SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez recorded his 10th career shutout Friday in a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the series opener, which moved him into sole possession of second place on the Seattle Mariners’ all-time list.
Randy Johnson had 19 shutouts from 1989-98. Hernandez moved past Mark Langston (1984-89) and Mike Moore (1982-88), who each had nine shutouts.
Minor details
Hi-A Bakersfield right-hander Edwin Diaz returned to form Friday in his rematch against San Jose (Giants) by pitching 51/3 innings in a 5-0 victory at Bakersfield.
Diaz, 21, had allowed four runs in 22/3 innings against San Jose in his previous start, a no-decision, after opening the season with 11 scoreless innings over two starts.
Friday’s outing lowered Diaz’s ERA to 1.89 (four earned runs in 19 innings). He has also allowed just eight hits while striking out 20 and walking seven.
The Mariners selected Diaz, a Puerto Rican native, in the third round of the 2012 draft.
Looking back
It was 25 years ago Sunday — April 26, 1990 — that Ken Griffey Jr. made what might be his most memorable catch when he robbed Jesse Barfield of a home run with an over-the-fence catch at Yankee Stadium.
Griffey’s catch came in the fourth inning and helped the Mariners to a 6-2 victory behind Randy Johnson. It also prevented Barfield from a three-homer game.
Short hops
There had been no complete games by starting pitchers in the American League until Friday’s game at Safeco Field produced two in the Mariners’s 2-0 victory over the Twins. Felix Hernandez got the victory by pitching a five-hitter over all nine innings, while Twins starter Phil Hughes recorded an eight-inning complete game in a loss. … Nelson Cruz, entering Saturday, had 18 RBI. That’s the most by a Mariner since Raul Ibanez had 19 in 2008. The club record is 30 by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997.
On tap
The Mariners and Twins conclude their three-game series at 1:10 p.m. Sunday at Safeco Field. It also completes the Mariners’ nine-game homestand.
Lefty Roenis Elias will be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to replace injured Hisashi Iwakuma in the rotation and pitch against Minnesota right-hander Kyle Gibson (1-2 and 5.87).
Elias is 2-0 at Tacoma despite an 8.04 ERA. He was 10-12 with a 3.85 ERA last season in 29 big-league starts.
The game can be seen on Root Sports and heard on 710 ESPN and KIRO 97.3 FM.
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