Mariners Head to Houston Looking to Even Up the Series Against a Struggling Astros Squad

The Seattle Mariners are rolling into Game 4 of their series in Houston with a 2-1 advantage and a chance to take control. The Astros have been a mess this season, sitting at 17-27 overall and currently fourth in the AL West, while the Mariners are holding third place at 21-23. This is the eighth matchup between these two teams this year, and Seattle is already dominating the season series with a 6-1 record.

Luis Castillo Takes the Mound for the M's

Luis Castillo is getting the ball for the Mariners on Thursday at 2:10 p.m. EDT in Houston. The right-hander hasn't had the year he's looking for so far, sitting at 0-4 with a 6.57 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP, though he's struck out 37 batters. Houston will counter with Mike Burrows, who's been slightly better at 2-4 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Burrows has 42 strikeouts on the season. The Mariners are favored in this one, with the line at -137.

Seattle's Bats Have Been Clicking, Houston's Have Not

The Mariners are 9-4 this season when they hit at least two home runs, and that's been a key ingredient to their success. Randy Arozarena has been a force at the plate, hitting .306 with 11 doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Luke Raley has been solid in his last 10 games, going 7 for 29 with four home runs.

Houston's offense has been the opposite of inspiring. Over their last 10 games, the Astros are just 4-6 with a .218 batting average, 4.30 ERA, and they've been outscored by 18 runs. Yordan Alvarez has shown some pop with 13 home runs and 10 doubles, but it hasn't been enough. Jose Altuve is 10 for 39 with three doubles and three RBIs over the past 10 games.

Both Teams Dealing with Injuries, But Houston's Worse

The Astros are absolutely decimated on the injury front. They've got 14 players sidelined, including Carlos Correa on the 10-day IL with an ankle injury. Jeremy Pena, Joey Loperfido, and Yainer Diaz are all out, and several key pitchers like Cristian Javier and Josh Hader are on the 60-day list.

The Mariners have their own injury concerns with Cal Raleigh dealing with a side issue and on day-to-day status. Victor Robles, Patrick Wisdom, and Will Wilson are all on the 10-day IL as well. Despite the injuries, Seattle has managed to stay competitive over their last 10 games, posting a 5-5 record with a 3.38 ERA and actually outscoring opponents by six runs.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.