Felix Hernandez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he has been in the “elite” group for a number of years. With that said, it isn’t often that he is embarrassed on the mound, but the Texas Rangers did a number on him on Wednesday afternoon.
Hernandez allowed a staggering 9 runs (8 earned) on 11 hits through just 3 hits, and in the process, saw his ERA balloon from 2.63 to 2.97. Among the damage was a 3-run home run from Leonys Martin in the 1st inning, 3 different RBI singles, and Hernandez was even charged with a run on a 4th-inning, 2-run blast from All-Star Adrian Beltre.
After King Felix exited, things didn’t really improve, as long reliever Brandon Maurer gave up 3 earned runs in 4 innings, and the Rangers absolutely cruised to victory. In fact, Texas starter Martin Perez was solid in going 6 innings while allowing 2 earned runs, but he didn’t need to be anything spectacular given the circumstance.
This is likely a pure aberration, as Hernandez certainly isn’t as bad as he looked on Wednesday. The Texas offense can victimize any pitcher, and they had it going in a major way here. The Rangers climb to a division leading 78-55 with the win, and it looks as if Texas is poised for another deep playoff run.