TORONTO — The Seattle Mariners are built around starting pitching, with depth that gives them strong choices no matter who they pick. On Monday, they announced their starters for Games 3 and 4 of this American League Championship Series in Seattle — with yet another quality arm on the way.
George Kirby will start Game 3 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park, followed by Luis Castillo in Game 4. And Bryan Woo, the All-Star righty who is on the ALCS roster but has been out since Sept. 19 with pectoral inflammation, threw off the mound here before batting practice Monday.
“Having Bryan back is going to be awesome,” Kirby said. “He’s been feeling good.”
However (and whenever) the Mariners deploy Woo, he presumably would add another high-impact arm to a staff that has a 2.95 ERA in its first six postseason games. That includes Bryce Miller’s six-inning gem over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1, when three relievers followed with perfect relief in a 3-1 victory.
“I think as everyone has kind of got more comfortable healthwise and everything, it was kind of just a matter of time before we kind of stacked up some games,” Kirby said before Logan Gilbert’s scheduled start in Game 2 on Monday.
“Everyone in the starting five is so unique and everyone does something so well, and that’s kind of what we’ve all been getting back to, just what we’re all good at, and just kind of hammering away at it.”
Kirby started Games 1 and 5 of the division series against the Detroit Tigers, allowing three runs in 10 innings, with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Castillo started Game 2 and earned the victory in relief in Game 5, throwing six scoreless innings while allowing only one hit.
Shane Bieber will start Game 3 for the Blue Jays, who have not announced a starter for Game 4.
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