Seattle Mariners unveil pitching plan for massive weekend series against Astros

The Seattle Mariners are preparing for what is arguably the most important series of the season this weekend against the Houston Astros.

The Mariners enter the season with a 1.0-game lead over the Astros in the American League West, but have lost three straight games after dropping a series to the Angels before the All-Star break.

Heading into this weekend, the Mariners have a notable advantage. Their pitching ranks are among the best in the league and are healthy for the first time in a month. The Astros have six starting pitchers on the injured list. Those who didn’t finish the season will be out until the series against Seattle.

With that in mind, here are the likely pitching matchups for the three-game series:

Friday July 19: Luis Castillo (Seattle) against Hunter Brown (Houston).

Castillo has bounced back from a rough June and has had two straight strong starts, with a 0.73 ERA in his two July outings. Brown has allowed nine earned runs on 17 hits in his last two starts.

Saturday July 20: George Kirby (Seattle) vs. Framber Valdez (Houston)

Kirby had made seven straight quality starts heading into Saturday and hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs since May 24, according to MLB.com. Valdez has been one of the few healthy pitchers on Houston’s injury-plagued roster. He had two straight quality starts but had allowed three earned runs in two of his last three outings.

Saturday July 21: Bryan Woo (Seattle) vs. Ronel Blanco (Houston)

Woo is still trying to find his feet. He was placed on the disabled list on June 24 with a strained right hamstring. He made his first start as a starter on July 12 against the Los Angeles Angels and allowed four earned runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Blanco has been another bright spot for the Astros and has allowed more than three earned runs just twice in 18 starts this season, according to MLB.com.

Seattle appears to have the edge in two of the three pitching matchups (there’s some debate over whether Kirby vs. Valdez is a must-win matchup). It will likely take the Mariners’ struggling offense to provide the necessary support for their elite lineup.

MARINE RIVALS FOLLOW WORRIED TREND: The Seattle Mariners’ first series after the All-Star break will be against the Houston Astros, who have the league’s best record since June 1. CLICK HERE

MARINERS ACE TALKS ABOUT HIS TOP PITCH: Seattle Mariners All-Star pitcher Logan Gilbert explained his process for his splitter, which has become one of the deadliest pitches in the league. CLICK HERE

THE MARINERS LAUNCH STAFF ARE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES WHO DO THIS: The Seattle Mariners are one of two major league teams entering the All-Star break with three pitchers who have made 10 or more quality starts. CLICK HERE

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