Scoring change gives Mariners’ Hernandez shot at AL ERA crown

Published 9:58 pm Saturday, September 27, 2014

SEATTLE — A scoring change announced Saturday by Major League Baseball provides Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez with a renewed opportunity to win the American League ERA crown.

The change stripped four earned runs away from Hernandez’s line in last Tuesday’s 10-2 loss at Toronto. The net effect was to lower his ERA from 2.34 to 2.18 heading into Sunday’s start against the Angels.

Chicago lefty Chris Sale, who isn’t scheduled to pitch again, is the AL’s current ERA leader at 2.17.

The scoring change, which resulted from an appeal filed by the Mariners, concerned a play in the Blue Jays’ seven-run fifth inning when Hernandez fumbled and dropped an attempted sacrifice bunt by Josh Thole.

Toronto scorer Herb Morell scored the play as a single. The Blue Jays went on to score seven runs in the inning — all earned and charged to Hernandez.

While Hernandez said, “that’s a play I should make,” he did not request an appeal, according to a club official.

Manager Lloyd McClendon said: “It was an error. It’s a play you should make. It was the right call to make, and it was a pretty simple call when you think about it.”

Hernandez previously won the AL ERA title in 2010 with a 2.27 mark.

The ruling also boosts Hernandez’s case to win the Cy Young Award for the second time in his career. He loomed as a clear favorite before getting hammered for eight runs in 42/3 innings in that loss to Toronto.

Hernandez will enter Sunday’s game at 14-6 in 33 starts with 241 strikeouts in 2302/3 innings. He also leads the American League with 0.936 WHIP (walks and hits to innings pitched).

Hernandez’s two likeliest competitors are Sale and Cleveland right-hander Cory Kluber, who is 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA after pitching eight shutout innings Friday in a 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay.

Kluber has 269 strikeouts in 2352/3 innings and a 1.095 WHIP.

Sale finished at 12-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 26 starts after missing five weeks early in the season because of an elbow injury. He has 208 strikeouts in 174 innings and a 0.966 WHIP.

The Cy Young Award is determined through a vote by a panel consisting of two members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America from each chapter in the AL’s 15 cities.

Ballots must be returned prior to the start of postseason play.