There’s no soft way to put, or Putz, it. The Mariners bullpen lost the game tonight. Could this be a sign of things to come?

Felix Hernandez (King Felix) pitched very well, going 7 innings and only giving up a lone run while striking out 3.

However, once he exited, the game took a turn for the worst. O’Flaherty came in and promptly gave up two runs over three hits. The M’s stormed back in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead. All is well with closer J.J. Putz coming in right? Wrong.

Putz instantly gave up the lead by surrendering a 2-run jack. M’s lose.

MLB bettors need to be cautious when Hernandez is on the mound in 2008. Tonight the Seattle Mariners were a -1.90 favorite over the Texas Rangers—a big, sad hit if you had the Mariners.

Last year in games where Hernandez started the Mariners were 22-9, which is impressive. Even with high lines, like -1.90, Hernandez still gave baseball bettors good value. However, I feel this year value will be slim to none.

You can bet that Hernandez’s next appearance, which should be at Baltimore, will make the Mariners a favorite as well. Is it time to bet the bounce back? If you’re into history repeating itself, in games that Hernandez started in 2007, the Mariners only lost twice in a row once.