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Hernandez delivers win over A's in Mariners opener

OAKLAND, Calif. Felix Hernandez struck out eight on opening day in his first start since signing a $175 million, sevenyear contract in February, and the Mariners beat the reigning AL West champion Oakland Athletics 20 on Monday night.

King Felix surrendered one walk while pitching 7 23 scoreless nike free runs innings. He didn't allow a hit until John Jaso doubled to leftcenter 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 (10) 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 tworun single in the fifth to break a scoreless tie, and it held up for Hernandez.

He gave way to Charlie Furbush after allowing Seth Smith's twoout 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 pinchhitter Derek Norris' groundout. Tom Wilhemsen closed out the threehitter.

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

The Mariners snapped a sevengame losing streak to the A's, who had their secondlongest unbeaten run in the rivalry over the past 20 years behind a 15game winning stretch from April 7Aug. 16, 2006.

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.

Anderson struck out the side in order in the nike free run australia first on 13 pitches, getting Gutierrez on three pitches. Then Hernandez topped that in his first time off the mound with a sevenpitch, 123 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 cheap nike free run the Bay Area and a workout Sunday at the Coliseum. Hernandez delivered a signature performance as Seattle kicked off a sevengame road trip to start the season four games in Oakland followed by three against the White Sox 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 AL 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 fourthinning double. Then in the sixth, he struck out swinging to end a 10pitch atbat and 22pitch inning for Hernandez.

About 90 minutes before first pitch, Hernandez had a Rolex watch delivered from a clubhouse employee to Jaso, quite the thankyou gift for his part in the ace righthander's perfecto.

The A's had their yellow towelwaving 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 AL division series to Detroit.

Anderson (01) 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 lefthander successfully returned last August following a 14month recovery from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery.

Anderson struck out Michael Morse to start the second then walked Justin Smoak on five pitches. After Kyle Seager singled off Anderson's leg, Jesus Montero grounded into a double play on which second baseman Sogard made a terrific diving stop and backhanded flip to shortstop Jed Lowrie in time for him to throw to first.

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

More than four hours before first pitch, ballpark workers with handheld driers walked through the stands to clean up the seats while Seattle players ran around in right field throwing a football in shorts and Tshirts.

The Mariners, coming off a spring featuring a franchisebest 22 wins, began a season without Ichiro Suzuki for the first time in 13 years. He won the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in 2001.

Notes: Hernandez has a 1.33 ERA with 41 Ks in his openingday outings 35 of those strikeouts in five opening starts vs. Oakland. He has allowed six earned runs in those appearances. . His six starts on opening day matched Randy Johnson for most in club history. . Anderson is 74 with a 1.83 ERA in 14 career starts against the Mariners. . Oakland invited 15 season ticketholders onto the field for pregame introductions. . The A's won the 2012 season series 127. If the recent pattern provides any indication, over the past seven seasons Oakland has won the even years 2006, 08, 10 and 12 and the Mariners the odd years of 2007, 09 and 11.