Ichiro HR lifts M’s over Rays 1-0
Ichiro Suzuki lined James Shields’ second pitch of the game for a home run and ace Felix Hernandez helped his injury riddled team with a seven-inning gem in the Seattle Mariner’s 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday.
David Aardsma pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts. Brandon Morrow walked Pat Burrell with one out in the ninth and sent pinch-runner Gabe Kapler to second with a wild pitch. Morrow got Ben Zobrist to pop out and Dioner Navarro to fly out for his fifth save in five chances, as the first-place Mariners finished their initial homestand of the season 5-4.
The win is the second 1-0 victory of the season for a surprising Mariners squad that leads the American League with a team ERA of 3.01. Seattle won only one 1-0 contest all last season, while losing 101 games.
Shields (2-2) was nearly as good as Hernandez after allowing Suzuki’s 28th career home run leading off a game.
It was the 22nd time a leadoff homer was the deciding run in a game, and just the second time it happened for the Mariners. Greg Briley’s shot provided the lone run June 19, 1992, against Minnesota.
Shields allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings, with a walk and four strikeouts. It was the second time in four starts he allowed four hits or fewer.