Fuming Felix steamrolls Royals, Meche

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – That wasn’t a pained look on Felix Hernandez’s face. It was anger.

Manager Mike Hargrove lifted Hernandez against his will in the sixth inning Friday night, opting not to take a chance on hurting his prize right-hander who was making only his third start since returning from the disabled list.

Three Mariners relievers then made a big lead hold up and Seattle beat Kansas City and Gil Meche 10-2, clubbing 18 hits for the second night in a row.

“You saw the game. You saw my emotion,” said Hernandez, now 3-2. “My back felt a little bit tired. I said, ‘I feel a little bit tired but I can pitch.’ He said, ‘No, come on, let’s go.’ I said I can pitch. He said let’s go.

“I don’t like to be out of the game.”

Hernandez was on the DL earlier this year with a right elbow strain.

“When he motioned me out there, my heart stopped there along with everyone else’s,” Hargrove said. “To be safe rather than sorry we took him out. He wasn’t real happy about that. It started out in Spanish and I ended it in English. So it was OK.”

Ichiro Suzuki and Jose Vidro each homered and Seattle hit seven doubles while Meche (3-3) had his worst outing of the year, giving up 11 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Royals announced during the game that Meche had had stiffness in the lower back. But Meche said he would be fine.

“I tried to stretch it out in the second inning. I tried to get into a groove and loosen up,” he said. “I just couldn’t push.”

His ERA climbed from 2.44, No. 3 in the league, to 3.18.

Ichiro extended his hitting streak to 18 games by homering on Meche’s second pitch. He and Vidro also had RBI singles in the 18-hit attack. The seven doubles were one short of the team record.

“Seattle put lefty Horacio Ramirez on the 15-day DL with left shoulder tendinitis and recalled lefty Jon Huber from Triple-A Tacoma.