Starry start for Hernandez, M's
It was a day of knee-knocking, sweat-trickling moments, and Felix Hernandez finally had his in the sixth inning.
The first five frames had been a dry run, the equivalent of early spring pitchers' practice as the 20-year-old Mariners ace mowed through a flailing Oakland Athletics lineup. But a runner on third with one out in a scoreless game tends to focus the mind, and never was a fist-pumping Hernandez more zoned in than when facing the final two hitters that fateful sixth.
Hernandez struck out both hitters and Seattle went on to a 4-0, season-opening win Monday in front of a packed house of 46,003 at Safeco Field. In the end, the Mariners prevailed largely because, just like baseball's youngest opening-day starter in two decades, they were mistake-free when it mattered most while their opponents were not.
Raul Ibanez (Foxes '94) drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and JJ Putz (WI '00) pitched a scoreless ninth for Seattle.
Boxscore is HERE.
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