Luis Castillo's Debut was the 6th best game of the year for the Mariners

Number 6 on our list of top 10 games of 2022 from the Seattle Mariners is game #106, a dominant win over the Yankees in New York. The victory not only helped the Mariners in their quest to make the postseason, but also showed the Mariners a potential future full of greatness.

A Quick Recap of Mariners/Yankees Game #106: Luis Castillo's Debut

A few days after the Seattle Mariners reportedly beat the New York Yankees in a trade for Cincinnati ace starting pitcher Luis Castillo, the Mariners headed to the Bronx for a pivotal August series. The Mariners had roared into the All-star break on a 14-game winning streak and were the talk of the town. After the break, however, the Mariners found themselves 4-6 and had been beaten to a pulp by the Houston Astros, going 1-6 in a ten-game span with the eventual champs.

After Marco Gonzalez was crushed by the Yankees in game 1 of the series, the Mariners responded, winning game 2 of the series 8-6. The win set up a massive rubber match between the Mariners new acquisition in Castillo, vs Yankees ave Gerrit Cole. Before Castillo would get his chance to prove the Mariners right on such a massive trade, his team gave him one hell of a welcoming present.

In the top of the first inning, the Seattle Mariners shocked and rocked Cole, smacking 3 monstrous home runs in the first inning, leading to a quick 6-0 lead. To start the game, former Mariners Adam Frazier and Jesse Winker got on base, leading to a first-pitch ambush by Eugenio Suarez deep into left field for a 3-0 lead 11 pitches into the ballgame. 

The very next batter, Carlos Santana, went all out on a 3-1 pitch, crushing one of the biggest home runs of the year from the Mariners. The ball went 423 feet into the right-center second deck, at a 33-degree launch with a 107.6 exit velocity. It was probably the best hit ball by Santana all season. Boom 4-0 M's. The party continued two batters later when Jarred Kelenic, who had recently been called back up, golfed a 2-2 changeup by Cole into the right field for a stunning 6-0 lead.

Once the shock and awe had set in, Seattle fans were able to relax and treat themselves to a dominant outing by Luis Castillo. Castillo would go 6 ⅔ innings, giving up only 5 hits, 3 runs and striking out 8 Yankees on 109 pitches. It was a near flawless outing as Castillo only gave up 4 hits and a run, before giving up a two-run homer to Kyle Higashioka on his last hitter of the day.

Even with the two home runs given up, Castillo and the Mariners dominated and got a massive road series win against a team that eventually made the ALCS.