Felix Hernandez and Adrian Beltre are easily on the list of most fun baseball players, and given their lengthy shared history (five years as teammates in Seattle, and now eight years of competing against each other in the AL West) it’s not surprising that they interact more than most players on opposing teams generally do.
Tonight that gave us this wonderful highlight featuring King Felix throwing an 0-2 breaking ball that could not have fooled Beltre more had the ball been explaining the Monty Hall problem as it spun towards the plate:
It wasn’t really the whiff that got Felix to break harder than Jimmy Fallon after a few Shirley Temples so much as it was the expression on Beltre’s face. Felix following it up with the theatrical dugout point also sold it. Both of these guys are awesome, and baseball is better for having them.
Beltre and the Rangers got their revenge though, as Texas won 11-4, doing most of the damage off of Felix, including this bomb from Beltre after things had already been decided:
The 11 runs Hernandez allowed were the most he’s ever allowed in a game, and considering the Mariners are in a tight race for an AL Wild Card spot, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Seattle. Still, it really was a funny swing.
