ARLINGTON -- Given Félix Hernández's resume, track record and history with the Mariners, any start he makes is going to be noteworthy. He was long gone from the game on Thursday by the time it was decided, when Austin Nola skied a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, but still, Hernandez should be considered very much a part of Seattle's 5-3 win over Texas. 

Mark this as Hernandez's second solid outing since his return from a three-plus-month stint on the injured list with shoulder issues. He held the Rangers to three runs over five innings in an 87-pitch outing, walking one and striking out three.

• Box score

“Felix did enough to get through five, which we really needed tonight,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We did not have a length guy [in the bullpen]. We needed him to get there, and he did.”

Hernandez’s stuff wasn’t overpowering, nor was his breaking ball especially sharp. Those weren’t the expectations, anyway -- comebacks from injuries don’t happen overnight, and they require patience. Hernandez was looking to build on his last outing. The club was hoping for meaningful innings. In that respect, the game, even beyond the final score, was a success.

“It was a grind the whole game,” Hernandez said. “I was behind those guys every single at-bat. I was able to come back, make good pitches and get them out.”

The fourth inning was Hernandez's most challenging, but it also ended well. The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs, via base hits by Nick Solak and Logan Forsythe, sandwiched around a Rougned Odor walk. The Mariners nearly turned a triple play on Scott Heineman’s ground ball that was hit precisely to where Kyle Seager was standing at third base, but Dee Gordon’s throw to Austin Nola was a half-second too late to complete the rare defensive play.

“So close,” Hernandez said. “I was like. ‘Yes! Yes!’ That was close. That was a good play.”

The Mariners got two outs out of it, and the inning ended soon after when Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped out to second. Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 fifth to complete his outing.

"He got through it,” Servais said. “I don't think it was as sharp as we've seen him in recent times. The curveball was just OK tonight. That's usually the pitch he leans on heavily. He was able to get through it.”

Hernandez has somewhere in the neighborhood of five more starts remaining before the regular season ends, at which time his seven-year, $175 million contract will also expire. His future beyond that is uncertain, but with the Mariners not in postseason contention, the former American League Cy Young Award winner may be able to take the focus inward a little more.

It's a common thread among veteran players whose careers were stalled by injuries in the later years. They aim to finish strong and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with ending a season on a positive note. Hernandez is also eyeing a continuation of his career in 2020.

“My goal is to finish strong, because I want to play baseball next year,” he said. “If I'm healthy and I pitch good, I think I'll have a chance. ... I don't know if it'll be here or somewhere else.”

If the first two small steps are any indication, Hernandez appears to be on the right path. In two starts since returning from the IL, he's given up five earned runs across a combined 10 2/3 innings.

“He's had an unbelievable career and [has been] a great Mariner for a long, long time. We're pulling for him,” Servais said. “He'll continue to pitch every fifth day, get out there, and hopefully he continues to get better as we go along. He was out a long time. I'm not expecting him to come back and be in top form. But he did exactly what we needed tonight. He gave us five innings and a chance to win.”

There was some history tied to Thursday's outing, too. Hernandez's strikeout of Danny Santana in the third inning brought his career total to 2,508, pushing him past Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson for 37th on the all-time Major League strikeout list. This was also Hernandez's final outing at Globe Life Park, and with 28 career starts at the Rangers' home field, he owns the record for the most starts among all visiting pitchers in the ballpark's 26-year history.

The Rangers have 15 games remaining at their current home. Next season, they'll move across the street to Globe Life Field.

“There's going to be a new one next year,” Hernandez said. “It's going to be better. There's going to be a roof and I can wear long sleeves like I used to. This is the first time in my career I didn't wear anything but my jersey.”

Will he miss Globe Life Park?

“Not at all,” Hernandez said. “Too hot.”