"Felix Hernandez is ready for the season - and thinks the Seattle Mariners are close behind him.

"After I pitch last time, I said I needed one good game to be ready," Hernandez said Tuesday. "Today was good. Today was it. I'm ready."

Against the Chicago White Sox, Hernandez pitched five innings, allowed two runs but didn't walk a batter and struck out five - including Adam Dunn on a changeup that had him muttering.

"How the (expletive) am I supposed to hit that (expletive) pitch?" Dunn said, with more puzzlement than anger.

Manager Eric Wedge said it wasn't an easy game, which he liked.

"Felix had to work in the early innings, and he did and got better as he went on," Wedge said. "He had great stuff. He looked good."

A quick scouting report on the 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner?

"The sinker was perfect, the slider much better than last time," Hernandez said. "I had a good changeup. I threw everything for strikes after the second inning.

"I was falling behind hitters in the second, and I was saying, 'C'mon, throw strikes!' I was much better when I stopped thinking after that."

Hernandez didn't get a decision in Seattle's 9-5 victory and has one win in an exhibition season that has seen the Mariners go 13-7-1. The record hardly matters, but he's seen a different Mariners team.

"The team gives a good effort, they score runs," Hernandez said. "We're going to be better this year."

The Mariners piled up runs without home runs, using 11 hits - four of those doubles - to push home nine runs. Chone Figgins and Matt Tuiasosopo each had a pair of RBI, and Milton Bradley picked up his team-leading 10th RBI of the spring."