Felix Hernandez named AL Player of Week | Mariners Notebook

Felix Hernandez keeps piling up accolades as a result of his perfect game and on Monday received his first American League Player of the Week Award.

It was the second time this season a Mariners player has won. First baseman Justin Smoak received the award in early June. The last Mariners pitcher to receive the award was Joel Pineiro in May 2006.

Hernandez has also had a coin made by The Highland Mint — the company that for 20 years has produced coins used in pregame Super Bowl flips — to commemorate the perfect game. The company has produced an MLB-licensed photo frame with a large photo of Hernandez, two smaller ones, a photo of the scoreboard postgame plus two silver-plated medallions.

One medallion commemorates the perfect game, while the other is a Mariners team medallion. They can be ordered at www.SBFlip.com.

The Mariners are also gearing for Tuesday night's "Supreme Court" promotion. The first 34,000 fans will receive a "King of Perfection" T-shirt honoring Hernandez's perfect game as well as a "K" card to wave whenever he attempts to notch a strikeout. Team officials said 25,000 tickets had been sold as of Monday afternoon.

Unlike regular "King's Court" events when Hernandez pitches — in which the soccer-style, festive crowds are allowed to stand during pitches and cheer without restriction in specific left field sections of Safeco Field — Mariners officials are making the Supreme Court promotion open to all parts of the ballpark.

Hernandez is scheduled to take on Indians right-hander Roberto Hernandez.

Notes

• Outfielder Michael Saunders homered twice Monday night — his second and third home runs in two days. He went 3 for 4 and has seven hits in the last four games. He had previously been in an 0-for-17 slump.

• The Mariners entered Monday having scored two fewer runs than they've allowed this season. But they had also posted a run differential of plus-25 since the All-Star break, outscoring opponents 141-116. Seattle had a 22-13 record over that stretch.

By Geoff Baker Seattle Times staff reporter

By Geoff Baker
Seattle Times staff reporter