Seattle Mariners probable pitchers & starting lineups vs. Cincinnati Reds, April 17

After a frustrating 8-4 loss in Luis Castillo's homecoming on Tuesday, the Seattle Mariners are now in position to take their three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds after getting back in the win column on Wednesday.

The M's got a little bit of everything in their 5-3 win at Great American Ball Park, including an encouraging start by Bryce Miller. He'd had issues in his first three outings, but his fourth featured improved velocity and resulted in five scoreless innings.

Offensively, the game was marked by Cal Raleigh's sixth and seventh home runs. He's now tied with Aaron Judge for second in the majors in homers, and the latter was also the 100th of his career.

“It’s special,” Raleigh said after the game, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “It’s kind of crazy to think about 100 home runs in general, much less in The Show. It’s a cool feat. Hopefully we can still be talking when we get to 200.”

The Mariners are back at it early on Thursday, with first pitch in Cincinnati scheduled for 9:40 a.m. PT. Let's break down the starting pitching matchup, lineups, and how to watch and listen.

Starting Pitchers

For the Mariners: Emerson Hancock, RHP (0-1, 81.00 ERA)

The Mariners originally had Bryan Woo lined up to start Thursday's game, but they pulled a switcheroo on fans by announcing late Wednesday night that Hancock would get the ball instead.

To call this a welcome development would be a slight reach. Hancock came into this year with a 4.71 ERA to show for 15 major league starts, and his 2025 debut saw him get only two outs while serving up six runs to the Detroit Tigers. He was promptly demoted to Triple-A Tacoma.

The 25-year-old former first-rounder was solid in the two starts he made for the Rainiers, notably fanning 12 batters over 9.2 innings. He is showing improved velocity this year, sitting around 94 mph after working more in the 92-93 mph range in the last two seasons.

For the Reds: Brady Singer, RHP (3-0, 3.18 ERA)

The Reds gave up 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India to get Singer from the Kansas City Royals over the winter. And so far, the deal is looking much better for Cincinnati.

Whereas India is batting under .200 for the Royals, Singer has been solid in all three of his starts. He has a new cutter that he's using to complement his sinker and slider, and it has been effective in holding batters to a .200 average with no extra-base hits.

However, Singer has been letting balls get in the air so far this season. That is something the Mariners can take advantage of, as there is no better place than Great American Ball Park to hit home runs.

Mariners Lineup vs. Singer

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 Miles Mastrobuoni (L)
9. SS J.P. Crawford (L)

Reds Lineup vs. Hancock

1. CF TJ Friedl (L)
2. 3B Santiago Espinal (R)
3. SS Elly De La Cruz (S)
4. DH Austin Hays (R)
5. 2B Gavin Lux (L)
6. 1B Jeimer Candelario (S)
7. LF Blake Dunn (R)
8. RF Jake Fraley (L)
9. C Austin Wynns (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.​

Satellite Coverage

• Nationwide: Available via DirectTV.

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?

If the Mariners can pull off a win on Thursday, they'll have claimed their third series in a row and pushed their record to 10-9. It would be their first time over .500 since they were 1-0 at the end of Opening Day on March 27.

While we can't speak for the team, it would also be good for fans' morale if the Mariners could pull off a series win on the road. It's been a tough place for them since the start of 2024, as they're 37-49 away from T-Mobile Park.

There are six games left on the club's road trip after today, and the competition won't get any easier. After leaving Cincinnati, it's on Toronto and Boston to face two AL East contenders in the Blue Jays and Red Sox, respectively.