SEATTLE — We begin with Felix Hernandez because this was supposed to be his night: His long awaited return, the King’s Court, even fireworks.

So it was going to take a lot, a whole lot, for anything or anyone to overshadow Hernandez.

It was going to take something like what actually happened on Friday, with the Seattle Mariners’ offense pulverizing Houston’s pitching in a 13-3 win, their sixth straight. The Mariners are 38-36 and thick in the hunt for the American League Wild Card.

The return of the King is certainly important and necessary for the Mariners. But just as promising, just as important, is the continued barrage from the Mariners’ offense.

When manager Scott Servais talks about the lineup having more length to it with its full complement of players, what he’s really talking about is what happened in the third inning.

That was the inning the Mariners buried the first-place Astros, the inning that showed how dangerous a healthy Mariners squad can be.

Ben Gamel led off with a single, Nelson Cruz singled, Kyle Seager walked, Mitch Haniger drove in a run with a single, Danny Valencia drove in two more runs with a single and Mike Zunino, who has turned the month of June into his personal showcase, capped the inning with a mammoth three-run home run.

Six runs in all, from all corners of the lineup.

It’s fitting that Zunino delivered the decisive blow considering how good he’s been in June. Zunino has 29 RBI this month, four short of the club record for most RBI in a month. And he still has a week to play.

He hit his 10th home run this season, all since being recalled from the minors on May 22. Only two other American League catchers have more home runs this season, and all but one of Zunino’s home runs have come in June.

He added a double later in the game for good measure.

The Mariners entered the night third in the American League in runs, so the offense has been, quite often, dangerous. But it has rarely been fully healthy. As Servais pointed out recently, a lineup with speedster Jarrod Dyson eighth and Zunino ninth is pretty potent.

Dyson (two doubles) and Zunino (a double and a home run) had multiple extra-base hits.

Dyson also did one of the more unusual things you’ll see from a base runner, a singular display of his speed and the reason the Mariners valued him.

In the seventh inning, Danny Valencia was on third, Dyson on second. A wild pitch kicked away from Houston catcher Brian McCann. Valencia scored easily from third, as expected. Dyson never slowed down, rounded third and slid home to also score on the play.

For emphasis: Dyson scored a run from second base on a wild pitch.

Another example of the lineup’s potential was the fourth inning.

Gamel hit a solo home run to the lead off the inning, and Seager followed with a solo home run of his own. That’s the kind of the depth the Mariners envisioned having at the start of the season, a lineup that could inflict damage at any point.

Hernandez was solid in his return, giving up three runs in six innings, including two home runs. In a weird twist from so many seasons of the past, he was plenty good enough for all the run support the offense provided.

And then there’s this: The Mariners scored 13 runs without getting a hit from Robinson Cano.