Seattle Mariners probable pitchers & starting lineups vs. Cincinnati Reds, April 16

Following an impressive 5-1 homestand which saw the Mariners climb back to .500, they were unable to continue the momentum on Tuesday night in Cincinnati. There were some positives on Jackie Robinson Day, including Dylan Moore's two home runs and Ben Williamson hitting a single in his first ever at-bat, but ultimately the Reds won 8-4.

Luis Castillo's reunion with his previous team started off decently enough through four innings, before it all fell apart in the fifth as he allowed four runs and was removed after just one out. It will come as no consolation that the wind-assisted three-run bomb he gave up to Austin Hays would not have been a home run in any other Major Leage ball park, according to Baseball Savant.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson was asked postgame by the media about Castillo not looking as crisp as his previous starts this season. Wilson said: "There were times when he got behind and wasn't able to get ahead of them and control the count as much as he would like to, but give them some credit. They were able to convert when they had opportunities. We were able to grab the lead back, but weren't able to hold onto it."

Putting this game under the category of 'just one of those nights', the Mariners will now attempt to move on and get back into the series. Here's a look at the probable pitchers and starting lineups for Wednesday's game, with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. PT at Great American Ball Park.

Starting Pitchers

For the Mariners: Bryce Miller, RHP (0-2, 4.50 ERA)

Miller's second season in the Majors was a rousing success as he, among other things, produced a 2.94 ERA and 0.976 WHIP on the way to a team-best 3.4 WAR. His first two starts this year have been tough, however. He allowed 13 hits, five walks and seven earned runs in 11 combined innings and was tagged with two losses.

Miller looked better in his most recent outing against the Texas Rangers over 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run in a 5-3 win. Yet he continues to have issues with walks after allowing three free passes, likely not helped by dealing with some right arm soreness. He still relies mostly on his four-seamer fastball, but has developed his arsenal to the point of now conceivably having six legit pitches.

For the Reds: Nick Martinez, RHP (0-2, 6.06 ERA)

Last season was the finest yet of Martinez's time in the Majors, as he set a whole host of career bests including a 4.0 WAR, 10 wins, 142.1 innings, 3.10 ERA, 3.21 FIP and 1.026 WHIP. This year couldn't have started much worse by contrast. His -0.2 WAR, 6.06 ERA and 1.224 WHIP are all the poorest in the Reds rotation.

In Martinez's last start. he went 5.2 innings in a 8-6 extra innings loss to the Giants, allowing a season-high seven hits, along with a walk and four earned runs, although he did also record eight strikeouts. He has an interesting array of pitches to try and keep the opposition off-balance, including a good mix of his cutter, sinker, changeup and four-seamer.

Mariners starting lineup vs. Martinez

1. CF Julio Rodríguez (R)
2. DH Jorge Polanco (S)
3. C Cal Raleigh (S)
4. LF Randy Arozarena (R)
5. RF Luke Raley (L)
6. 1B Rowdy Tellez (L)
7. 2B Dylan Moore (R)
8. 3B Ben Williamson (R)
9. SS J.P. Crawford (L)

Reds starting lineup vs. Miller

1. CF TJ Friedl. (L)
2. 2B Matt McLain (R)
3. SS Elly De La Cruz (S)
4. LF Austin Hays (R)
5. 3B Gavin Lux (L)
6. DH Spencer Steer (R)
7. 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R)
8. RF Jake Fraley (L)
9. C Jose Trevino (R)

How can I watch the Mariners today?

Regional Coverage

• Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska: The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Northwest.​
• Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and parts of Pennsylvania and New York: The game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Ohio.​

National Coverage

• The game will be televised on FS1.

Satellite Coverage

• Nationwide: Available via DirectTV. (Also available on national television on FS1.)

Radio Broadcast

• Seattle Region: Tune in to Seattle Sports 710 AM or stream the audio live at seattlesports.com.​
• Cincinnati Region: Tune in to WLW 700 or stream the audio live at iheart.com.

Streaming Options

• ROOT Sports Streaming App: Fans in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska can stream the game live through the ROOT Sports streaming service
• FuboTV: Subscribers in the aforementioned regions can also stream the game live via FuboTV, which carries ROOT Sports Northwest.
• MLB.TV: Out-of-market viewers can watch the game live with an MLB.TV (subscription required).

What's at Stake?

One of the keys to the Mariners' three-year run of 88-plus wins between 2021-23 was their road record, which saw them win at least 43 games on their travels each season. It's telling that their drop to 85 overall wins in 2024 was highlighted by a 36-45 record away from home.

The point is that if the Mariners hope to be genuine contenders in 2025, they need to get back to at least .500 on the road. As such, going 0-4 to start the season away from the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park is not exactly encouraging.

Yes, it's still extremely early and yes, you can make the genuine case that the Mariners could have actually won their first road series in San Francisco rather than being swept by the Giants. Regardless, we believe it's important for them to find a way to win on Wednesday in Cincinnati and avoid losing their second road series of the year.

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