Peter Lewis
• Seattle Mariners vs. Colorado Rockies
• Sunday, April 16 at 4:10 PM ET
• T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington
While things have been a bit inconsistent for the Seattle Mariners thus far this season, one of the major bright spots has been the play of starting pitcher Luis Castillo. The hard-throwing righty is in the AL Cy Young conversation early on thanks to his dominant showings. And with Colorado heading to town this weekend, the Mariners are favored to beat the Rockies with Luis Castillo pitching on Sunday. This should be a one-sided affair.
Castillo has been incredible in his first two starts for Seattle in 2023. He enters Sunday’s matchup with a 1-0 record and a 1.02 ERA. Oh and on top of that, Castillo has also recorded 17 strikeouts in only two showings. That just speaks to the dominance he has showcased while on the bump. His play has been so great to see for fans and manager Scott Servais. The Rockies could be in for a long day on Sunday.
| Mariners vs. Rockies odds |  |  |  |  |
| Mariners to win | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Rockies to win | +125 | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Meanwhile for the Seattle bats, they’re starting to heat up at the right time. Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic and Ty France are all coming off of a strong series over the Chicago Cubs. Kelenic was a beast, hitting three home runs vs. the Cubbies. The hope is that Kelenic can keep swinging the bat that way the rest of the week – and a solid performance vs. the Rockies on Sunday will only help his team try and get a win.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Mariners hold -115 MLB betting odds to post a victory over Colorado on Sunday. The Rockies hold +125 odds, as their fans are hoping that they’ll be able to post an upset in this one. Unfortunately for them, we don’t think that’s going to happen. With Castillo taking the mound, we’re going with the Mariners as our pick to grab a win.
Luis Castillo, fielding his position. pic.twitter.com/Auu9wJJ9ox
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) April 5, 2023
The under should cover between the Mariners and Rockies
Despite the Rockies not announcing their starting pitcher for this one just yet, the under should cover between the Mariners and Rockies on Sunday. Why, you ask? It’s simple, Castillo is dynamite and he should be in line for another head-turning start on Sunday. While the Rockies have some strong bats, including the one of star third baseman Kris Bryant, Castillo is going to make life difficult for them.
Ever since he made his way to the Mariners, Castillo has looked like one of the best pitchers in the American League. It’s why the Mariners were considered huge winners when they were able to trade for him last year. Castillo hasn’t disappointed at all. In order for the Mariners to try and get back to the postseason this fall, Castillo will need to keep on balling out the way he has been. There’s no doubt in our minds he’ll deliver.
“He is The Rock,” Servais said in a recent interview talking about Castillo and his importance to the team. “He’s some kind of consistent, and 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.”
Heading home after a W ✈️🏠 pic.twitter.com/PZqPmv988j
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 12, 2023
Per the oddsmakers, the over/under has been set at 6.5 for Sunday’s matchup between the Mariners and Rockies. Castillo is going to hope to record 6-7 innings of shutout ball and we think he has a great chance to do so. For the Mariners’ offense, 3-4 runs will be more than enough support for Castillo. With all of that said, we’re no question going with the under as our pick.
Can the Mariners get back to the playoffs in 2023?
A major question people all over Seattle have right now is can the Mariners get back to the playoffs in 2023? That’s a fantastic question and one that’s going to be fresh on people’s minds throughout the season. Last year, the Mariners ended their 20+ year drought by earning an AL Wild Card spot. Not only that, but they went on to take down the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card Round as well.
However, the main issue for Seattle is they didn’t spend big in free agency this offseason to try and get to the next level. This had fans quite upset with general manager Jerry Dipoto. Sure, the team has plenty of young stars, highlighted by 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez, but this team feels like it’s still meeting a quality bat for the middle of the lineup. Despite that, people think they can get back to the postseason down the road.
Will it happen this fall? It’s tough to say, as the team has seen its World Series betting odds drop since the start of the season. Seattle always felt like a long shot to get to the Fall Classic, but now people are doubting if they’ll be able to get into the playoffs. They hold +175 odds to make the playoffs. It won’t be easy, but we’ll see if Servais and Co. will be able to get the job done.
