SEATTLE — It is a theme that has become all too familiar for Seattle Mariners fans in Felix Hernandez’s dazzling career.
Once again the Mariners were unable to muster any offense for their venerable 30-year-old ace as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim completed a three-game sweep with a 3-0 victory on Sunday before 40,852 fans at a roof-covered Safeco Field.
Angels southpaw Hector Santiago (3-2) out-pitched Hernandez by working eight shutout innings for his first win since the Angels’ 4-2 victory against Seattle in Anaheim on April 23.
“Santiago was very good,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He kept us off-balance and he can do that to you. Felix matched him. He gave up a few more hits, but Felix had very good stuff today. He threw the ball very well. We were right there. It was a tight game. We didn’t get much going offensively, but you have to give Hector Santiago a lot of credit. He threw the ball very well today.”
Santiago held the Mariners without a hit until the sixth inning. While he didn’t match Hernandez’s nine strikeouts, he was every bit as effective for the Angels (16-21), whose three straight wins at Safeco Field snapped a six-game losing skid.
The Mariners (21-16) lost their first series since going 1-5 on the opening homestand and were swept for the second time this season.
The lack of run support that has dogged Hernandez throughout his career spoiled an impressive outing in which he scattered seven hits while displaying good command of all his pitches.
“It was the best game I had thrown the whole year, and it’s good to continue doing that,” Hernandez said.
Pitching into the eighth while facing a 1-0 deficit, Hernandez issued a one-out walk to Kole Calhoun and allowed a single to Mike Trout, prompting Servais to go to the bullpen.
Reliever Nick Vincent induced a groundout from Albert Pujols for the second out of the inning. But Daniel Nava, a switch-hitter batting from the left side against the righty Vincent, slapped a 2-2 offering past third baseman Kyle Seager for a single driving in Calhoun and Trout to extend the lead to 3-0.
“A couple feet the other way it’s right to Seager,” Mariners catcher Chris Iannetta said. “(Nava) put it in the right spot. He took a defensive swing and it was a good piece of hitting.”
Calhoun had given the Angels a 1-0 lead with single through the hole at short that enabled Johnny Giavotella to scamper home in the fifth. Giavotella’s double to lead off the inning was one of the few times Hernandez found himself in trouble. Hernandez nearly worked out of the jam by fanning Gregorio Petit and Yunel Escobar before Calhoun’s base hit.
“I got everything today,” said Hernandez, who at one point recorded eight consecutive outs via strikeout. “I had a good fastball, good command. Good changeup, I was throwing a lot of strikes.”
Mariners center fielder Shawn O’Malley broke up Santiago’s no-hit bid with a bunt single leading off the bottom of the sixth. It went for naught as O’Malley was forced out at second on Nori Aoki’s ground ball. Aoki was retired when he was picked off first base and Ketel Marte flied out to conclude what began as perhaps Seattle’s most promising inning.
Iannetta’s two-out seventh-inning single to left field was Seattle’s only other hit.
“Obviously I played with (Santiago) and I know what he’s capable of, and he did a really good job,” said Iannetta, a former Angel. “He mixed up pitches. He was throwing really hard today. I think the last few starts he was 88 to 91 (miles per hour) and I think today he was 91 to 95. Tip your cap. He did a good job.”
Iannetta was the Mariners’ final base-runner as Joe Smith worked a perfect ninth for the save.
“When things are going well it’s fun to ride the wave,” Servais said. “But it’s a long season and you’re going to have bumps in the road. I thought the Angels came in here and played us very well. We were right in every game. We just didn’t get it done.”
The Mariners are off today before beginning a six-game road trip Tuesday in Baltimore.
Follow Herald Writer Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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