The King's castle catches fire

SEATTLE -- The home of Seattle Mariners' ace Felix Hernandez suffered damage from an extensive fire Monday afternoon in Bellevue.

Flames erupted in the $3.2-million Bellevue home around 3:30 p.m., officials said. It took firefighters 50 minutes to knock down the blaze, which caused substantial damage to the first floor of the home and smoke damage to the second floor.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Hernandez and his wife, Sandra, were in Napa, Calif., Monday when the fire started, but were flying home Tuesday. Hernandez's two children were at the mall with their nanny when the fire started.

The ace pitcher bought the five-bedroom, four bathroom house in July 2010. According to the Seattle Times, the pitcher and his wife purchased the home shortly after Hernandez signed a five-year, $78-million contract with the extension with the Mariners.

Hernandez was also recently the victim of an alleged theft by teammate Carlos Peguero's wife, who allegedly used Hernandez's wife's credit card to buy nearly $200,000 worth of goods online from Saks Fifth Avenue. Peguero pleaded not guilty to those charges, and the case is still pending.

Hernandez was one of the Mariners lone bright spots last season, going 12-10 with 3.04 ERA.