Mariners top A's in season opener in Japan

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, yesterday 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 lost their eighth straight opener.

Seattle and Oakland complete their two-game series today. The rest of the big-league teams start to get going Wednesday, 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 rightfield in the final inning.

Dropped from leadoff to third in the batting order, Suzuki singled in the first when be beat shortstop Cliff Pennington's throw after his grounder over the mound was deflected by A's 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. Suzuki, 38, set a big- league record with 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons before falling short last year.

Ackley homered in the fourth off McCarthy, and Oakland's Kurt Suzuki doubled in a run in the bottom half. The score was tied at 1 until the 11th, when Brendan Ryan doubled against Andrew Carignan (0-1), Chone Figgins sacrificed and Ackley singled to center.

Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) threw two hitless innings.