Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, as well as manager Dan Wilson and pitching coach Pete Woodworth, spoke with Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo amidst visible frustration over the team's current piggyback situation.
The Seattle Mariners clinched a series win against the Athletics with a 4-1 win on Monday night. If the Mariners sweep the A's in the series finale at 12:05 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., the M's will take over first place in the American League West.
Seattle has outscored its division rivals 13-3 through the first two games of the series. If the M's are able to pull off the sweep and go into the following six-game homestand with the division lead, it would be arguably the most successful series of the season to this point.
However, the Mariners first game of the series, a 9-2 win Monday, was mired by noticeable frustration from two of the team's key contributors.
Monday marked the second turn through the order in which starting pitcher Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller piggybacked off each other. Castillo started Monday's game after Miller got the nod the previous turn through the rotation May 19 against the Chicago White Sox.
Castillo pitched four innings and Miller pitched the final five in the outing.
After Castillo was pulled, he was seen upset on the bench and had an animated conversation with manager Dan Wilson. After the game, Miller said the situation "wasn't comfortable."
The frustration apparently didn't go unnoticed by the team's top brass.
According to an article from Seattle Times reporter Adam Jude, both Wilson and pitching coach Pete Woodworth spoke with Miller and Castillo following Monday's start.
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto also spoke with both starting pitchers.
According to Jude's reporting, both Castillo and Miller were "receptive" and appreciated the conversation.
"While still not an ideal solution, I am confident that we were able to more clearly communicate the current situation and plan moving forward," Dipoto said in the story.
According to Jude's report, the two starters will piggyback at least one more time through the order. Miller will start and Castillo will come out of the bullpen.
The M's plan to keep the two starters, in addition to the other four hurlers in the rotation, all stretched out as starters going forward, which could mean the team would go for a six-man rotation rather than moving Castillo or Miller to the bullpen.
Despite the outward frustration from the two starters, both right-handers have posted favorable numbers through the two games.
Castillo has a 2.84 ERA and has struck out 10 batters in 6.1 innings since the first piggyback outing May 19.
Miller has a 1.69 ERA and has fanned 11 hitters in 10.2 innings pitched.
The next turn through the order for the two hurlers will be in the finale of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:10 p.m. PT on May 31 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
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