ANAHEIM, Calif. — Although Felix Hernandez could have talked his way back out for the ninth inning of his second win in a week over the Angels, Seattle’s ace couldn’t lie to his manager.
Even after getting an extra day of rest, he had already used every ounce of energy to stall the Los Angeles Angels’ playoff chase.
Hernandez pitched eight innings of four-hit ball to win at Angel Stadium for the first time since 2006, and the Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game skid with a 2-1 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night.
Hernandez’s exceptionally baggy uniform appeared particularly uncomfortable after he pitched through a sultry night in Orange County, striking out seven while giving up two walks and an unearned run. When manager Eric Wedge asked him about finishing the game, even Hernandez didn’t think it was a good idea.
“I can’t lie, I was a little tired at the end, but it was hot,” said Hernandez, who has pitched more than 200 innings for the fourth straight season. “I had to be honest. We had to win this game. It was important to us because we had that five-game losing streak.”
After Hernandez retired the final seven batters he faced, Brandon League pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 38 chances.
Justin Smoak and Kyle Seager scored unearned runs for the Mariners, who had lost 18 of their last 21 games in Anaheim before Hernandez (14-11) outdueled Ervin Santana and silenced the Angels’ improved lineup for his sixth victory in eight starts.
Hernandez improbably hadn’t won in Anaheim since June 11, 2006 – also his first career complete game. He has just six victories in 25 career starts against the Mariners’ division rivals, but after failing to beat the Angels at all since Sept. 29, 2009, Hernandez has two wins over Los Angeles in seven days.
On Aug. 31 in Seattle, Hernandez finally beat the Angels for the first time in nine tries, pitching a five-hitter and getting a 2-1 win on Mike Carp’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning.
“He pitches at a level that very few do, but even at his level, he’s been a little bit better lately,” said Wedge, whose club stranded 14 runners. “We just didn’t get the two-out knocks today, but I was really impressed with our defense. … It was a great challenge on both sides, but Felix is just a special pitcher with special stuff, and he was on tonight.”
Alberto Callaspo drove in the only run for the Angels, who committed four errors and dropped 31/2 games behind Texas in the AL West standings. The loss was just the Angels’ second at home since Aug. 17.
“You’re going to have nights like that,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “When you’re facing a tough pitcher, you can’t crack the door open for him. They scratched together a couple of runs and made them hold up.”
Los Angeles was a season-high 13 games over .500 after Monday’s win over the Mariners, but still faces an uphill climb in the regular season’s final three weeks to make the playoffs.
Santana (11-10) yielded seven hits and two walks over six muddled innings in his 200th career start for the Angels, losing for just the second time in 13 starts.
Seattle loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning after two Los Angeles errors, but managed just one run on Trayvon Robinson’s sacrifice fly. Seager then reached on an error in the fourth inning and eventually scored on Michael Saunders’ grounder.
“We didn’t do much on the offensive side to absorb any miscues, but I like our club defensively,” Scioscia said. “I like the way they play aggressively. … We’re in this thing, and this game certainly didn’t eliminate us.”
Los Angeles scored in the sixth when Torii Hunter reached on a bunt single and advanced on Hernandez’s throwing error before scoring on Callaspo’s single off the second-base bag.
NOTES
Angels SS Erick Aybar’s career-best 15-game hitting streak ended. … Los Angeles failed to homer for just the fourth time in its last 28 games. … Hernandez made his 202nd career start, tying Kelvim Escobar for fifth-most in major league history by a Venezuelan pitcher. Freddy Garcia holds the record with 324 starts.
TODAY
Seattle (Charlie Furbush: 2-4, 6.39 ERA) at Los Angeles Angels (Jerome Williams: 2-0, 4.58), 7:05 p.m., ESPN, Root Sports, 710-AM
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