Castillo And Kelly Will Baffle Hitters

Mariners vs. Diamondbacks, 4:10 ET

Now is the time that you'll start to have to deal with really strange things happening on teams. Sure the rumor mills are swirling about who will go where and when, but the bigger issue is you can make a bet, assuming someone like, say, Jeimer Candelario will be in a lineup then he comes off in the middle of an inning and your handicap gets altered. I suppose it is the same as an injury, but my point is essentially you need to be cautious around now. That was just one example, but it is possible that the Mariners could be sellers and the Diamondbacks could be buyers as they face each other today.

The Mariners didn't envision their season going this way. It isn't like they are having a bad year, but they are having a tough one. They are over .500 and just 4.5 games back of a Wild Card spot and 6.5 back of the division, but the injury to Robbie Ray hurt early and they really haven't put much positive distance between that .500 mark. They have almost the same record as the Diamondbacks right now but if the season ended today, neither would make the playoffs. So, will the Mariners pack it in? Will they try to make a trade for a push toward the playoffs? It is a jumbled field but that also means that it is somewhat up for grabs. Tonight, they send out their Ace, Luis Castillo to the mound. Castillo has had a great season, but the Mariners are not really taking advantage of the strong starts. They are just 3-7 over his last 10 starts and he hasn't allowed more than four earned runs in any of the outings. When he gets run support it is a large amount, but most of the time, he isn't getting much run support.

Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks takes on the Mariners. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Arizona was one of the feel-good stories of the first half of the baseball season. They were leading the division at the break and making people think that maybe there would be a challenge for the Dodgers down the stretch. Not only has that division lead evaporated, but the Diamondbacks are now four games back and in third place within the division behind the Giants as well. If I had to guess what they will do, it will be some sort of small move or stay the course they are on. I don't know that they are quite in "win now" mode. They do have a lot of the pieces needed, including two Aces, one of whom pitches today. Merrill Kelly is taking the ball for the Diamondbacks today with his 3.12 ERA. He has posted a quality start in seven of his last nine outings and has only allowed four or more earned runs three times this season. He returned from the injured list with a stellar performance against the Cardinals after about a month off. In that start, he allowed just four hits and one earned run over six innings.

This one seems like a pitcher's duel to me. I really wouldn't be surprised if the Diamondbacks win the game, but they've played pretty poorly lately so it is giving me pause to back them. On the other side, the Mariners haven't played well behind Castillo so no matter what he does, they still aren't playing all that well. This is going to either fly well over the total, or be way under. I really don't see much in between. I'll take under 8 for the game.

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