Mariners tie for AL West lead after salvaging road series win vs. Royals

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Sep 18, 2025

Published in Baseball

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Their final road series of the regular season will also be the most important for the Seattle Mariners in recent memory.

With their 2-0 win over the Royals on Thursday afternoon, the Mariners head to Houston to face their American League rivals in a three-game series that could ultimately determine the winner of the American League West.

Fittingly, the two teams will start the series in a tie atop the division with matching 84-69 records.

Andrés Muñoz secured the shutout, striking out Adam Frazier to strand a pair of runners on base and notch his 36th save of the season.

The Mariners got an outstanding start from Luis Castillo.

The veteran right-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

His wasn't provided much run support during his outing. Facing right-hander Stephen Kolek, who pitched in the Mariners farm system for three seasons (2021-23), Seattle mustered just one run over the first six innings.

In the second inning, Josh Naylor led off with a single to right. He scored moments later on Jorge Polanco’s double into the right-field corner for a 1-0 lead. Seattle’s chances to add to that ended when Polanco was doubled off at second on Dom Canzone’s line drive to left field.

Kolek, who isn’t overpowering with a fastball that tops out at 95 mph, retired 16 batters in a row following the Polanco double.

Seattle ended Kolek’s outing with one out in the seventh in the oddest of ways. After Canzone appeared to ground out to second base, the Mariners asked for a replay review, believing that second baseman Michael Massey had violated the no-shift rules, starting with his feet on the outfield grass. The review was confirmed and Canzone was safe at first. The Mariners immediately pinch ran with Victor Robles. The move proved useful when J.P. Crawford doubled down the right-field line with Robles running on the pitch, allowing him to score a big insurance run.