The few fans who braved the downpour on their way into the stadium and the night chill during Tuesday’s game at Safeco Field were treated to two reminders of the Seattle Mariners’ success in their 6-4 win over the Oakland A’s.

The announced crowd of 18,167 got a reminder of a once-brilliant and not-so-distant past as Ken Griffey Jr. delivered a three-run homer with the same picturesque swing that is burned into fans’ memories.

They also got a reminder of a promising future – well, for at least the next year or so – watching Felix Hernandez make his case for the American League Cy Young award by posting his career-high 18th win of the season.

Beyond what could be possibly Griffey’s last homer in a Mariners uniform, and another line on an impressive résumé for Hernandez, the Mariners won their 81st game of the season, ensuring that they won’t finish with a losing record.

“It means a lot,” Hernandez said. “It’s pretty good for this team. We lost 101 games last year. It feels way different in the clubhouse and on the field.”

One more win over the remaining five games would mean a winning record, something that seemed unfathomable after last year’s miserable campaign.

“The biggest thing for us is that we went through a lot with injuries this year,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said, mentioning injuries to Russell Branyan, Sean White and Erik Bedard. “To be sitting here at 81 wins is a stepping stone, it’s nowhere near what we want to do here, but through the circumstances, I’m awfully proud of these guys.”

There may not be a player that Wakamatsu is more proud of than his young No. 1 starter. Hernandez has blossomed this season, erasing the word “potential” from his list of adjectives and becoming a superstar.

In the first of his two remaining starts of the season, Hernandez, who’s in a battle with Kansas City’s Zack Greinke and Detroit’s Justin Verlander for the AL’s top pitching honor, delivered a solid, if not spectacular performance.

Command issues elevated his pitch count and put runners on base leading to an early run.

“It happens every time we have a day off before I pitch,” Hernandez said. “I feel too strong.”

The stuff, the velocity was there, but the control wasn’t.

In the second, third and fourth innings, Hernandez allowed multiple runners on hits, walks and hit batters. And yet the A’s managed only the one run.

With his pitch count on the fast track to triple digits, it didn’t appear as though the Mariners would give Hernandez sufficient run support. They managed one run on a fielders’ choice by Bill Hall.

But that changed in the fifth.

Josh Wilson led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Franklin Gutierrez to push the lead to 2-1.

Then it was Griffey who broke the game open, crushing the first pitch he saw from Trevor Cahill – a 90-mph fastball – deep into the right-field stands for a three-run home run.

“It’s always majestic,” Wakamatsu said. “Cahill’s an awfully tough young kid. Junior steps in there and takes that swing. He doesn’t show age with that swing. It’s a beautiful swing.”

The Mariners would tack on another run on a Hall double for a five-run fifth inning.

“As you soon as you give Felix some runs, you feel like you’re going to win the ballgame,” Wakamatsu said.

Hernandez knew that the five-run outburst was a gift from his teammates, who haven’t always been the most generous when it comes to run support. And he felt obliged to make the most of it.

“After that, I told myself, ‘You’ve got to keep it down, you’ve got to throw strikes,’ ” Hernandez said.

He worked two more scoreless innings and started the eight with 99 pitches, but he wouldn’t get out of it. He gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning, but Wakamatsu stayed with him.

“There were times today when I probably could have taken him out a little sooner, but there’s a trust that he’s going to get the ground ball or get a big strikeout,” Wakamatsu said.

“That’s a credit to him.”

Hernandez couldn’t quite get through. He got two outs, but did give up a run on a sacrifice fly. But with two outs, he hit Mark Ellis and walked Eric Patterson to load the bases.

Wakamatsu had seen enough. Hernandez exited the game after 72/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking four, striking out four, hitting two batters, tossing two wild pitches and throwing a season-high 120 pitches.

He also got a long standing ovation from the crowd.

“He just never gives up and he battles and seems to be able to manage any kind of trouble he gets into,” Wakamatsu said. “It’s a credit to him.”

Mark Lowe came in and struck out Cliff Pennington to end the inning.

David Aardsma came on in the ninth and had a few rocky moments, allowing two runs, but managed to keep Hernandez’s win safe even without getting the save.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483

ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com