring training baseball for you. The guys who matter looked good, and that's what you want to see heading into Cleveland.
Castillo Putting on a Show
Here's what jumped out: Castillo was absolutely dialed in during his final tuneup before the regular season starts. The guy allowed just one run on four hits, struck out five, and walked one over those five innings. Better yet, he induced 14 swings-and-misses on 76 pitches. Half of those whiffs came on his four-seam fastball, which averaged 94.9 mph and reached 97.1 mph at its peak. That's the kind of velocity and command you want your ace showing in late March.
The Opening Day Lineup Gets Work
The top five hitters that figure to lead off Thursday's opener all got multiple at-bats Monday. Cal Raleigh went 2-for-3 and crushed a 380-foot double off the wall in left-center field in the first inning that measured 114.2 mph off the bat. Per Statcast, that ball would've been a home run at 20 MLB parks, including T-Mobile Park. Julio Rodríguez drove in the game's first run with a single in the first. Randy Arozarena added his second home run of spring, connecting off Padres starter Germán Márquez in the third inning. Brendan Donovan, the new third baseman, had a walk and a strikeout while scoring that opening run. Donovan finished spring with a .413 average, .491 on-base percentage, and .543 slugging percentage over 57 plate appearances.
On the pitching side, Matt Brash threw the sixth and allowed just one walk and an unearned run. Carlos Vargas pitched a scoreless seventh.
Ready for Thursday
The Mariners finished Cactus League with an 11-19 record. Logan Gilbert gets the opening day nod for his second straight season opener, facing Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee. First pitch Thursday at T-Mobile Park is 7:10 p.m. The team gets an off day Tuesday and a workout Wednesday evening before things get real.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.