SEATTLE — The Mariners were set to open against Houston on Sunday night at T-Mobile Park with Luis Castillo on the mound, a familiar assignment that came with one nagging uncertainty on the other side: Lance McCullers was listed as the Astros’ starter, but one writer said he would believe it only when he saw it.
First pitch was scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PDT, with Mariners TV carrying the game and Old Reliable on the radio. The matchup gave Seattle a chance to lean on Castillo, who had looked like himself through his first two starts, even if his last outing was skewed by a lot of bad BABIP luck. He had also been nudging his pitch mix in a different direction, using his four-seamer and slider more often while cutting back on the sinker and changeup.
Houston’s pitching picture, by contrast, remained the bigger worry. Tatsuya Imai was headed to Houston for a medical evaluation of a tired arm, and Jayden Murray was recalled to take his place. That left the Astros searching for stability at a time when the club was already being framed as dealing with a major concern on the mound.
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The lineup card brought its own changes. Yainer Diaz was back as the regular catcher, Jose Altuve had moved back into the field so Yordan Alvarez could serve as the designated hitter, and Isaac Paredes was off second base. Taylor Trammell created an outfield spot in Houston’s lineup, part of a shuffle that also gave the club’s two Christians the day off. Brendan Donovan was out again, still recovering from the bug.
For Seattle, the night began with a straightforward assignment and a useful chance to keep Castillo rolling. For Houston, it started with a roster still being bent around injuries, lineup rearrangements and one starter who, for now, was listed more on paper than in certainty.
