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Hernandez, Mariners go for two straight vs. Rangers

Apr 1, 2008 - 2:21 PM Texas (0-1) at Seattle (1-0) 10:10 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) - A day after watching their new ace dominate the Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners are hoping their old ace can match the performance.

Felix Hernandez will take the mound Tuesday when the Mariners host the Rangers in the second game of the season for both clubs.

Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason, Erik Bedard set the bar high in Seattle's 5-2 victory Monday. The lefthander picked up the win, yielding one run and three hits in five innings while striking out five.

The Mariners rallied for five runs between the sixth and seventh innings Monday, with Jose Lopez chipping in an RBI in each frame and Adrian Beltre plating the go-ahead run in the sixth.

Hernandez, who served as the Opening Day starter for Seattle last season and struck out 12 in eight scoreless frames against Oakland, will slide back into the No. 2 spot in the rotation.

The righthander, who turns 22 on April 8, followed up his Opening Day heroics last season with a shutout in his second start, but suffered through an injury plagued and inconsistent 2007.

Recognized as one of the best young arms in the game, Hernandez finished 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA last season - his second full major league campaign. He is 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rangers.

Texas will counter with righthander Vicente Padilla, who will be trying to bounce back from an atrocious 2007, that saw him post a 6-10 record with a 5.76 ERA.

Padilla has never fared well against the Mariners, owning a 2-7 mark with a 6.26 ERA in nine games - seven starts. Ichiro Suzuki has been a particularly big problem for Padilla, owning a .522 (12-for-23) batting average.