September 30, 2023 11:53 PM : Castillo (14-9) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on five hits and five walks over 2.2 innings as the Mariners were downed 6-1 by the Rangers. He struck out four.
Analysis: The right-hander picked the worst possible time to have his shortest outing of the season, as the loss eliminated the M's from postseason contention. Castillo got the hook after 86 pitches (52 strikes), and his control deserted him in September -- he issued multiple free passes in five of six starts on the month, leading to a 4.96 ERA and 38:18 K:BB through 32.2 innings. He also came up just short of his first 200-inning campaign, finishing with a career-high 197 innings over 33 starts. Castillo still has four years left on the $108 million contract extension he signed last September, and the 30-year-old should anchor the Seattle rotation once again in 2024.