Mariners vs. Rockies: Dumper destruction Pt. 2, Castillo cooks, and Mariners put up a six spot

Mariners' Best Pitcher: Luis Castillo

7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Going along with the theme of players correcting rough starts and getting back on track, Castillo finally resembled his old self. He absolutely dealt in the first game of the series, getting 19 swings and misses powered by his four-seam fastball and slider. Despite subpar weather conditions, he had an outstanding seven innings of ace-tier pitching.

As stated in an article I wrote earlier this month, Castillo is at his best when his fastball is elevated. One of the main reasons he was able to pitch so well in a hitter's ballpark was his excellent placement, minimizing contact of any kind but especially hard contact from opposing batters.

He's still got a 4.40 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 2024 over 28 ⅔ innings so more work is required before his numbers begin to reflect his skill more accurately, but a few more starts of this quality should get his statistics back within expectations.

Honorable Mention: George Kirby

5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Although he was a little more hittable in his start, Kirby still went scoreless and picked up nine swings and misses along with 16 called strikes. Because of his excellent command, Kirby is able to constantly paint the edges of the zone to avoid walks and get ahead in counts.

There were a few close calls, including a batted ball by Brendan Rodgers that would've been a home run in every ballpark other than Coors Field. Nonetheless, with no earned runs, Kirby was able to reduce his ERA slightly to 5.33. It's the worst opening month to a season since his debut in 2022 but like Castillo, he might also be on the road to redemption.