SEATTLE (AP) Felix Hernandez tied Jamie Moyer for the most wins in Seattle Mariners history, accomplishing it with just one hit of support in a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Seth Smith provided the lone run – and the only hit for the Mariners – leading off the sixth inning with a home run to right off Royals starterKris Medlen (1-2). It was the 100th of his career.
Hernandez (2-2), in his 11th season with the Mariners, matched Moyer with 145 victories. He did it in his 339th game, all starts. Moyer had appeared in 324 games for Seattle from 1996 to 2006.
Hernandez worked 7 2-3 innings, allowing five hits, walking three and striking out four. He threw a season-high 118 pitches.
It was the Mariners’ fourth franchise victory – out of 21 opportunities – when held to one hit.
“I know Jamie pretty well,” Hernandez said. “For me, it’s an honor to be with him.”
Hernandez moved himself among the best first-month pitchers ever. Dating to 1913 when ERA became an official stat in both leagues, Hernandez has the third-best April ERA (minimum 200 innings pitched) at 2.41. He trails only Bob Feller (2.04) and Walter Johnson (2.21).
On April 23, Hernandez broke Randy Johnson’s club record for strikeouts. He has 2,170.
“He’s been the face of the franchise here for a long time. It’s nice watching him,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We got about as much as you can get out a one hit.”
Steve Cishek worked the ninth inning to pick up his sixth save in as many opportunities, although it took a dazzling catch by center fielder Leonys Martin to close out the victory.
Eric Hosmer had opened the ninth with a single and eventually stole second. Cishek struck out Kendrys Morales andAlex Gordon before Salvador Perez launched a blast to center.
“We were actually playing semi-shallow there. Didn’t want a little dinker to hurt you,” Servais said. “He smoked that ball. Luckily, we’re at home and there’s a lot of room out there.”
Martin said, “after a few steps, I saw the ball and put my head down. I knew it was going to be a long run but I had a chance to make that play.”
“It (wall) hit my face and my chest, but made the play,” he said. “Doesn’t matter.”
Martin fell down after his hard collision with the wall but held on. His teammates rushed over to help him up and celebrate.
Royals manager Ned Yost said “the center fielder made a terrific play” but he was upset that a ground ball down the third-base line earlier in Perez’s at-bat was not ruled a fair ball. That would have tied the game.
“It’s really hard to see from our angle, but you go back and you look at the replay and the ball probably was fair,” he said. “It looks like it went over the bag.”
Royals starter Kris Medlen struggled early, walking his first two batters before working out of the jam with three straight outs. He then walked two more in the second, also without damage.
“I’m sitting there watching Felix and I don’t throw anything like him,” Medlen said. “He’s having some success, he’s staying close. So I made an adjustment just by watching him in the game and I went out there in the third inning and from there I just felt smoother and more confident.”
He had retired the previous 10 batters before Smith hit an 0-1 changeup just over the wall and right fielder Jarrod Dyson‘s outstretched glove.
“I knew it had a chance,” Smith said. “I hit it really high with some backspin. At that point, I knew it was going to be really close.”
The Royals have lost four straight. It was the fourth time the Royals have lost a game while giving up just one hit.
STREAKING HOZ
Hosmer extended his hitting streak to a career-high 18 games with a second-inning swinging-bunt single just to he left of the mound. He is hitting .366 during the streak. It extended his career-high reaching base to 30 straight games, dating to Sept. 27.
DEVIL IN THE STATS
Servais said in his opinion not only is batting average an overrated statistic “it can be the devil.” He said the more important numbers deal with on-base percentage and run production. Robinson Cano is his example, hitting just .236 but leading the AL in home runs (8) and RBI (24).
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: LHP Charlie Furbush (biceps tendinitis), who began the season the DL, is on a regular throwing routine and could be ready for a rehab assignment. RHP Joaquin Benoit (shoulder inflammation) has been on the DL for four days and has not yet begun throwing. That likely will happen this weekend.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (2-0, 2.35) hopes to extend his rash of success since being recalled from Triple-A on July 22, 2015. He is 11-1 with a 3.03 ERA (112 strikeouts in 110 innings) in 18 starts since then. Against Seattle, he is 0-2 in four career starts.
Mariners: LHP Wade Miley (1-2, 7.04) won his first game as a Mariner on Sunday against the Angels, going 7 1-3 innings, allowing six hits and four runs in a 9-4 decision. He is 3-1, 3.96 in five career starts against the Royals.
Other AL finals from Friday, April 29, 2016 were:
INTERLEAGUE:
Philadelphia 4, Cleveland 3 (11)
AL:
Baltimore 6, Chicago 3
Boston 4, New York 2
Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 1
Texas 4, Los Angeles 2
Detroit 9, Minnesota 2
Oakland 7, Houston 4
