King Felix tries give Mariners a series win
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez was magnificent on Opening Day. He'll try to make it two straight wins on Sunday when the Mariners play the rubber match of a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics.
Hernandez nearly won an American League Cy Young Award in 2014 and showed why on Monday versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hernandez gave up a first inning home run to Mike Trout, but shut the Angels down after that, yielding just one more hit, while striking out 10 over seven innings.
"We'd seen enough," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Ninety-seven pitches is probably a little more than I wanted on the first day of the season, but he did a nice job."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hernandez is 19-7 lifetime against the A's with a 2.58 ERA.
After getting routed in the opener, Seattle bounced back on Saturday, as Logan Morrison scored the winning run during the 11th inning to lift the Mariners to a 5-4 victory.
Morrison opened the top of the 11th inning with a single off Fernando Abad (0-1), moved to second on Dustin Ackley's sacrifice bunt and hustled home on Brad Miller's sharp liner to left to give Seattle the lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fernando Rodney retired the side in order during the bottom half for his second save of the season.
Nelson Cruz finished 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and Ackley hit a solo shot for the Mariners, who hadn't won since Hernandez's gem. Tyler Olson (1-0) earned his first major league win after tossing a scoreless 10th. Starter J.A. Happ gave up two runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings.
"I feel like every time we play them, it's like that," Miller said of playing Oakland. "Its always hard-fought ... It's always fun to be in a game like that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ben Zobrist and Brett Lawrie each hit RBI doubles, Josh Phegley and Marcus Semien each drove in a run and starter Sonny Gray allowed two runs -- one earned -- on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 7 1/3 frames for the A's, who beat Seattle 12-0 in the series opener on Friday.
"We're pitching it and playing great defense," Phegley said. "I'm excited for this team and how we battle."
Oakland will turn to righty Jesse Hahn on Sunday, as he tries to bounce back from a loss in his first start. Hahn lost his Oakland debut on Tuesday to Texas, as the Rangers reached him for three runs and seven hits in six innings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's not the outcome I wanted," Hahn said. "Except for one or two mistake pitches, overall I felt good about it."
Hahn beat the Mariners the only other time he faced them.
Seattle was 10-9 versus the A's last season.