SHOWING OFF: Russell Martin holds up the ball after tagging out the Mariners’ Josh Bard, who was trying to score from second on Dustin Ackley’s RBI single in the fifth. (Anthony J. Causi)
Felix Hernandez, a 25-year-old righty like his Yankees counterpart yesterday, Phil Hughes, is an undisputed ace, while Hughes is fighting for his spot in the rotation. (Paul J. Bereswill)
The Yankees can’t get The King, Felix Hernandez. Phil Hughes, who was the Yankees Prince of Pitching just a year ago, is now one step away from being out of the rotation.
Hughes threw a little bit better yesterday than he did his last start — but was far from anything special — in a 9-2 loss to the Mariners and King Felix at Yankee Stadium that snapped Seattle’s 17-game losing streak.
Both pitchers are 25 but they are worlds apart.
Hughes, who allowed seven runs on nine hits and couldn’t get out of the fifth against the A’s last Friday, is not close to being the promising youngster that went to the All-Star Game last July. One comment from Hughes said it all after this ugly loss.
“I’m still trying to find myself,” explained Hughes, after surrendering two runs on nine hits over six innings against a team that struck out 18 times on Tuesday night and had not won since July 5.
Since Hughes beat the Mariners, 6-1, on July 9, 2010, to improve to 11-2 with a 3.65 ERA, he has mysteriously lost his way. Since then, Hughes is 8-9 with a 5.89 ERA. This season he is 1-3 with an 8.24 ERA.
Brian Cashman is trying to find help for the starting rotation as the trade deadline nears. There will be no help coming from Seattle. Hernandez will remain with the Mariners.
“I don’t have any intentions to trade Felix; I want to make that perfectly clear,” Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik said. “The reason behind it is pretty simple, he’s a 1-1.”
That means Hernandez is ace of aces. Hernandez went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out five. He is 9-9 with a 3.38 ERA.
“To give away your best asset,” Zduriencik said, “the one thing that the most desirable in the game, that, and a four-hole hitter. Those two things, when you’ve got one, everybody wants that. [Hernandez] wants to be here. He’s made that clear to us. We signed him to a really nice contract. Hey, we’re happy he’s here.
“This guy is pretty special.”
The Yankees have their ace in CC Sabathia. Coming into the season the Yankees were looking at Hughes as a No. 3 starter, maybe even a No. 2. Now Ivan Nova, who will start one game of Saturday’s doubleheader, although Joe Girardi refused to officially announce that, could move into Hughes’ spot in the rotation.
“I think he can be sharper,” Girardi said of Hughes. “I think his command can be better and I think his curveball can even get better and use all of his pitches. It’s been kind of a strange year for him.”
It’s been much more than strange. Hughes went from the Highlight Zone to the Twilight Zone overnight.
Hughes doesn’t look anything like the pitcher the Yankees were counting on to help bridge the rotation with a young arm. His arm has looked old, and Joba Chamberlain is out following Tommy John surgery so the Yankees two most promising young arms of the present have all but disappeared.
Asked if there is competition for Hughes’ spot in the rotation, Girardi said, “There could be. I’m not going to say that there will be. We want our guys to compete all the time. We want guys to throw the ball well and earn their spots every time, but as far as saying there is a competition for Phil Hughes’ next start, I’m not saying that. . . . Let’s see what Nova does.”
Let’s see. As for King Felix’ performance, Girardi said, “He was pretty good again, that’s what we are used to seeing.”
Unfortunately for Hughes, the Yankees are used to seeing these lackluster efforts from the right-hander. “I think there is more in there,” Girardi said.
The Yankees are kidding themselves if they think this rotation will get them where they need to go in October. Girardi said he thinks it can.
“We’ve gotten this far with them,” he said. “I’m not sure what is going to happen in the next (three) days, but these guys have pitched well.”
The King is not coming and the Prince has lost his way.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com