SEATTLE_He knows he's close. You can see it when he unleashes a sinking changeup where the bottom falls out just as the hitter thinks he's made contact. It's noticeable when he snaps off a biting curveball that buckles the knee of a hitter.
Felix Hernandez is starting to find the version of himself that has been largely absent since his return from the disabled list and wasn't readily apparent even in some of his early starts before the late-May calf injury shelved him for a month.
And the Seattle Mariners? Well, they now have won eight consecutive home games with an 8-2 drubbing of the Brewers on a warm Saturday evening at Safeco Field. Seattle improved to 66-56 and has won 12 of its past 15 games. It's the first time the team has been 10 games over .500 since May 25 (28-18).
And remember that five-game home losing streak to start the season, and the cries of not being able to play well at Safeco? Well, over their past 36 home games, the Mariners are 25-11.
For the first seven innings Saturday, Hernandez held the Brewers scoreless, allowing just four hits and striking out six batters.
If not for a circuitous route to a double over his head by Shawn O'Malley in right field, the numbers might have been even better and Hernandez might have tried for the complete game.
Up 4-0 in the eighth, Hernandez gave up a leadoff single to Martin Maldonado, who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hernandez retired the next two batters and looked like he might escape with the shutout intact. Ryan Braun, however, jumped on a first-pitch changeup and laced it into the right-center gap.
O'Malley, who had replaced Seth Smith to start the inning, retreated, hesitated and then tried to jump for it, but he had no luck. Hernandez allowed another run on a run-scoring single to Hernan Perez to make it 4-2, but he came back to strike out Chris Carter to end the inning and his evening.
The eight innings tied a season-high. He struck out eight batters and walked just one to improve to 8-4 on the season.
This time there was no late-inning drama with closer Edwin Diaz unavailable. The Mariners made it a non-save situation for the bullpen, answering with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Adam Lind had a run-scoring double and Mike Zunino drove in two runs with a double to highlight the inning.
The rejuvenated bat of Norichika Aoki provided the Mariners' early offense. Aoki went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI.
In the third inning, a now fully healthy Leonys Martin drew a leadoff walk off Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta. He then stole second base, advanced to third on Ketel Marte's ground ball and jogged home on Aoki's single through the right side to make it 1-0.
Aoki added to the lead in the fifth inning, aided by the speed of Marte and the aggressive nature of third base coach Manny Acta.
With Marte on first base, Aoki sliced a line drive just inside the left-field foul line. It was a sure double. With Braun, the left fielder, slow to the ball in the corner, Acta didn't hesitate, sending Marte home. The throw was well late and Marte slid in easily to make it 2-0.
In the seventh, the Mariners took advantage of the warm August temperatures and hit back-to-back solo homers off Peralta.
Zunino crushed a 1-1 fastball deep into the unsuspecting and largely un-watching fans filling "The 'Pen" for a homer to start the seventh. It was Zunino's eighth homer of the season. Martin followed with his 14th homer, hitting a laser over the wall in center to make it 4-0.
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