All About Felix

Yes, Joe Saunders and Zack Greinke are young pitchers off to a dominating start and should be considered or the AL’s Pitcher of the Month for April.  But any discussion of the award also needs to include Felix Hernandez, who delivered his fourth straight quality start- and second winning- by tossing a complete game 4-2 win over the Athletics yesterday.  The promised pitching duel between Felix and Joe Blanton, with Felix showcasing his dominant form while holding the A’s to eight hits, and one walk, in picking up his fifth consecutive victory versus Oakland.

In picking up his fourth career complete game, Felix threw 115 pitches, an amazing seventy percent of which went for strikes.  The most of a jam Felix got into was in the eighth inning, in which he faced a two on and no out situation.  However, after a double play and a Daric Barton RBI single, Felix froze Mike Sweeney with a big bending curve ball, sending the potential tying run back to the dugout shaking his head.

The Mariners’ 12-hit attack was once again led by Raul Ibanez, who went picked up three singles in four at-bats while scoring two runs.  Adrian Beltre had two doubles but the big hit was Jose Vidro’s double just out of reach of Athletic center fielder Ryan Sweeney, scoring Ibanez and Beltre while giving the Mariners an early 3-0 lead against Blanton, and providing Felix with the run support he has lacked all season.  Don’t look now, but Vidro has a mini five-game hitting streak, batting .421 with two doubles and five RBIs during that span.

Today’s finale in the two-game series pits Carlos Silva against Lenny Dinardo.  Silva has enjoyed success against the A’s in his career, attested to by a 3-2 record and 3.12 ERA in 58 innings.  Carlos has given his team a chance to win during match-ups against Oakland, such as the six-inning, two-hit performance he allowed the last time he faced the A’s in July.  Just as long as he keeps the ball away from Emil Brown (.458 AVG and 1.208 OPS in 24 at-bats) and Mike Sweeney (two homers and 1.326 OPS in 11 at-bats) Silva should be fine.

Lenny Dinardo, however, is off to a rough start for the 2008 season, allowing a 6.75 ERA in the five innings he’s tossed.  His last outing, the only start he’s made so far, did include five innings off two hit ball against the Indians.  Still, he’s given up nine runs in 14 innings tossed against the Mariners, with a 1:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, with a number of Mariner batters going yard in the few at-bats they have against Lenny.  Beltre has homered in four at-bats, Wilkerson’s gone depp twice in eight at-bats, and Greg Norton’s only hit off Dinardo in two at-bats left the park.

The M’s should have little problem taking care of Dinardo and the A’s in today’s game.  Final tally, 8-1, Mariners.