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Hernandez, Guillen help Mariners close in on Angels

Aug 25, 2007 - 6:15 AM By Randy Krone PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) - If the Seattle Mariners are to catch the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League West Division race, they will need more of what they saw from Felix Hernandez on Friday night.

Hernandez threw six effective innings and Jose Guillen homered and hit a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh as the Mariners posted a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Raul Ibanez had three hits for the Mariners (73-53), who have won seven of their last eight games and 19 of 26 and trails Anaheim(75-53) by one game.

Hernandez (10-6) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and just one walk. The 21-year-old righthander, who is unbeaten in his last six starts, threw 56-of-84 pitches for strikes and at one point retired 14 straight.

"It was a great game," Hernandez said. "My sliders were working pretty well today and I was trying to mix my pitches up. I didn't want to overthrow the ball because if you do, you can really get tired pitching in this heat."

Guillen opened the scoring in the first inning, when he hit a 2-0 pitch from Kevin Millwood (8-11) into the left field bleachers to put Seattle ahead, 1-0.

"(Millwood) tried to throw me a cutter, but it really didn't end up doing much," Guillen said. "I think it was more of a mistake pitch than anything else."

The Mariners scored again in the second as Kenji Johjima doubled to right-center field and later scored on a line single by Ichiro Suzuki.

However, Hernandez let the lead slip away, allowing a two-run homer by David Murphy in the fifth that tied the game.

"I ran a two-seamer down and away, but he got it and the ball just carried to right field," Hernandez said. "When it left the bat, I really thought it might just be a double."

Once again, though, Guillen came through. Suzuki reached on an infield single with one out in the seventh and, after a groundout, Guillen singled to right to plate the All-Star and give Seattle a 3-2 edge.

Rookie Brandon Morrow worked 1 1/3 innings and J.J. Putz recorded his AL-leading 37th save in 39 chances.

Suzuki, who had three hits and an RBI, is hitting .517 (15-for-29) over his last six games.

"Everybody has a job to do in the lineup," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "I try to do what I can to just do my job, but as we go down the stretch, we need to focus on our defense and our pitching. In tight situations, it's those two facets that can bring a team through."

Jose Vidro provided an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth off Millwood, who was trying for his first complete game of the season.

Millwood allowed three runs and a season-high 13 hits in 8 1/3 innings.

"I was able to basically hold them down and give us a chance tonight," he said. "All in all, it felt good."