Athletics 3 - 2 Mariners
Final/10
  for this game

King Felix hopes to add to A's woes

Sep 13, 2014 - 1:41 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Seattle's Felix Hernandez goes after his fifth win of the season against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday when the American League West rivals continue a three-game set at Safeco Field.

Hernandez could be on his way to his second AL Cy Young Award and the way he has pitched against the A's is a big reason why, as he has gone 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts against them.

For his career, Hernandez is 19-7 against Oakland with a 2.58 ERA in 34 starts.

To be fair, Hernandez has pitched well against almost everyone this year, going 14-5 with a 2.12 ERA. He did not get a decision against Houston on Monday, but struck out eight over six scoreless innings in the Mariners' 4-1 win. He also walked four batters.

"My command was not there a little bit," Hernandez said. "I made an adjustment and tried to throw strikes, but my changeup was bouncing too much. Sometimes it's going to be like that. It happens. You're not going to be on every game. But it was good."

Oakland will hand the ball to righty Sonny Gray, who is 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA. Gray did not get a decision on Monday in Chicago, as the White Sox reached him for three runs (2 earned) and four hits in seven innings of his team's 5-4 loss.

"I think it's just I have to get into the flow of the game a little bit better and I think over time that'll come," said Gray.

Gray is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts.

Seattle gained some ground in the American League wild card chase on Friday, as James Paxton piled up eight strikeouts over six innings to help the Mariners move into a tie for the second wild card spot with a 4-2 victory.

Robinson Cano, Kendrys Morales and Logan Morrison hit solo homers for the Mariners, who are tied with Kansas City in the wild card standings. The Athletics are first among wild card teams, but are only a half-game in front of the Royals and Mariners.

Paxton (6-2) gave up four hits and a pair of runs -- one earned -- to bounce back from a road loss to the Rangers on Sunday.

Winners in seven of their last 10 games, the Mariners held on in the ninth when Fernando Rodney notched his 45th save to equal the single-season franchise record set by Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2001.

Meanwhile, Paxton lowered his season ERA to 1.83.

"He's been throwing extremely well. I love his sinker. This kid is not fazed right now. He's proven that," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said.

Jason Hammel (2-6) was charged with four hits and three runs over five innings for the free-falling A's, who have dropped 12 of their last 15 games.

"I think we have been recently, but we didn't here tonight," A's manager Bob Melvin said of his team pressing at the plate. "We just couldn't come up with that one big hit to put us ahead."

The Mariners are 10-7 against the A's this season and have won eight of the last 11 meetings between the AL West foes.






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