Hernandez rocked in Mariners loss to Twins

SEATTLE (AP) - Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners had an off game.

Hernandez was rocked for five runs in the third inning and the Mariners couldn't recover against Minnesota rookie Pat Dean, who pitched seven effective innings for his first career victory in a 7-2 victory Friday night.

"That was a clunker," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "We did not play a good ball game. But we got a beat, there is not a whole lot else you can say about that."

Hernandez (4-4), who entered with 147 more career victories than Dean, allowed a season-high six earned runs on eight hits in six innings against a Twins team that won on the road for just the fifth time this season.

Dean (1-1), allowed two runs on four hits, striking out eight and walking none in his second start and fourth appearance since being called up May 11. Ryan Pressley pitched the eighth and Brandon Kintzler finished.

"He threw strikes. The slider got in on some of our righties, so he widened the plate there," Servais said. "Got to give him credit, he pitched a good ball game. Disappointing when you don't really square much up, didn't get much going offensively after the last couple of days, last couple of series we swung the bat pretty well. We struggled after the off days, we got to get over that, but tonight was disappointing, we just didn't play a very good ball game."

In the decisive third, the Twins bunched five hits, including three doubles, to take a 6-1 lead. Danny Santana doubled to open the third, Eduardo Nunez reached on a bunt single and Brian Dozier followed with an RBI double to make it 2-1. Joe Mauer added the fourth consecutive hit with an RBI single and Miguel Sano walked to load the bases.

Robbie Grossman's two-run, ground-rule down the right-field line put the Twins up 5-1. Sano scored on Byung Ho Park's ground out to third.

"It was my fault. I was leaving everything up," Hernandez said. "Curveball, changeup was up. I didn't have any command of my fastball that inning. It was a bad inning for me."

Seattle got a run back in the fourth on a triple by Robinson Cano and broken-bat single by Dae-Ho Lee.

Joe Mauer added a solo homer in the seventh to make it 7-2.

"It was one of those games where we haven't been very good on the road, and you're facing a guy of that caliber," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We were hoping Pat could slow the game down and do what he's been known to do and just throw strikes and put the ball in play. He actually struck out a few people tonight, but it was a good outing for him, obviously got us deep in the game."

Franklin Gutierrez staked the Mariners to a 1-0 lead in the first, driving an 0-1 pitch deep over the wall in right for his third home run.

Sano answered for the Twins in the top of the second with a solo shot to left-center, his ninth homer.

The Twins were playing their first game since pitching coach Neil Allen was suspended following his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving early Thursday.

CANO STAYS HOT: With his triple, Cano now has reached base in 25 consecutive games. During that stretch, he is hitting .343 (36-for-105) with six home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored and 10 doubles.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Grossman headed toward first after an inside pitch in the eighth, but home plate umpire Mark Wegner ruled the pitch did not him. The Twins challenged, but the on-field call was upheld after a review of 1:20. Grossman reached anyway, eventually drawing a walk.

UP NEXT:

Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes (1-7, 5.55 ERA) would rather focus on his career success at Safeco Field, where he is 5-1 with an 0.96 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances.

Mariners: Left-hander Wade Miley (5-2, 4.50 ERA) has been hot , 5-0 with a 3.12 ERA over his last six starts. Will be making his first career start against Minnesota.

TRAINING ROOM:

Twins: Starting 3B Trevor Plouffe left in the fourth inning with what was announced as a mild MCL sprain in his right knee. "Get him an MRI tomorrow and were not going to do anything at this time until we get further information on what his condition is," Molitor said. "I think he could play if he had to, but we've got to make sure what's going on there."

Mariners: OF Leonys Martin was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring, retroactive to Thursday. OF Stefen Romero was recalled from Triple-AAA Tacoma.

SS Ketel Marte, on the 15-day DL with a sprained left thumb, hit off a tee Friday with 20 swings from each side of the plate with no ill effects. Marte said he is scheduled to play three rehab games next week with Triple-A Tacoma.