Mariners’ future outshines past vs. Orioles
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BALTIMORE -- As the window closes on Félix Hernández's outstanding 15-year run with the Mariners, Kyle Lewis seems intent on kicking open the door on his own career with Seattle.
Making what figures to be his second-to-last start of the season -- and almost certainly his time with the Mariners -- Hernández gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings in a 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.
After throwing seven innings of one-run ball in his previous start against the White Sox, Hernández wasn’t nearly as sharp this time out, as he surrendered a pair of homers and fell to 1-7 with a 6.51 ERA in 14 starts in his injury-plagued 2019. He’ll make one final start Thursday against the A’s in Seattle before his seven-year, $175 million contract expires at season’s end.
On the flip side, the 24-year-old Lewis continued his dynamic entrance to the Majors, going 2-for-4 with a homer, a double and two RBIs. The rookie right fielder became just the fourth player in MLB history with six homers in his first 10 career games, and he's batting .325 with 12 RBIs since being called up from Double-A Arkansas on Sept. 10.
Hernández insisted that he’s not dwelling on these being the final days of his time with the Mariners.
“I know it’s going to hit me at some point, but I’m not thinking about any of that yet,” he said. “It probably will hit me my last game in Seattle. Or maybe on [the final] Sunday. Who knows?”
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Nor does the 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner have a sense yet of what feelings will wash over him when he takes the mound one last time with the King’s Court behind him at T-Mobile Park next week.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to be emotional. I don’t know if I’m going to be quiet. I don’t know if I’ll be happy. I don’t know. I don’t want to retire yet. I can go out there and compete with anybody. It was a tough year with my shoulder, but I think if I’m healthy, I can compete.”
Hernández got bit by a rough first inning against the Orioles, giving up a three-run homer to Anthony Santander before he recorded an out, the blast coming on a fly ball that kept carrying and just cleared the fence in center.
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After that, he settled in and got through five frames, but the Mariners totaled just four hits and never overcame the early deficit.
“They were on him in the first inning,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I give him credit. He hung in there and got through five, which after the first three hitters, I didn’t know if that would be the case or not. But he righted the ship.”
Against the backdrop of Hernández's impending departure, Lewis continued making the most impressive of first impressions.
The club’s No. 10 prospect jumped on a 1-0 cutter from opener Richard Bleier and drove it 399 feet to left for a two-run shot in the first, then he pushed a double down the right-field line when leading off the fourth.
Nine of Lewis’ first 13 hits have been for extra bases and his six homers in his first 10 career games puts him in rare company. Reds rookie Aristides Aquino ripped seven home runs in his first 10 games just last month and Trevor Story did the same for the Rockies in 2016, while Dino Restelli hit six in his first 10 games with the Pirates in 1949.
“Kyle had a good night again,” Servais said. “He was right on Bleier. That was a good matchup for Kyle. He likes the low ball and that’s what Bleier does. He’s got a good sinker. He had the big home run and double. He was the guy who was on it all night. The other guys, not so much.”
Lewis modeled his game after longtime Orioles standout Adam Jones growing up and he relished the chance to play at Camden Yards for the first time as he makes his first Major League road trip.
“I was thinking about that in BP,” Lewis said. “It was a cool moment to think about. Kind of weird to be playing on that field. Coming up through high school, this is a field I only saw on videos. So it’s really cool.”
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Mariners, who are 65-89 with eight games to go. The Orioles are 50-104 as they ended a four-game skid.