Atlanta’s left-handed ace led the team into the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead after pitching six hitless and scoreless innings. But the Mariners won 2-1 thanks to reliever A.J. Minter giving up a walk-off home run to designated hitter Mitch Garver because closer Raisel Iglesias was unavailable (and for good reason).
At what is sure to be yet another pitching matchup tonight between Braves ERA leader Reynaldo López (2-0, 0.72 ERA) and Mariners veteran Luis Castillo, Atlanta is hoping for better results.
Tuesday, April 30th, lineups for the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves
Atlanta’s lineup for the game is as follows:
RF Ronald Acuña Jr., 2B Ozzie Albies, third baseman 1B Austin Riley Matt Olson DH Marcell Ozuna SS Orlando Arcia CF Michael Harris II, C. Travis d’Arnaud LF Kelenic, Jarred
With a 0.72 ERA through his first four starts of the season, López has been both baseball’s best value and Atlanta’s best starter this year, going 2-0. He will need to exercise caution, though, as a number of players in this Mariners lineup have already taken advantage of him: Mitch Garver, the star of the previous game, is 5-8 with a home run, while Luke Raley (1-3, home run, two RBIs) and Cal Raleigh (1-1, two run home run) have also taken advantage of him.
The Mariners lineup is as follows:
3B Josh Rojas, C.F. Julio Rodríguez
2B Jorge Polanco DH Mitch Garver C. Cal Raleigh R.F. Mitch Haniger
1B Thank you, France LF Luke Raley, Sr. Dylan Moore
Although Castillo’s 4.15 ERA is the highest it has been since his age-25 season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2018, he has performed quite well in late April despite not having the best start to the season. He has only given up two runs on six hits in his last two road outings against Colorado and Texas. In thirteen innings, he has struck out fifteen while walking three. Interestingly, though, both of those runs were home runs. DH Marcell Ozuna is the first Braves batter to hit a home run off of Castillo; in his seventeen at-bats against the righty, Ozuna has hit two.