Seattle Mariners probable pitchers & starting lineups vs. Houston Astros, April 7

It's hard to think any team reaches a pivotal moment just 10 games into a 162-game season, but that certainly feels like where the Seattle Mariners are.

Their 3-7 record is the second-worst in the American League. The offense is bottom five in runs scored and continually failing with runners in scoring position. The pitching has yet to really dominate and carry a struggling offense. And to top it all off, one of the Mariners' hottest hitters, Victor Robles, is likely to be out for a significant period of time after what looked like a gruesome injury as a result of an incredible catch in San Francisco on Sunday.

The Mariners return home for six straight divisional games and today will set the tone for the next week. With Logan Gilbert on the mound against an inferior Hayden Wesneski, this feels like a game that the Mariners must figure out how to win. After Mariners starting pitchers covered just 14.1 innings during the series sweep against the Giants, Gilbert needs to be the horse that he is and work deep into the game and set the tone for the next week of baseball in Seattle.

Starting Pitchers

For the Mariners: Logan Gilbert, RHP (0-1)

Gilbert has far and away been the Mariners best pitcher this year with a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 12 innings. His Opening Day start (7 IP, 2 H, 8 K) where he threw just 83 pitches was super-efficient and one he should look to replicate today. His 10-strikeout performance his next time out was one of his more impressive starts, though his 92 pitches only allowed him to work five innings.

This Astros lineup isn't the same lineup of recent years, but can still do some serious damage. With Robles out for a while and one of the best hitters in the early part of the season, Jorge Polanco, dealing with a knee injury, today is Gilbert's time to show fans around the league why he is the ace of this staff and be that stopper.

For the Astros: Hayden Wesneski, RHP (0-1)

Wesneski was one of the pieces that went back to Houston in the Kyle Tucker trade, providing the rotation with some solid depth after it endured numerous injuries last year. Wesneski won't wow you with anything, but he is effective. In 28 appearances (7 starts) in 2024, he had a 3.86 ERA over 67.2 innings. He should play a larger role in Houston's rotation this year, which could affect those numbers, but his first start of 2025 was about what you would expect. He went five innings, two hits, three runs, three walks and six strikeouts.

The Mariners offense will need to be aggressive on the right hander's fastball, as it was hit hard last year for a .257 batting average and .547 xSLG. He relied on his sweeper a ton (40.7 percent) and rightfully so. It generated a 43.3 whiff rate and opponents hit just .174 against it. Wesneski could be a troubling matchup for the strikeout prone Mariners, but if they can get to his fastball early, it could force Houston to use its bullpen early that they would like.

Mariners starting lineup vs. Wesneski

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

Astros starting lineup vs. Gilbert

1. LF Jose Altuve (R)
2. 3B Isaac Paredes (R)
3. LF Yordan Alvarez (L)
4. 1B Christian Walker (R)
5. SS Jeremy Peña (R)
6. C Victor Caratini (S)
7. DH Yainer Diaz (R)
8. CF Jake Meyers (R)
9. RF Mauricio Dubón (R)

How can I watch the Mariners today?

Regional Coverage

• Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska: The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Northwest.​
• Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahome, and parts of eastern New Mexico: The game will be televised on Space City Home Network

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.​
• Houston and other regions: Tune into KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010

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 MLB.TV (subscription required)

What's at Stake?

Win Game 1. That can be the only focus right now.

After a disappointing start to the season and a devastating injury, the Mariners are going to have to refocus and get scrappy. With Gilbert on the mound at home against a divisional opponent, they need to just win Game 1. They have six straight divisional games and can make fans forget about the early season struggles if they can go 4-2 during that stretch. That starts with winning Game 1.

While the offense is struggling mightily, they have generated a decent number of at-bats with runners in scoring position with 68, but their .132 batting average in those situations is last in the league. They have to figure out how to get those clutch hits if they are going to turn the offensive ship around.