Seattle Mariners Win Opening Night Tilt With Angels

Mar 31, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak (17) celebrates with first baseman Logan Morrison (20) after hitting a 3-run homer in the ninth inning agaist the Los Angeles Angels in an opening day baseball game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners and King Felix Hernandez shook off some early rust and survived some early struggles, coming back to win 10-3 on Opening Night against the Angels in Anaheim.

Felix improved to 5-0 on Opening Day while passing Randy Johnson with his 7th Opening Day start. He allowed two earned runs in six innings while walking one and striking out 11.

Felix did give up a monster BOMB to Mike Trout in the first inning to put the Mariners in a 2-0 hole.

The Mariners got on the board with a Michael Saunders sac fly in the top of the 2nd, scoring Justin Smoak. Kyle Seager‘s double in the 6th scored Smoak again while Logan Morrison – who had walked to go with three K’s – was thrown out at the plate. That cut the gap to 3-2.

In the 7th, Dustin Ackley singled and scored on a Mike Zunino triple. Then Zunino scored on an RBI double by Abraham Almonte.

Smoak added a 3-run bomb in the top of the 9th for some insurance. Smoak – who’s wife announced on Twitter earlier in the day that the couple was expecting a child – was 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored, 3 RBI and the homer. Dustin Ackley then added three more insurance runs with a bases-clearing triple. Ackley finished 2-for-4 with the 3 RBI.

The bullpen did the rest as Yoervis Medina, Charlie Furbush, Tom Wilhelmsen and Danny Farquhar pitched three scoreless innings to get the win for Felix.

These two are back at it again tomorrow night with C.J. Wilson taking the hill for the Angels against Erasmo Ramirez for the M’s. First pitch set for 7:05 PM PDT.

BOX SCORE

Seattle Batting

BATTING
2B: Smoak (1, Weaver), Seager (1, Weaver), Almonte, A (1, Salas), Cano (1, Jepsen).
3B: Zunino (1, Weaver), Ackley (1, Maronde).
HR: Smoak (1, 9th inning off Jepsen, 2 on, 2 out).
TB: Cano 3; Zunino 3; Ackley 4; Smoak 6; Almonte, A 3; Seager 2; Miller, B.
RBI: Saunders, M (1), Seager (1), Zunino (1), Almonte, A (1), Smoak 3 (3), Ackley 3 (3).
2-out RBI: Seager; Smoak 3; Ackley 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Smoak; Zunino.
SF: Saunders, M.
Team RISP: 4-for-9.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
SB: Morrison (1, 2nd base off Jepsen/Iannetta).
CS: Almonte, A (1, 2nd base by Weaver/Iannetta).

FIELDING
E: Seager (1, fielding).

LA Angels Batting

BATTING
2B: Pujols (1, Hernandez, F).
HR: Trout (1, 1st inning off Hernandez, F, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Hamilton; Trout 5; Aybar; Calhoun; Pujols 2.
RBI: Trout 2 (2), Pujols (1).
2-out RBI: Pujols.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Freese 2; Kendrick, H; Pujols.
Team RISP: 0-for-5.
Team LOB: 6.

BASERUNNING
SB: Hamilton (1, 2nd base off Hernandez, F/Zunino).

FIELDING
E: Kendrick, H (1, fielding).
Outfield assists: Calhoun (Morrison at home).

Seattle Pitching

LA Angels Pitching

  WP: Hernandez, F 2.
IBB: Cano (by Salas).
HBP: Kendrick, H (by Hernandez, F).
Pitches-strikes: Hernandez, F 103-66, Medina 3-3, Furbush 5-4, Wilhelmsen 17-9, Farquhar 17-11, Weaver 95-56, Salas 13-7, Kohn 16-10, Jepsen 30-17, Maronde 13-8.
Groundouts-flyouts: Hernandez, F 4-1, Medina 0-0, Furbush 0-1, Wilhelmsen 1-1, Farquhar 2-0, Weaver 5-3, Salas 0-1, Kohn 0-1, Jepsen 0-0, Maronde 0-0.
Batters faced: Hernandez, F 25, Medina 2, Furbush 2, Wilhelmsen 4, Farquhar 3, Weaver 27, Salas 4, Kohn 4, Jepsen 7, Maronde 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Furbush 1-0, Wilhelmsen 2-0, Salas 1-1, Maronde 2-2.
Umpires: HP: Joe West. 1B: Marty Foster. 2B: Rob Drake. 3B: Alan Porter.
Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 9 mph, Out to CF.
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
March 31, 2014

Seattle Batting

LA Angels Batting

Seattle Pitching

LA Angels Pitching