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Hoping to avoid eighth straight loss, M's turn to Felix vs. Jays

Apr 11, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - Seattle needs Felix Hernandez to be their stopper this evening, as the Mariners try to put the brakes on a seven-game losing streak in the opener of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Safeco Field.

After going the distance to beat the Oakland Athletics on Opening Day, Hernandez absorbed the loss his last time out to Texas, which reached him for four runs (two earned) and six hits in seven innings. He also struck out seven and saw his earned run average jump to 2.25.

"Their offense is unbelievable," said the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

Hernandez has faced the Blue Jays seven times and is 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA against them.

Seattle could certainly use a big outing from its ace this evening following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Indians over the weekend that ended with a 6-4 loss on Sunday. The Mariners, who opened the year with back- to-back wins over Oakland, last lost eight games in a row from April 30-May 8.

"Every team goes through stretches. Obviously it's magnified early. We're going through a tough stretch now," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "Hopefully, you find out a lot about yourself when you do go through these stretches."

Ryan Langerhans and Michael Saunders both homered in the seventh inning for Seattle, while Erik Bedard (0-2) surrendered six runs and 10 hits over four innings.

"It's been a year and a half since I've thrown, so it might take a little while, but I'm working hard and trying to get back as good as I can," Bedard said.

Saunders has driven in a run in each of the five games he has appeared in this year, tying him for the longest streak in club history to start a season with John Olerud (2001).

Toronto, meanwhile, opened its 10-game road trip by losing two of three to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, capping that series with a 3-1 loss on Sunday at Angel Stadium.

Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1) went seven solid innings for Toronto, allowing three runs -- one earned -- on six hits and struck out six. Yunel Escobar knocked in the Jays' only run with a single in the sixth, but Toronto batters struck out 15 times off of Angels starter Jered Weaver.

"Weaver had command down and away in the zone," Toronto manager John Farrell said. "(Reyes) got us deep in the game and got better as it went on. We had opportunities in which we would like to have had a hit in every spot but in this series it didn't work that way."

Heading to the hill for the Jays tonight will be right-hander Jesse Litsch, which beat the A's his first time out. Litsch gave up three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings of that one. He also fanned seven and walked a pair.

Litsch has faced the Mariners three times and is 0-1 with a 3.94 ERA in those outings.

Toronto took three of five from the Mariners last season and has won six of the last eight matchups in the series.