Felix finally triumphs over Weaver!

It only took five attempts, but in yesterday’s nail-biter 8-5 victory over the Angels, Felix Hernandez finally came out on top of Angels’ Jered Weaver.  And, ironically, by allowing twelve base runners in 6.2 innings, Felix picked up the victory in arguably his worst start against the Angels during his rivalry with the younger Weaver brother.  Of course, neutralizing the Angels’ main threat by striking out Vladimir Guerrero- who had a BAA against Felix over .400 entering the game- three times was a huge step towards ensuring the Mariners to remain in the ballgame against Jered.

Besides the individual triumph for Felix- who also picked up his first victory in his worst start of the season, being kept winless despite a 0.00 ERA in his first two starts- last night’s victory served notice to the Angels that things are going to be a little different in the AL West this season than in recent years.  While it would’ve been even more satisfying to have topped Mariners-killer John Lackey, it was rewarding to beat Weaver, who very few pitchers have been nearly as tough against the M’s.  And it appeared that not much was going to be different in last night’s game, as Weaver mixed speeds and showcased great ball movement while holding the Mariners to just two hits through the first five innings.  Both hits were Raul Ibanez solo home runs- the top of the order in Ichiro and Jose Lopez needs to do a better job setting the table if Raul is having an early-season power binge- staking the M’s to a 2-1 lead.

After a Gary Matthews Jr.- who has made a habit himself of killing the M’s with his bat- lead-off home run and an RBI single from Casey Kotchman gave the lead back to the Angels in the top of the sixth inning, the M’s offense finally awoke from the slumber they had been mired in nearly all season, scoring six runs in their last three innings to finish with a season-high eight runs.  Richie Sexson tied the game on a bases-loaded walk, holding off on a high pitch that last year’s deplorable version of Sexson would’ve swung through.  And Brad Wilkerson followed Sexson with a two-run single to give the M’s their final lead.  Despite his early season struggles, including a 3-for-22 start to the season coming into the game, by coming through in such a clutch situation against the hated division rivals Brad may have just cemented himself into the hearts of Mariner fans everywhere.

In response to the Angels’ league-worst bullpen allowing three runs in two innings, the M’s bullpen allowed just one unearned run in two-plus innings.  Sean Green- who bears an uncanny resemblance to former SNL alum Chris ‘Corky Romano’ Kattan- worked out of trouble in the eighth with help from a dynamite defensive play by Beltre to catch Reggie Willits in a run-down, and kudos should go to Mark Lowe who worked around a lead-off double by Vladimir Guerrero in the ninth to pick up his first career save.

Further kudos needs to be extended to Kenji Johjima, who snapped an 0-for-23 streak with an eighth-inning RBI double, knocking in Jose Vidro to give the M’s their final run.  Hopefully this will help pick up Joh’s bat.  Considering that he walked twice in yesterday’s game, it’s clear that it’s not strike-zone judgment that is causing Kenji’s struggles.  Go Joh!

Speaking of resemblances, is it just me or does Weaver and his flowing blond locks remind anyone of  Prince Charming from ‘Shrek?’

Today’s game pits Carlos Silva, who has shown a good return on his contract two starts into the young season, against former White Sox hurler Jon Garland, obtained by the Angels in a trade for Orlando Cabrera.  Silva has had good success against the Angels in his career, winning five of six decisions despite allowing 76 base runners in 58 innings.  The last time Silva faced the Angels last August, he held the line-up in check, allowing just two base runners in seven scoreless innings in a no-decision.

Garland, despite being the epitome of a league-average pitcher who will never impress anybody with his peripherals, has also enjoyed good success against the Mariners, winning six of eight decisions while keeping the M’s bats to a .235 BAA against in nearly 69 innings.  However, the M’s feasted on Garland the last time they faced him, picking up ten hits, including two home runs, in eighteen at-bats against him while scoring ten runs, five of which were unearned.  Garland’s line-drive percentage is much higher in the small sample size of the 13 innings he’s tossed this season than his career norms, and considering that he had a line-drive percentage of nearly 25% last year, Garland will eventually have to regress to his mean.  Garland has had little luck fooling either Raul Ibanez or Ichiro, who have combined to hit .380 in 79 at-bats against  the right-hander.

It’s hard to say which team has the edge going into tonight’s game.  Raul has also posted an OPS north of Garland, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him continue where he left off from yesterday’s game.  So if the top of the M’s line-up can scratch out some walks or otherwise make their presence on the base paths known, it would bode well for a Mariner victory.  However, Carlos Silva earns his paycheck by being consistently around the strike zone, and as such its doubtful he’ll be able to duplicate Felix’s success in coaxing Guerrero to chase outside sliders.  In fact, Silva has yet to strike out Guerrero in 36 at-bats, although he has limited the damage Vladimir has been able to do, allowing just ten hits, six of which were singles.  If Vladimir feasts on Silva’s offerings tonight, then obviously that bodes well for the Angels’ chances.

There’s a very good chance that both starters could be knocked out by the third inning, just as the chance that Silva and Garland can duel each other into the seventh.  Should be another nail-biter….