PAGE 48
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, second left, celebrates with pitching coach Carl Willis at the dugout after hitting an RBI single in the 11th inning in Tokyo, Wednesday, March 28. At right is teammate Munenori Kawasaki.
Seattle Mariners come out on top against Oakland A's in baseball's season opener
MLB is using the series to assist rebuilding in Japan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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 goahead 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
"It was very special to open in Japan. I wanted to have fun and give the fans something at this special time."
players and coaches traveled to the disaster zone on Tuesday to conduct a baseball clinic.
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.
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 As, who became the first team to lose eight straight openers since Philadelphia from 1985-92, according to STATS LLC.
Seattle and Oakland complete their two-game series Thursday. 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.
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.
ICHIRO SUZUKI Seattle Mariners player
"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) got the win 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 five hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked none, throwing 104 pitches.
McCarthy gave up one run and six hits in seven innings with three 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."
TRACK AND FIELD
Senior Shayla Wilson sprints to the finish of the women's 400 meter dash. Wilson finished 4th with a time of 56.15 Friday night at Jayhawk Classic.
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Team member travels back home for Relays
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
The 85th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays kicked off yesterday beginning with the men's decathlon and women's heptathlon, which continue into today's schedule. Many of the
For sophomore Demi Payne, it is a return to her home state and one hour from her hometown of New Braunfels.
"I feel like Texas Relays is a meet I work so hard for because I go home, and I want to try to put on a show for everyone." Payne said.
The Jayhawks will face more than 200
"I feel like Texas Relays is a meet I work so hard for because I go home, and I want to try to put on a show for everyone."
DEMI PAYNE Sophomore
Universities at the Texas Relays This will be the first outdoor meet of the season for many of the Kansas athletes competing there.
Despite ending the season just outside of the ranking needed to make national, Payne remained strong during the indoor season.
For senior distance runner, Rebeka Stowe, the meet marks the beginning of her eighth and final season as a Jayhawk. In approaching her last season, Stowe hopes
to develop more consistency at each meet. The meet this week is an opportunity to learn from an early race without it effecting whether she will make it to the later meets in the season, Stowe said.
Junior Andrea Geubelle and sophomore Diamond Dixon will also compete in the Texas Relays. It will be the start of their campaigns to capture two titles on the year: Geubelle in the triple jump and Diamond Dixon in the 400-meter race.
The women's team does not feel the pressure of being ranked in the top 10 in the USTFCCCA because they still feel overlooked, Stowe said.
The team would feel validated with a national championship.
- Edited by Bre Roach
BASEBALL
Blue Jays defeat the Orioles despite bad pitching calls
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Toronto Blue Jays had their way with the Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff.
Dana Eveland allowed three runs and six hits in four innings, and Alfredo Simon got roughed on the Blue Jays. 9-3
victory over the Orioles on Wednesday.
Eveland gave up two runs on Eric Thames' fourth-inning double to right that gave the Blueys the lead
"My stuff was pretty decent. I just made some bad pitches in bad situations, mostly the pitch to Thames. Completely wrong side of the plate. It was supposed to be a fastball down and away. It ended up being a fastball down and in, and he's a pull hitter."
DANA EVELAND Baltimore Orioles player
"I don't throw it hard enough
"An OK day," Eveland said.
it hard enough throw it by somebody, so I've got to hit my spots a little better than that."
for good. Toronto jumped or Simon for six runs in the next two innings.
Eveland hopes to be a starter, but doesn't expect
that to happen.
"Honestly, I can't see that I would fit into the rotation, considering this is only my third
Simon, pitching for the first time in 10 days since leaving a game with a pulled groin, gave up three runs on two hits in the fifth, one scoring on a wild pitch. He yielded three more runs in the fourth on four hits, including Chris Woodward's double.
Ryan Flaherty's two-run single put the Orioles on top 2-1 in the third.
start of spring and the first time really getting extended," he said. "But if I can slide into the longman (relief) job, or the left guy in the pen, that'd be great."
J. C. Arencibia had two hits for Toronto. Jason Esposito had two hits for the Orioles.
PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME!
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