Luis Castillo reacted to his stellar effort against the Houston Astros in the Seattle Mariners' victory on Friday night.

When the Mariners unveiled how they’d roll out their rotation for this weekend’s huge series vs. Houston to start the second half -- opting for Luis Castillo, then rookie Logan Evans, with Sunday marked as TBD -- it evoked more perplexity than anything.

The Mariners All-Star starting pitcher will get the nod for the finale of the opening series in the second half of the season.

Houston managed just four hits in opening loss to Seattle and despite Astros' pitching injuries, adding more offense is becoming priority.

Houston is 4-3 against Seattle this season and 3-1 in the last four, but struggled entering the All-Star break. The Astros are 1-5 over the last six games after going on a 6-1 stretch prior to that. Houston is leading the AL West by 5.0 games and has the second-easiest strength of schedule remaining.

The Mariners gained a game on their American League West rivals in the division standings after a quality start from Luis Castillo.

The Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners play the middle contest of a 3-game series Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

MLB player prop bets and odds for Yainer Diaz on Friday, July 18, 2025, as the Houston Astros take on the Seattle Mariners.