Felix the stopper?

Could this be the beginning of Felix Hernandez’s maturation as the Mariners stopper? The M’s starter lowered his ERA to 3.53 with a forceful six-inning outing against the Boston Red Sox last night, giving up no earned runs and scattering six hits. The win ended a four-game skid.

Hernandez hasn’t given up an earned run in his last two outings. He’s struck out 12, walked three and given up just eight hits in his last 13 innings of work.

However, you don’t have to go back too far to find less impressive numbers. On May 26, against a Boston team that featured David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, Hernandez was touched up for five runs in 7.2 innings of work. He walked five and gave up seven hits.