The Oakland Athletics had what most would probably agree was their real Opening Day on Friday night, hosting the Seattle Mariners in the first game of two games that concludes a four-game Opening Day series the two teams began last week in Japan.
While the two teams split their games in Japan and the Mariners could only muster four runs in both of those overseas games, the visitors nearly doubled that figure as they coasted to a 7-3 victory. The Mariners would score four runs in the top of the third inning and never looked back. A's starter Brandon McCarthy only lasted five innings, giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three.
Yoenis Cespedes hit a gargantuan 2-run home run to dead center in the fourth inning. The A's were not able to reach home again until the bottom of the eighth, when Seth Smith drove in Jemile Weeks with a single to right field. Yoenis Cespedes and Kurt Suzuki both struck out with two men on base and the last legitimate Oakland rally came to an end. Brandon League closed the game out for the Mariners with a four-batter inning.
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