Luis Castillo dominant, Ty France homer carries M's to 3-0 win over Guardians
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 30: Ty France #23 of the Seattle Mariners hits a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning during Opening Day at T-Mobile Park on March 30, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Cha
SEATTLE - Ty France capped a three-hit night with a three-run home run in the eighth inning and Luis Castillo was dominant on the mound as the Seattle Mariners opened the season with a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night.
The Mariners had left runners stranded in scoring position four times on the night before France delivered the late heroics.
"We hadn't scored a run in 26 innings, so it was time," said France, referencing the 1-0 loss in 18 innings to the Houston Astros that ended last season in the ALDS.
Seattle took advantage of a shaky outing from James Karinchak in relief for Cleveland before France took an elevated fastball out of the park to right field to break the scoreless battle open.
Karinchak took the first pitch clock violation in a regular season game in Seattle that helped J.P. Crawford draw a lead-off walk. It also helped that home plate umpire Mark Carlson called a clear foul tip from Crawford ball four as well to put Crawford aboard.
But after the violation, Karinchak airmailed his second pitch over home plate to the backstop and then nearly took a second clock violation. The home crowd ramped up instantly sensing discomfort from the Guardians pitcher.
"Honestly, it feels like we never left," France said. "This place, it's just... you really can't say enough about these fans. The amount of love that they show us and just how loud they are every single game. Yeah, it felt like October all over again."
Karinchak hit Kolten Wong with a pitch to put a second runner on base before France gave Seattle the lead with his wall scraping blast to right field.
"I think we were just putting good at-bats together, but I'm sure that had something to do with it," France said of Karinchak. "You know, for me, I was just trying to get on time with his fastball. He likes to throw it up in the zone and it's got good carry on it. So he was a little erratic, but just trying to get something good to swing at."
Karinchak's struggle to adapt to the clock and fans getting into a frenzy in response is maybe a slightly unforeseen wrinkle of how the new rule will play out across baseball. The Mariners were able to talk advantage of his struggles and pounced on their opportunity.
"Ty had a big night and the crowd changed the game. It really did. It got loud. It got to the pitcher a little bit and it certainly made a difference in the game," manager Scott Servais said. "So great turnout tonight. Awesome support. Obviously there's a lot of buzz around town about the expectations and what we hope to do this season and can't get off on a much better start than we did tonight."
Meanwhile, Castillo led a fantastic night for the pitching staff that saw Cleveland manage just four hits without a single walk issued and nine strikeouts. Castillo went six innings on 79 pitches with just one hit allowed and six strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen.
Matt Brash, Paul Sewald and Andrés Muñoz combined for three scoreless innings to secure the shutout effort. Brash had a strikeout of Cleveland star José Ramírez on a knuckle-curve ball in the seventh inning that tied up Ramírez so badly he fell to the ground.
"Our pitching staff is going to be the key to our wins," France said. "They've carried us ever since I've been here at least. But yeah, I mean, I'm not surprised when you see Brash strike someone out and they fall. You know, these guys just have nasty stuff and it's fun to play behind."
Castillo survived a scary moment early in the game. The only hit Castillo allowed was a liner from Will Brennan in the third inning that caught Castillo in the side of the head. The ball knocked Castillo's hat off his head but otherwise barely seemed to faze the Mariners' ace.
Castillo said the pitch caught him equally in the head and in his hair braids that flow from underneath his cap.
"I think it was 50-50 because it hit me and I felt it," Castillo said through a translator.
"When the ball hit me, I realized I was OK right away. I mean, normally you get hit in the head or something you feel dizzy, but I felt good. I was able to react and see where the ball went. So I was OK."
Castillo proved he was fine by striking out Mike Zunino, Myles Straw and Steven Kwan to finish the inning en route to retiring each of the last 12 batters he would face.
"He is the rock and he is some kind of consistent," Servais said. "His demeanor, his confidence and belief in his stuff and what he does out there, it's exactly the type of guy you want leading your pitching staff."
Cleveland didn't have a runner reach second base until there was two outs in the ninth inning. A Ramírez double put a pair of runners in scoring position before Muñoz got Josh Bell to ground out to first to end the game.
France got the first hit of the year for Seattle in the first inning, nearly homered with a double off the wall in center in the sixth, and delivered the home run in the eighth that lifted the Mariners to their first victory of the year.
"When I'm spraying the ball around, I'm at my best. So I feel good, feel healthy. So it's nice to have that feeling again," France said.