Servais compares Castillo to King Felix in 1st outing with Mariners

There's a new sovereign in Seattle.

Newly acquired starting pitcher Luis Castillo made his first appearance for the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday since he was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds prior to the trade deadline, and his manager is giving him some high praise.

"I wasn't the manager here during the vintage Felix Hernandez days, but looking at Felix when he was coming through in his heyday - that's what it reminded me of today," Scott Servais said, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. "This guy's a dude. He's a No. 1-type starter. He wants the ball."

Castillo, 29, made his Mariners debut against the New York Yankees, earning the win. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while racking up eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

The victory put the Mariners in the second of three AL wild-card spots, one game up on the Tampa Bay Rays and two games back of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Last Friday, the Reds traded the right-hander to the Mariners in exchange for a package of four prospects headlined by shortstop Noelvi Marte. The two-time All-Star was considered one of the top pitchers available on the trade market this year and owns a 2.95 ERA and 3.26 FIP over 15 starts this year.

Hernandez, known colloquially as King Felix, was a member of the Mariners for 15 years spanning from 2005-19. The former AL Cy Young winner is still the most recent pitcher to throw a perfect game and authored a 3.42 ERA over his entire career, encompassing 418 starts, one relief appearance, and 2,729 2/3 innings.