Felix named Mariners Opening Day starter

When right-hander Felix Hernandez walked off the mound on Friday afternoon, he became the answer to a future Mariners trivia question. On April 2 at Safeco Field, the 20-year-old star in the making will become the youngest Opening Day starting pitcher in franchise history -- five years younger than Mike Moore was in 1985, when he made the first of his three Opening Day starts. Manager Mike Hargrove made it official halfway through the sixth inning on Friday when he told Hernandez that he would be the Mariners' Opening Day starter against the Athletics. "He told me, 'Good outing,' and I said, 'Thank you,'" Hernandez said. "Then he told me, 'Do that on Opening Day.'" Hernandez, who posted a 12-14 record and 4.52 ERA a year ago in his first big-league season, shed more than 20 pounds during the offseason and reported to camp in terrific shape. He has been dominant at times -- like the first two innings he pitched on Friday, when none of the first six batters got the ball out of the infield.
Source: MLB.com

Felix Has Solid Outing

Coming off a solid outing Wednesday against the Giants, in which he allowed one earned run, struck out two and walked none in three innings, Felix Hernandez declared himself "75 percent" ready for the regular season. Of particular concern to Hernandez was the location of his curveball, which Randy Winn sent sailing for a solo home run. "I need to work on my curveball," the 20-year-old right-hander said. "That's my second-best pitch. Overall, I got the ball down better today than [his last start], but left one up and it was a homer." It's never a bad sign when one of the game's most talented young starters is unsatisfied with his performance.
Source: MLB.com