NEW YORK - For once, Felix Hernandez got all the support he needed for a big win.
The Seattle ace earned the AL Cy Young Award on Thursday despite a modest 13-12 record. His major league-leading 2.27 ERA and superior stats put him far ahead of Tampa Bay's David Price and the Yankees' CC Sabathia and their impressive win-loss numbers.
Victimized by the Mariners' poor hitting all season, Hernandez found ample backing with the voters in this pitchers' duel. They clearly recognized how little the last-place Mariners helped him - in 10 starts, they were either shut out or held to one run.
"This confirms the Cy Young is an award not only for the pitcher with the most wins, but the most dominant," a teary-eyed Hernandez said while celebrating with relatives at the family home in Valencia, Venezuela.
King Felix got 21 of the 28 first-place votes and 167 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The 24-year-old right-hander led the league in innings (249 2/3), was second in strikeouts (232) and held AL opponents to the lowest batting average (.212).
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Price, who went 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA, was second with four first-place votes and 111 points. Sabathia, who was 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA, drew the other three first-place votes and finished third at 102.
"I feel like they got it right," Price said. "Felix, I thought he deserved it, even though he didn't have a lot of wins. You can't really control all that. You can't control the offense, and the hitters and stuff like that."
"The numbers he put up - those were pretty ridiculous numbers outside of the won-loss column," he said. "I feel as if Felix was on a different team - if he was on the Yankees or something like that - he's going to win quite a few ballgames."
D-backs trade for 1B
ORLANDO, Fla. - The New York Yankees have traded first baseman Juan Miranda to Arizona for right-hander Scott Allen.
The 19-year-old Allen was 4-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 16 starts this year at Class A South Bend with 79 strikeouts and 22 walks in 79 innings.
Miranda, now 27, was signed in December 2006 to a $2.07 million, four-year contract after playing in Cuba. He never was able to stick with the big league club, hitting .219 this year with three homers and 10 RBIs in 64 at-bats.
Inside pitch
• Commissioner Bud Selig's plan to expand baseball's playoffs to 10 teams seemed inevitable after little to no opposition emerged during meetings this week with owners and general managers. The extra round of playoffs is not likely to start until 2012. Selig said a committee will discuss adding two wild-card teams.
• Infielder Clint Barmes has been traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Houston Astros for pitcher Felipe Paulino. Barmes, 31, hit .235 with 21 doubles, eight homers and 50 RBIs this year. Paulino, 27, was 1-9 with a 5.11 ERA.
• After completing second interviews with four finalists, the New York Mets plan to select their next manager by Monday.
AL Cy Young voting / B11
