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.
Seattle Mariners v New York Yankees / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages
A Few Reflections
The Mariners have a complicated and mostly dark history (minus 1995) against the Yankees, so it was nice to see the good guys win one. It also showed that the Mariners could hang with New York, something that could be huge going into 2023.
Luis Castillo showed why he was worth the trade. Yes his command got away once in a while, and the random #8-9 hitter hitting a home run off him were trends we'd see through the rest of the season. At the end of the day, Castillo showed why he was the rock of this rotation. The stuff, my goodness, his stuff was and is electric.
It was great to go back and see really the beginning of Suarez biggest hot streak of the season. From August through early September, Suarez was playing like an all-star, hitting nearly .250 and crushing 15 home runs over a 46 game span before getting injured. While the pace is not necessarily realistic over a 162 game season, that'd put Suarez on pace for 53 home runs, and likely a MVP caliber season. Let's hope for that as a New Year's resolution.
Speaking of hope, Jarred Kelenic showed some of that, getting the back-breaking homerun off of Cole. It was a great at bat, and it showed the immense potential Kelenic has. It has not been a great two years for Kelenic in Seattle, and I do feel for the guy. I'm not even sure if he'll be on the team by spring training, but if he is, it will likely be his last chance to be the player he was supposed to be for the Mariners…a true partner to Julio Rodriguez.
Ending on a positive note, it was a special game for the Mariners and their fans. They saw the best of Eugenio Suarez and Jarred Kelenic, while getting a peak at the star that Luis Castillo has brought to this team, and will for the next 6 years. His next matchup with Cole came only a week later, in an absolute classic, but that's for tomorrow good friends.
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