SEATTLE — It doesn’t happen often, and it had yet to happen this season, but Saturday night Luis Castillo wasn’t the dominant, unhittable force that he’d been in his four previous starts this season. It won’t be the last time it happens this season.
But after providing their staff ace with three runs or less in three of his four starts this season, the Seattle Mariners offense picked him up when he needed it.
Down two runs going into the sixth inning, Teoscar Hernandez homered for the second consecutive game, tying the game with a two-run homer. An inning later, Eugenio Suarez gave the Mariners their first and only lead of the game, lacing a two-out, two-run single in what would be a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
With a series win solidified, the Mariners will go for a three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon with right-hander Chris Flexen getting the start.
While his velocity was normal and his pitches had plenty of movement, Castillo didn’t have the sort of command he’d exhibited in the majority of starts this season. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He needed 100 pitches to get through his shortest outing of the season.
It was evident early when he gave up back-to-back singles to start the game.
With one out, Nolan Arenado lined a single into right field to score Lars Nootbaar for a 1-0 lead. But Castillo limited the damage, getting strikeouts of Willson Contreras and Tyler O’Neill to end a 29-pitch first inning.
The battle would be continuous for Castillo. He came back with a 1-2-3 second inning and the Mariners tied the game when Jarred Kelenic continued this torrid start to the season.
He launched sinker from Cardinals starter Myles Mikolas over the wall in left field for his team-high fifth homer of the season.
With two outs in the third, St. Louis got back-to-back RBI doubles from Willson Contreras and Nolan Gorman to push the lead to 3-1.
The Mariners came back to tie the game in the sixth inning, finally figuring out the myriad breaking pitches from Mikolas.
Cal Raleigh singled with one out to bring Hernandez to the plate. He worked a 3-0 count, refusing to chase any of Mikolas’ borderline pitches. A walk could set up a big inning for the Mariners. But when home plate umpire Gabe Morales called a 3-0 sinker inside and off the plate a strike and a 3-1 slider that was both low and outside also a strike, an incensed Hernandez had lost his advantage.
After fouling off a 3-2 sinker that was actually in the strike zone, Hernandez got the same pitch, but only on the inner half of the plate. He sent a fly ball over the wall in deep right-center for a game-tying two-run homer. It also tied him with Kelenic for the team lead with five homers.
