Yet he still stood on the top step of the Seattle Mariners’ dugout in the ninth inning begging for a run to make sure this brilliant effort came in a win.
“Just score one run. One run is all I need,” Hernandez thought as the bottom of the ninth started.
Thanks to John Jaso and Casper Wells, Hernandez got his deserved victory.
Hernandez matched his career high with 13 strikeouts in a brilliant five-hitter and Jaso’s pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth scored Wells to give the Mariners a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.
Hernandez (6-5) tossed his fifth career shutout and was one of the first out of the Mariners dugout after Wells belly-flopped onto home plate with the only run.
“Tonight is as good as I’ve ever seen him,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “Against a lot of veteran hitters, a lot of good hitters, and a 0- 0 ballgame like that, you couldn’t ask for anything more.”
It was the third straight start where Hernandez looked more like the Cy Young winner he was in 2010. It was his 19th career 10-strikeout game and the first time he’s ever struck out at least 10 in consecutive starts. The last Mariners pitcher to accomplish that was Freddy Garcia back in 1999.
His fastball was moving late and his breaking balls had bite. It was the third time in his career Hernandez struck out 13, the most recent coming on May 22, 2011, at San Diego.
“That’s the best we’ve seen. He was unreal. His stuff was moving all over the place,” Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “He kept the ball out of the middle of the plate. He was pretty special tonight.”
The only time Hernandez was tested came in the ninth. It was quite the challenge.
Hernandez struck out Pedroia on a 3-2 pitch to open the ninth inning. David Ortiz responded with a line drive back up the middle on a hanging curveball that sent Hernandez sprawling to avoid the shot. He got ahead of Saltalamacchia 1-2, but missed on the edges and walked him on a 3-2 pitch, allowing a runner to second base for just the third time in the game.
Newly acquired Brent Lillibridge pinch-ran for Ortiz, with Adrian Gonzalez coming to the plate. Hernandez instantly fell behind Gonzalez 3-0, but fought back to 3-2 before Gonzalez fouled off the next four pitches. On the ninth pitch, Gonzalez hit a shot to deep left-center that Michael Saunders chased down just before the wall. Will Middlebrooks
• Who: Boston Red Sox at Seattle
Mariners.
• Where: Safeco Field.
• When: 10:10 p.m. tonight.
• Starting pitchers: Boston (Aaron
Cook 1-1) vs. Seattle (Hector Noesi
2-9).
• TV: NESN.
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