Mariners Game #15 Preview and Discussion: HOU at SEA

TL;DR

The Mariners face a challenging matchup against the Astros, with Luis Castillo starting for Seattle and Lance McCullers expected to pitch for Houston, pending his injury status. The Astros are dealing with pitching issues, including Tatsuya Imai's medical evaluation and JP France's return to the minors.

Randy Johnson of the Houston Astros throws a pitch in the first inning 29 September against the San Diego Padres in game one of the Division Series at the Houston Astro Dome in Houston, TX. The Padres won the game 2-1. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP) (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Usually an offensive explosion to the tune of nine runs involves a lot of running, or at least jogging, around the bases. But I was fine with the Mariners walking around the bases instead last night. Tonight, they’ll have a trickier task. At least theoretically. Lance McCullers is scheduled to start for Houston, but given his injury history, I’ll believe it when I see it. Houston better hope he does start though because the state of the Astros pitching is like, a whole thing right now:

Tatsuya Imai is headed to Houston for medical evaluation of a “tired arm”
JP France was sent back to Sugar Land
Jayden Murray was recalled to take his place

The Mariners will turn to Luis Castillo, who’s looking every bit like himself through his first two starts, though with a lot of bad BABIP luck in his last start. He keeps dialing up his four-seamer and slider useage and dialing down his sinker and changeup. That’s giving him more strikeouts but also making him more prone to damage when guys connect. It’s a recipe for looking pretty good when pitching at T-Mobile Park in April though.

Lineups

Another day off for Brendan Donovan while he recovers from the bug means another day of J.P. Crawford at the top of the lineup, which I always find aesthetically pleasing.

A bit of a shuffle from yesterday’s lineup for Houston. Regular catcher Yainer Diaz is back in there. Jose Altuve heads back into the field, so Yordan Àlvarez can DH. That shifts Isaac Peredes off of second base, and creates a spot in the outfield for Taylor Trammell. Basically this was a lot of shuffling to give the Astro’s two Christians the day off, which maybe should have happened this past Sunday instead.

Game Info

First Pitch: 6:40 PDT
TV: Mariners TV
Radio: Old Reliable

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Q&A

What is the current status of Lance McCullers' injury for the Astros?

Lance McCullers is scheduled to start for the Astros, but his injury history raises doubts about his availability.

Who is starting for the Mariners in their game against the Astros?

Luis Castillo is set to start for the Mariners in their upcoming game against the Astros.

What pitching changes have the Astros made recently?

The Astros have sent JP France back to Sugar Land and recalled Jayden Murray, while Tatsuya Imai is undergoing a medical evaluation for a 'tired arm.'