Throwback Thursday: Felix Hernandez Wins First Game of 2014

As the off season begins, we here at Sodo Mojo are revising a weekly series during the off season. We are bringing back Throwback Thursday, where we write about exciting things that happened in the Mariners past. For the next few months, we will flashback to some of the highlights of the 2014 season.

For the first post, what better way to start than recapping the first win of an 87-win season. Felix Hernandez started the season how he ended the season, with a W against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

In the first game, the lineup had three players who wouldn’t be starting in game 162. Abraham Almonte was the starting center fielder, Brad Miller was the starting shortstop, and Justin Smoak, yes that Justin Smoak was not only the starting first basemen, but the clean up hitter.

The Mariners offense exploding in the first game, lulling fans like me into a false sense of security when it came to our offense. They exploded for 10 runs on 11 hits.

Justin Smoak led the charge with two hits, three RBIs, and one home run that came in the 9th inning. Dustin Ackley also tallied three RBIs on a bases loaded triple in the 9th and the Mariners won the first game 10-3. In his first game as a Seattle Mariner, Robinson Cano finished the game going 2-4 with a double and one walk.

Felix finished the game going six innings, giving up three runs, two earned on a Mike Trout home run in the first inning. He had 11 strike outs and only one walk in the start to, hopefully, a Cy Young season.

Yoervis Medina, Charlie Furbush, Tom Wilhelmsen, and Danny Farquhar combined to go three innings, giving up only two hits with two strike outs.

It was a good start to a great season for the Mariners, no one expected them to be in the thick of things at the end of the season and we were right there. Only 190 days until opening day against the Angels next year, and I for one, cannot wait.