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Seattle Mariners

Dominant Felix caps Mariners sweep

Hernandez strikes out 13 as Seattle wins fifth straight

Felix Hernandez allowed one run on six hits and didn’t walk a batter over eight innings Sunday. (Associated Press)

SAN DIEGO – Felix Hernandez put a giant exclamation point on a rousing weekend for the Seattle Mariners.

Hernandez tied his career high with 13 strikeouts and the Mariners completed a three-game sweep with a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

“I felt like he was throwing the ball as good as we’ve seen this year for a good portion of the game,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “He kind of had to grind through it the last couple of innings.”

Hernandez (5-4) allowed one run and six hits without a walk as the Mariners won their fifth straight. They held a commanding advantage over San Diego in runs (14-2) and hits (32-14) while striking out 35 Padres batters in the series.

“I don’t like to give credit to the opposing pitchers, but these guys threw well this weekend,” Padres manager Bud Black said.

The Mariners have allowed two runs or less in their last seven games. They held the Padres to six hits or fewer in each of the three games.

“It’s an amazing starting (staff),” Seattle catcher Miguel Olivo said. “We just need to put some runs on the board and we’ve been doing it and winning games.”

Hernandez, the reigning A.L. Cy Young Award winner, kept up the stingy pace. He gave up three singles in the seventh for San Diego’s only run, but struck out seven of nine batters during one stretch.

“We’ve been doing a great job, and not just the pitchers,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been busting it and working hard.”

The right-hander did not walk a batter as he snapped a two-start skid.

“He was good, no doubt about it,” Black said. “He had all his weapons and when you stake him a lead, I think he gets stronger. He’s a front-runner.”

Seattle starting pitchers have gone at least seven innings in nine straight starts and in 14 of 17 games this month. In the last seven games, the starters have allowed only four earned runs.

Carlos Peguero and Brendan Ryan each had a two-run double to pace a Mariners offense that came into the game with A.L.’s lowest batting average and the second-fewest runs in the majors.

Tim Stauffer (0-3) gave up three runs and a season-high 10 hits, including Peguero’s two-run double in the third, over six innings. Corey Luebke started the seventh and gave up consecutive singles to Adam Kennedy and Olivo. Ryan then greeted reliever Luke Gregerson with a one-out double to drive in two runs and give Seattle a 5-0 lead.

Olivo had three of Seattle’s 15 hits and scored three runs. Franklin Gutierrez added an RBI single in the ninth.

San Diego’s only run came after a leadoff single by Chase Headley in the seventh. With one out, Cameron Maybin singled and Chris Denorfia’s two-out singled scored Headley.

Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
I.Suzuki rf 5 0 1 1 0 0 .288
Figgins 3b 5 0 1 0 0 0 .212
Smoak 1b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .271
A.Kennedy 2b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .276
Olivo c 5 3 3 0 0 0 .222
Peguero lf 4 0 2 2 0 1 .200
F.Gutierrez cf 1 0 1 1 0 0 .154
Ryan ss 5 1 2 2 0 0 .225
M.Saunders cf-lf 4 0 1 0 1 2 .180
F.Hernandez p 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Pauley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —-
Totals 43 6 15 6 1 7
San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Venable rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .224
Bartlett ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .261
Headley 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .255
Hawpe 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .233
Maybin cf 3 0 1 0 0 2 .262
O.Hudson 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .226
Denorfia lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .333
Ro.Johnson c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .197
Stauffer p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .118
E.Patterson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .200
Luebke p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Gregerson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —-
Cantu ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .200
M.Adams p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —-
Totals 31 1 6 1 0 13
Seattle 012 000 201—6 15 0
San Diego 000 000 100—1 6 0

LOB—Seattle 11, San Diego 3. 2B—I.Suzuki (8), A.Kennedy (6), Peguero (1), Ryan (7), Hawpe (8). RBIs—I.Suzuki (16), Peguero 2 (6), F.Gutierrez (1), Ryan 2 (13), Denorfia (6). SB—A.Kennedy (5), Olivo (1). CS—Bartlett (1). RLSP—Seattle 6, San Diego 1. RMU—Ryan.

Seattle IP H R ER BB SO ERA
F.Hernandez W,5-4 8 6 1 1 0 13 3.01
Pauley 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.03
San Diego IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Stauffer L,0-3 6 10 3 3 1 3 3.88
Luebke 1/3 2 2 2 0 1 4.21
Gregerson 12/3 1 0 0 0 1 3.00
M.Adams 1 2 1 1 0 2 1.25

IR-S—Gregerson 2-2. IBB—M.Saunders. WP—Luebke. T—2:43. A—34,705 (42,691).

DateResultM’s starter
May

16

Seattle 5,

Minnesota 2

Pineda

7 IP, 0 R, W

May

17

Minnesota 2,

Seattle 1

Hernandez

8 IP, 2 R, L

May

18

Seattle 3,

L.A. Angels 0

Vargas

7 IP, 0 R, W

May

19

Seattle 2,

L.A. Angels 1

Fister

8 IP, 1 R, ND

May

20

Seattle 4,

San Diego 1

Bedard

8 IP, 0 R, W

May

21

Seattle 4,

San Diego 0

Pineda

7 IP, 0R, W

May

22

Seattle 6,

San Diego 1

Hernandez

8 IP, 1 R, W