"Got the postgame blog up a little late after wanting to get back to Tacoma at a reasonable hour.

If you missed the game, here's what you need to know: Felix Hernandez is really good. Felix Hernandez was really good on Thursday night against the A's at Safeco Field. Felix Hernandez says he's going to be really good in the future.

"From now on, that's the way I'm going to pitch all my games," he said.

The Mariners wouldn't have a problem with that.

Hernandez turned in a brilliant outing on Thursday at Safeco Field, pitching 72/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out a season-high eight hitters and walking three,

"He was special tonight," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "His stuff was as good as anybody in the game. He really stepped up for us. We took him as far as we could take him."

Indeed, Hernandez threw a season-high 126 pitches. He entered the eighth inning at 106 pitches.

"He's the guy," Wedge said. "A 1-0 game and he's controlling the ball game and his stuff was still good. He earned the right to keep going."

It was very similar to the Felix we saw last season. It was so similar that his teammates scored all of one run - an Adam Kennedy solo homer off Brandon McCarthy, who was equally as good for the A's.

Look, we all know the Mariners struggle to score runs. And Jack Cust, Chone Figgins and Miguel Olivo aren't hitting Ichiro's weight right now. But the lineup was without Justin Smoak and Milton Bradley and that makes a difference."