Luis Castillo and George Kirby are the Mariners’ best hopes

This will not be as thorough as my writeup ahead of Game One, wherein I detailed how the Seattle Mariners would be likely to attack Justin Verlander. I was overjoyed, despite the ultimately gutting outcome, to see the M’s make such a stellar showing against JV, both to force Houston’s bullpen into extensive use and rattle the confidence of the Astros’ dominance. Now, though, the M’s are seeking to keep their fledgling playoff voyage seaworthy. They’ll turn to ace RHP Luis Castillo Thursday afternoon and rookie RHP George Kirby Saturday when they return home to Seattle.