Listen: What has been behind Félix’s improvement for the Mariners?
Apr 30, 2019, 2:05 PM | Updated: 2:05 pm
Mariners RHP Félix Hernández has a 3.91 ERA entering his start Tuesday night. (AP)
(AP)
After a welcome day off that followed a pair of lopsided losses to the Texas Rangers over the weekend, the Seattle Mariners get back on the field Tuesday night against the Cubs. The Mariners will be turning to a pitcher who has played the role of stopper many times in his career for Seattle, too: Félix Hernández.
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While it’s been a few years since Félix has been at his best, the 33-year-old right-hander has looked a lot better on the mound through his first five starts of the 2019 season than he did last season. He has a pair of quality starts, including going seven innings of one-run, three-hit ball with eight strikeouts last week in San Diego, and his ERA is down to 3.91.
“You hope that he sticks with what he was doing in San Diego, and it’s something that’s slowly been building,” said Mariners insider Shannon Drayer, who pointed out that Félix’s ERA would in the low 3’s if not for a one-inning outing in Kansas City on a day he sick.
In an interview Tuesday with 710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton, Drayer spoke about how and why Félix is now using one of his pitches more in lieu of the change-up he has been known for throughout his career.
Drayer covered several Mariners topics in the segment, including:
• The poor defense thus far;
• Daniel Vogelbach’s development in the major leagues;
• The personalities that are making a difference behind the scenes.
You can listen to the full interview in the player embedded in this post or download a podcast version at this link.
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