King Felix, Mariners eye rare Texas sweep

(SportsNetwork.com) - Felix Hernandez will try to pitch Seattle to its first sweep in Texas in 13 years on Wednesday night when the Mariners wrap a three- game set with the Rangers.

Despite his subpar career record in this series, Hernandez should give the Mariners a good chance at a victory tonight. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner is coming off his first complete game and shutout since 2012.

Hernandez was near perfect against Minnesota on Friday in a 2-0 win, scattering five hits and striking out nine without issuing a walk. That improved him to 3-0 with a 1.61 earned run average following his second straight victory.

The 29-year-old righty is just 13-21 with a 3.95 ERA in 43 career meetings with the Rangers, but did beat them on April 18 at home. Hernandez held Texas to a run over seven innings while striking out 12.

Hernandez will look to pitch Seattle to its first sweep in Texas since a four- game set from April 12-15, 2002 and will be opposed by Wandy Rodriguez, who makes his second start of the campaign. The veteran lefty was solid in a 3-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

Rodriguez did not factor into the outcome, but yielded only one run on five hits and three walks over five innings. The 36-year-old also struck out five.

Rodriguez has faced Seattle once before and got the win with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven, but that outing also came back in 2007 while with Houston.

Another strong outing by J.A. Happ and Rickie Weeks' solo homer helped the Mariners to a 2-1 victory over the Rangers last night.

Happ struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings in a fourth straight quality start to begin the season, with the veteran lefty holding Texas' sputtering offense to a run on six hits.

He got help from Weeks' fourth-inning blast and a 3-for-4 effort at the plate from Nelson Cruz, who finished a homer shy of the cycle in Seattle's fourth consecutive win over the Rangers this season.

"There's nothing like winning, but the guys are grinding at-bats out," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We're going to break out and they are going to score runs. I think it is right around the corner."

Texas has now lost five of six overall and mustered only a single run in each of their last three defeats, including Monday's 3-1 loss in the series opener.

Ross Detwiler had his best outing of the season for the Rangers, yielding just two runs and fanning five over 5 1/3 innings, but Texas managed only six hits other than Delino DeShields Jr.'s RBI double in the seventh.

"I felt like it was a step in the right direction," Detwiler said. "Definitely not completely there. There are a few pitches I want back obviously, but it was a lot better than the first few (starts)."

The M's took two of three from the Rangers in Seattle a few weeks ago.