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Pitching Matchups For Series Between Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo throws during a game against the Detroit Tigers on July 11 at Comerica Park. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Pitching Matchups For Series Between Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Teren Kowatsch  |  Last updated Jul 18, 2025 10:30 AM ET

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are set to begin the second half of the season against their biggest American League West rivals, the Houston Astros.

The Mariners trail the Astros by five games in the American League West but hold the final AL Wild Card game by 1.5 games over the Tampa Bay Rays. Seattle will have a chance to make up ground on Houston in the division while creating separation from the rest of the field in the A. The M's will have a lot of momentum on their side after a series sweep against the Detroit Tigers right before the All-Star Break.

Here's an overview of the pitching matchups for the series between the Mariners and Astros:

Friday, July 18 — Luis Castillo (Seattle) vs. Brandon Walter (Houston)

Luis Castillo will be Seattle's opening starter for the second half, which makes sense given the midseason form he's shown lately. Castillo has five quality starts in his last eight outings. He struck out six, walked two, hit another and allowed three earned runs on six hits in five innings against the Tigers on July 11.

Brandon Walter will make his eighth start of the season on Friday and will be coming off one of his better starts of the season. He fanned seven and allowed two earned runs on two solo home runs in six innings pitched against the Cleveland Guardians on July 9.

Saturday, July 19 — Logan Evans (Seattle) vs. Lance McCullers Jr. (Houston)

Logan Evans has been one of the most impressive rookies for the Mariners this season, but is coming off the roughest outing of his young career. He struck out two, intentionally walked one, walked two and allowed six earned runs on nine hits (two homers) in 4.2 innings against the New York Yankees on July 9.

Lance McCullers Jr. hasn't been able to regain his form since being activated off the injured list June 28, but could be due for a solid start after a longer break during All-Star week. McCullers has gone through the fourth inning just once in three outings since returning from the IL. He fanned five, walked two, hit one and allowed five earned runs on six hits (one home run) in three innings against the Texas Rangers on July 11. His ERA has ballooned from 4.91 before his time on the shelf to 6.48.

Sunday, July 20 — TBD (Seattle) vs. Framber Valdez (Houston)

Seattle's starter for the series finale is still listed as "to be determined." George Kirby, Logan Gilbert or Bryan Woo will start Game 3 between the two AL West foes, and the other two will pitch Games 1 and 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers when they come to T-Mobile Park. Woo pitched one inning in the All-Star Game on July 15 and will be rested for five days if he gets the nod.

Whoever starts in the series finale will take on Astros southpaw Framber Valdez, who's in the middle of arguably the best season in his eight-year career. His last outing was his 14th quality start out of 19 turns this season. He struck out 10, hit a batter and allowed one unearned run on four hits against the Rangers on July 12.

The series begins on Friday at 7:10 p.m. PT.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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