Hernandez powers M’s to victory

OAKLAND, Calif. – Felix Hernandez ended the first half of his season the same way he started it: with a dominating performance against the Oakland Athletics.

Hernandez held Oakland scoreless for a second straight start and Adrian Beltre homered for the third time in two games, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 4-0 victory over the Athletics on Saturday.

“I feel like I have my best command now,” Hernandez said. “My fastball is working pretty good, all of my breaking balls are working. It’s just like the first two games.”

Hernandez (5-4) pitched eight scoreless innings against the A’s on opening day and followed that up with a one-hit shutout at Fenway Park before leaving his next start in the first inning with a right elbow strain. Hernandez missed the next four weeks and has taken time to get back to his early season form.

He wasn’t as overpowering as he was in his 12-strikeout performance in April against Oakland, not recording a strikeout until fanning Jack Cust with runners on first and second to end the sixth inning. But he was just as stingy.

He didn’t give up a hit until Mark Ellis’ single to right-center with two outs in the fifth and didn’t allow a runner to reach third base. He allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two, extending his scoreless streak against the A’s to 16 innings.

“I can see Felix getting back into his game where he was the first part of the year before he had his setback. I see more confidence,” manager John McLaren said.

“We can’t lose sight that this kid is only 21 years old. He’s a kid. He’s still getting a feeling for pitching. It’s kind of scary thinking about his upside and natural and physical ability. We know he’s going to be something special.”

Coming off a 5-for-5, two-homer night Friday, Beltre helped Seattle make short work of Rich Harden in his return to the Oakland rotation by hitting a three-run homer in the second inning. Harden (1-2) couldn’t make it out of the third, leaving with a 4-0 deficit.

He told manager Bob Geren that he didn’t feel quite right physically and the A’s wanted to wait until today to determine Harden’s status.

“You’re always concerned when somebody is questionable for his next start,” Geren said. “It’s a concern for sure.”

The four early runs were more than enough against the offensively challenged A’s, who are tied with Minnesota and Chicago for the most shutouts in the A.L. with seven. George Sherrill pitched a perfect ninth to finish the two-hitter. But Hernandez was the story of the day.

“If he’s throwing strikes there’s not a whole lot you can do,” Ellis said. “The guy has great stuff. When he’s pounding the strike zone, he’s as good as anybody.”

The Mariners improved to 4-1 in Oakland this year after going winless in nine games here last season on the way to a 2-17 mark in the season series.

“You think about the way we played against these guys last year. We weren’t very good,” Beltre said. “To be able to come back this year and show them we are a better team and we are ready to fight them. So far so good, especially the way we have played in their ballpark.”

Harden, the immensely talented but injury-prone pitcher, had not started a game since April 15. He went on the disabled list the following day with a shoulder injury and was out until June 21. He threw four hitless innings in three relief outings before making his return to the rotation against the Mariners.

Working on a strict pitch limit, Harden ran into control problems in the second inning, throwing nine balls in his first 10 pitches and walking Jose Guillen and Richie Sexson to open the frame.

After throwing a strike to Beltre, Harden threw another that was too good and was hit over the left-field wall. Harden allowed another run in the third on an RBI groundout by Guillen and left with two outs and two runners on. He allowed four runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings, throwing 66 pitches.

“It was not really what I wanted to do,” Harden said. “I was a little off.”

Lenny DiNardo, who had been in the rotation before Harden’s return, pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. DiNardo is competing with Joe Kennedy for the fifth starter’s spot when the A’s return from the All-Star break.

The M’s have three shutouts in eight games against Oakland this season – the two games started by Hernandez and a 2-0 victory by Jarrod Washburn on April 25.