Hernandez comes out firing

PEORIA, Ariz. – Just two innings into a new spring training, Felix Hernandez already has discovered the difference from his underachieving 2006: twenty pounds.

“Last year, I was FAT!” the young, laughing Mariners ace said on Friday, after he allowed one run in two uneven innings of San Diego’s 3-2 win over Seattle.

Manager Mike Hargrove has all but announced Hernandez will start opening day – he is only waiting on his 20-year-old to prove he is a changed, rededicated pitcher. Hernandez, down to 226 pounds, allowed a solo home run by Paul McAnulty, an infield single and a walk. Most of his 30 pitches were high, which Hargrove said was because of “overthrowing.”

“He’s young and exuberant,” Hargrove said.

Hernandez did not immediately follow Hargrove’s mandate to get first-pitch strikes in 2007. He threw ball one on six of the 10 Padres he faced, many of them hard, neck-high fastballs.

But all Hernandez cares about is how he feels. The first teenager to strikeout 10 in a game since Dwight Gooden in 1984, Hernandez said he’s in the best shape of his life. He spent his winter sprinting, lifting weights and eating better back.

Last year, he reported to camp at 246 – and developed shin splints that sidelined him for weeks and kept him out of sorts until July, according to Hargrove. Hernandez finished last season 12-14. His ERA jumped from 2.67 to 4.52.

“This year, I’ve changed,” he said. “The ball is jumping out of my hand.”

After Hernandez struck out Khalil Greene on a changeup in the second, McAnulty hit a 1-0 fastball onto a grass hill beyond right field for a home run. Jack Cust flew out to warning track in left field and Hernandez walked Adam Shabala. His day ended when Marcus Giles lined a pitch off Hernandez’s glove and the pitcher threw him out.

Chris Young, who will be San Diego’s No. 2 starter this season, allowed two runs on three hits and 24 pitches in the first inning. Raul Ibanez hit a 3-2 fastball far over the right-field bullpen for a home run. Bryan LaHair then doubled sharply before Ben Broussard ended the inning with a fly out to the wall in center.

Young, who was 11-5 in his San Diego debut last season, showed better command in his second and final inning. He snapped a sharp curveball while allowing a single by Rene Rivera but nothing else.

Ichiro Suzuki started after sitting out Thursday’s charity exhibition against San Diego and went 0 for 2. The speedy, six-time All-Star, starting the final year of his contract, looked safe on an infield chopper to shortstop in the third inning.

“It was close, but I was out,” Ichiro said in English. “But I don’t care now.”

Is that because it was March 2?

“Yes,” Ichiro said, laughing.

Notes

The Mariners renewed Hernandez’s contract. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. … Catcher Justin Hatcher scored the go-ahead run when Luis Cruz’s pop fly landed between center fielder Adam Jones and shortstop Gookie Dawkins for an RBI double in the eighth. Jones, who was a shortstop until 2005 and was one of 13 Mariners to make his major league debut last season, stopped charging a few seconds before the ball landed. “Obviously, with the young kids, we’ve got to work on popup drills some more,” Hargrove said.