Mariners Shut Out the Royals Thanks to a Dominant Team Pitching Performance

Luis Castillo pitched six shutout innings and the bullpen did the rest of the work, as the Mariners take two out of three from the Kansas City Royals

Sep 1, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Following their ten-game winning streak being snapped by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, the Seattle Mariners came firing back in the final game of the teams' three-game series at Kaufmann Stadium. The M's grabbed a 2-0 victory in the rubber match of this showdown, with starting pitcher Luis Castillo spinning six shutout innings for the win.

Castillo (10-8 ) allowed just three hits and registered three strikeouts in the win. Closer Andres Munoz finished things off in the ninth for his 36th save of the year. JP Crawford and Jorge Polanco drove home the only two runs in the game, as Royals starter Stephen Kolek took the loss.

“This is why we do what we do,” manager Dan Wilson said. “To be in this position and have exciting baseball this time of year, that’s why [we’re] here. Our guys are ready, and they will be ready.”

Mariners Now Tied For First Place

Sep 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Seattle (84-69) is tied for first place in the American League West Division with the Houston Astros (84-69), who had a day off on Thursday. The two teams will face off over the weekend, as the Mariners will travel to Houston for a three-game road series at Daikin Park.

With only nine games remaining on the schedule, the team is poised to make a push to clinch the AL West --- something the Mariners haven’t done since their historic 116-win season in 2001. The club will play three-games series against the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies, before finishing up by hosting Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the 162-game regular season.

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