TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki gave his fans in Japan a performance to cheer about.
Suzuki had four hits in his return home, Dustin Ackley homered and singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 Wednesday night in baseball’s season opener.
“It was very special to open in Japan,” said Suzuki, who spent nine seasons in Osaka with the Orix Blue Wave. “I wanted to have fun and give the fans something at this special time and wanted to share a special moment with them.”
Major League Baseball and the players’ association are using the series to assist rebuilding in Japan following last year’s earthquake and tsunami. A group of players and coaches traveled to the disaster zone on Tuesday to conduct a baseball clinic.
Felix Hernandez combined with two relievers on a six-hitter as MLB opened its season in Tokyo for the fourth time. The continent switch didn’t help the A’s, who became the first team to lose eight consecutive openers since Philadelphia in 1985-1992, according to STATS LLC.
Seattle and Oakland complete their two-game series today. The rest of the big league teams start to get going April 4, when the renamed Miami Marlins open their new ballpark against the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
A capacity crowd of 44,227 at Tokyo Dome was a sea of flashbulbs every time Suzuki came to bat. He got a standing ovation when he took his position in right field in the final inning.
Dropped from leadoff to third in the batting order as he started his 12th big league season, Suzuki singled in the first when he beat shortstop Cliff Pennington’s throw after his grounder over the mound was deflected by Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy.
Suzuki singled on a grounder to shortstop in the fourth, singled to center in the sixth and had an RBI single to center in the 11th.
“We’re trying to stretch out the lineup and have the guys feed off each other,” Seattle Manager Eric Wedge said. “I think Ichiro hitting in the third spot is the right place. We’re going to be a very offensive ballclub this year.”
The 38-year-old Suzuki set a big league record with 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons before falling short last year.
“He’s a hitting machine,” said Oakland Manager Bob Melvin, who managed Suzuki with the Mariners in 2003 and 2004. “It doesn’t matter where he bats in the lineup. That’s what he does — hit.”
Ackley homered in the fourth off McCarthy, and Oakland’s Kurt Suzuki doubled in a run in the bottom half. The score remained 1-1 until the 11th, when Brendan Ryan doubled against Andrew Carignan (0-1), Chone Figgins sacrificed and Ackley singled to center.
“I was able to put a good swing on that one,” Ackley said. “Our team is off to a good start, and that’s all that matters.”
Jerry Blevins relieved, Ackley stole second and Ichiro Suzuki singled for a two-run lead. Brandon League closed it out for the save.
Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) earned the victory with two hitless innings.
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who signed a $36 million, four-year contract with Oakland, was 1 for 3 with a seventh-inning double and two strikeouts in his major league debut.
Hernandez, coming off a 14-14 season, allowed 5 hits in 8 innings, struck out 6 and walked none, throwing 104 pitches.
McCarthy gave up 1 run and 6 hits in 7 innings with 3 strikeouts and no walks.
While Oakland threatened repeatedly, the A’s were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
“They got bigger hits than we did at the end,” Melvin said. “We hit some balls hard, but they just didn’t get in.”
Sports, Pages 15 on 03/29/2012