Felix Hernandez goes by the name "King Felix." If he keeps pitching like he did against the Padres on Saturday night at PETCO Park, he can start calling himself Emperor.
Hernandez struck out 10 Padres in 7 innings in a 5-1 Seattle win. King Felix used his entire arsenal of pitches, from the 2-seam fastball to the 4-seam fastball to the split-finger fastball to the change to the curve to the occasional slider, and he was moving them all around the strike zone.
The only run they scored came in the first inning, when Hernandez balked home Cameron Maybin.
When the 2010 Cy Young winner is dealing like that, you just have to tip your hat and come back tomorrow.
On Sunday, the Padres send Edinson Volquez against Hector Noesi. If statistics mean anything, that one will look more like Friday night's 9-5 game. The two starters have a combined record of 5-15.
