Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Felix the King in 2-0 victory

Gutierrez delivers as M’s back their ace in opener

Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run single in the fifth for the M’s. (Associated Press)
Janie Mccauley Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. – Felix Hernandez struck out eight on opening day in his first start since signing a $175 million, seven-year contract in February, and the Mariners beat the reigning A.L. West champion Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Monday night.

King Felix surrendered one walk while pitching 7 2/3 scoreless innings. He didn’t allow a hit until John Jaso doubled to left-center with one out in the fourth, only a couple of hours after the pitcher gifted his former backstop with a Rolex watch for catching his perfect game in August against the Rays.

Hernandez (1-0) outdueled Brett Anderson while making his sixth career opening day start and fifth in a row, retiring the first 10 batters of the game in order.

Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie, and it held up for Hernandez.

He gave way to Charlie Furbush after allowing Seth Smith’s two-out double in the eighth and a walk to Eric Sogard. Furbush walked Coco Crisp and Seattle manager Eric Wedge then went to Stephen Pryor, who got out of it on pinch-hitter Derek Norris’ groundout. Tom Wilhemsen closed out the three-hitter.

There wouldn’t be any walkoff magic in Game 1. Oakland led the majors with 14 such wins in 2012.

The Mariners snapped a seven-game losing streak to the A’s, who had their second-longest unbeaten run in the rivalry over the past 20 years.

They are well accustomed to King Felix, who started the clubs’ season opener in Tokyo last spring, then Seattle’s home opener against the A’s and again in Oakland’s home opener in 2012.

Anderson struck out the side in order in the first on 13 pitches, getting Gutierrez on three pitches. Then Hernandez topped that in his first time on the mound with a seven-pitch, 1-2-3 inning.

Seattle hardly looked road weary after leaving the Arizona desert and spring training for an exhibition Saturday in Salt Lake City before a flight to the Bay Area and a workout Sunday at the Coliseum.

Hernandez delivered a signature performance as Seattle kicked off a seven-game road trip to start the season – four games in Oakland followed by three against the White Sox in Chicago before opening at Safeco Field on Monday against the Houston Astros.

Hernandez will try for career win No. 100 on Saturday in Chicago. The 2010 A.L. Cy Young Award winner, who turns 27 on April 8, certainly showed on Day 1 he is plenty stretched out by tossing 109 pitches.

Jaso, traded by the Mariners to their division rival during the offseason, popped out on the second pitch he saw in the first before his fourth-inning double. Then in the sixth, he struck out swinging to end a 10-pitch at-bat and 22-pitch inning for Hernandez.

About 90 minutes before first pitch, Hernandez had a Rolex watch delivered from a clubhouse employee to Jaso, quite the thank-you gift for his part in the ace right-hander’s perfecto.

The A’s had their yellow towel-waving sellout crowd of 36,067 back in force just like last fall during the club’s remarkable run to the playoffs. Oakland lost in Game 5 of the A.L. Division Series to Detroit.

Anderson (0-1) allowed two runs and four hits in seven solid innings, struck out six and walked four while throwing 108 pitches in his first career start on opening day. The left-hander successfully returned last August following a 14-month recovery from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery.

The Bay Area awoke to gray clouds and a steady, hard rain, only for the skies to clear and turn blue.