Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez earned the 146th win of his career on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, passing Jamie Moyer to take sole possession of first place on the all-time franchise wins list, per Sportsnet Stats.
Now in his 12th MLB season, the 30-year-old righty had an ordinary game by his own lofty standards, limiting the struggling Tampa Bay lineup to two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings but with only four strikeouts.
Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte provided most of his team’s offense, recording four hits—including two doubles and a homer—in five at-bats, accounting for three runs and three RBI in the process.
Marte also provided the game’s pivotal moment when he broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with his three-run homer off Rays reliever Steven Geltz, who had inherited both runners from fellow reliever Dana Eveland, the losing pitcher in the contest.
Hernandez now owns a 3-2 record, 2.27 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but he surprisingly has just 33 strikeouts (and 20 walks) over 43.2 innings through seven starts.
Although the numbers alone wouldn’t normally be cause for concern this early in the season, Hernandez’s declining velocity (per FanGraphs) suggests age and accumulated innings may be taking a toll.
Granted, it’s still early, and he’s certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.
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