HOUSTON -- These aren’t entirely the same Astros that went 32-7 at Minute Maid Park against the Mariners from 2019-2022. But after the four-year stretch of dominance, it sure feels good for Seattle to take the first two games of their first series in Houston of 2023.

It meant more than two Ws in the win column. Friday night’s 10-1 blowout was the second resounding victory in a row for the Mariners, who are scaling the American League West standings and the Wild Card race, winning six of their last seven games.

Seattle scored nine runs in the fourth inning, the most the club has scored in a single frame all season and the most by an opponent in a single inning vs. Houston since at least 1974. Luis Castillo allowed just one unearned run over seven innings to end his first half with a 2.85 ERA while No. 16 prospect Isaiah Campbell made his Major League debut.

And perhaps most importantly, the Mariners are off to a blistering start in the season series: 4-1 against the Astros. Here are three takeaways from the big win:

Lineup fires on all cylinders
When Julio Rodríguez stepped up to the plate in the fourth inning, a few stray chants of “Overrated!” briefly broke out for the two-time All-Star. Briefly.

Rodríguez shut them down quickly. After a vicious swing whiffed on a fastball inside, he adjusted, keeping his hands tight on the next inside fastball from Astros starter Hunter Brown to poke a single the other way, driving in two runs with the bases loaded. The RBI knock broke a 1-1 tie and opened the floodgates for the Mariners in their nine-run rally.

“Julio has had an awesome couple of weeks,” manager Scott Servais said. “You start backtracking what he’s done here, certainly in the month of July but even before, you start to see him coming.”

When the dust settled -- as Kolten Wong was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple -- the Mariners had surpassed their previous season high of seven runs scored in an inning, set on June 23 vs. the Orioles.

Seattle batted around, collecting four singles, two doubles, two walks and a hit-by-pitch to hand Brown his shortest outing of the season. Mike Ford, who went 2-for-3 with a bases-clearing double and four RBIs, added a home run off Astros position player-pitcher Bligh Madris to give the Mariners’ their 10th run, a total they had not reached at Minute Maid Park since Sept. 28, 2016.

Castillo finishes first half strong
Following the formula established by George Kirby on Thursday, Castillo took care of business vs. a righty-heavy lineup missing Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve because of injury. He filled up the strike zone (65 strikes on 89 pitches) and let his defense do the rest, recording three strikeouts through seven innings.

When Seattle traded for Castillo last July, the club was in Houston during a series it would drop to the Astros, 3-1.

Castillo has proven worthy of his nickname “La Piedra,” as the rock that’s consistently anchored the Mariners’ rotation. He finished his first half ranked 6th among AL starters in ERA (2.85), 3rd in opponent batting average (.209) and 8th in strikeout rate (9.81 K/9).

After allowing a few hard-hit balls that the defense quickly gobbled up, Castillo settled down after a long break during the top of the fourth inning, during which he stayed warm throwing with a weighted ball.

“From the fourth inning on, that’s vintage ‘Rock,’” Servais said. “The velocity was there, the movement on the pitches [was there].”

Campbell makes Major League debut
When Campbell ended his debut with a swinging strikeout of Jake Meyers, the starting rotation section of the Seattle dugout erupted in cheers. Fellow rookies Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, along with fellow 2019 Draft pick George Kirby jumped with joy for the right-hander.

“[Catcher] Cal [Raleigh] gave me fastball, and I didn’t care where it went,” Campbell said. “I just threw it with some conviction and intent behind it, and the guy swung at it and missed.

"I’ll cherish that strikeout for as long as I can.”