SEATTLE (AP) — Luis Castillo threw seven shutout innings to continue Seattle’s run of starting pitching dominance and the Mariners’ bullpen held on for a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
Castillo (3-4) retired the final 11 hitters he faced and allowed just three hits to an Atlanta squad with the second-best offense in MLB. He left to a standing ovation after throwing 103 pitches and striking out seven.
With Castillo’s stellar outing, Mariners starting pitchers have allowed two earned runs or fewer in a franchise-record 18 consecutive games.
The AL West-leading Mariners are also the first team in MLB history to post an ERA of 1.60 or lower and 160-plus strikeouts in an 18-game span.
The Braves lost consecutive games for the first time this season, the last team in the majors to do so.
Atlanta threatened in the fourth inning when Matt Olson drew a one-out walk and Marcell Ozuna followed with a single, but Castillo struck out Orlando Arcia and got Michael Harris III to ground out to end the inning.
The Mariners struck first on Jorge Polanco’s two-run homer in the third. Dylan Moore added another for Seattle with a fourth-inning RBI double against Braves starter Reynaldo López.
Lopez (2-1) allowed six hits and three earned runs over five innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Ozzie Albies drove in a run with an RBI single off Mariners reliever Ryne Stanek in the eighth. Stanek allowed three singles before he was replaced by Andrés Muñoz with two on. Muñoz threw the ball away on an infield single by Austin Riley to score Jarred Kelenic.
After intentionally walking Olson to load the bases, Muñoz retired Ozuna and Arcia to end the inning.
Muñoz then pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
Seattle has won 11 of its last 14 and has won five straight series.
UP NEXT
Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (3-2, 5.06 ERA) will try for his third consecutive win Wednesday against Braves LHP Chris Sale (3-1, 3.69 ERA).
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