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Hernandez gets 2,000th strikeout, win against A’s

ASSOCIATED PRESS
With a special Mother's Day pink King's Court cheering section behind him, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez walks to the mound in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics.

SEATTLE >> Felix Hernandez became the fourth-youngest player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts while giving up two runs over seven innings to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 win against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Hernandez, at 29 years, 32 days old, is behind only Bert Blyleven, Sam McDowell and Walter Johnson, who were all 28 when they reached 2,000 strikeouts.

The right-hander started Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics with 1,995 strikeouts. In the fifth inning, Hernandez fell behind leadoff batter Sam Fuld 3-1 before striking him out looking at a fastball for No. 2,000.

Hernandez (6-0) added one more strikeout on his final batter, getting Eric Sogard swinging to end the seventh inning.

Marcus Semien hit two solo home runs off Hernandez for the first multi-homer game of his career.

Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth and earned his ninth save 10 chances despite giving up a solo home run to Stephen Vogt.

Oakland starter Jesse Chavez (1-3) didn’t give up a hit in the first three innings before running into trouble. The Mariners scored three runs in the fourth inning on Kyle Seager’s run-scoring double and a 2-RBI double by Dustin Ackley. Seattle added another run in the fourth inning when Jesus Sucre singled for his first hit of the season and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Cano.

Chavez pitched into the seventh inning, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out seven. He gave way to reliever Fernando Rodriguez after walking Seth Smith with two outs in the seventh inning. Rodriguez walked the bases loaded before striking out Nelson Cruz to get out of the jam.

Semien gave the Athletics a 1-0 lead with his homer in the third inning, and added his fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning. The last time a player had two home runs in a game off Hernandez was Gordon Beckham for the Chicago White Sox on June 1, 2012.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: OF Coco Crisp, who came off the disabled list on Wednesday after recovering from right elbow surgery, was out of the lineup Sunday, although he came on as a pinch-hitter and ended the game with a strikeout in the ninth inning. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Crisp, who has started three of five games since returning, is ready to play regularly starting Monday. … LHP Sean Nolin (sports hernia surgery) threw two innings in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville on Saturday. He’ll next have a rehab start, and Melvin said Nolin could be used in the rotation or out of the bullpen when he’s activated.

Mariners: Chris Taylor was originally listed as the starting shortstop, but was scratched for Brad Miller before the game. Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said Taylor’s right hand was stepped on during Saturday’s game and he had an X-ray Sunday morning. McClendon did not know the results when he spoke with media before the game.

UP NEXT

Athletics: LHP Scott Kazmir (2-1, 2.75 ERA) will start against Boston on Monday as Oakland opens a six-game home stand. He’ll face Red Sox RHP Rick Porcello (3-2, 4.38).

Mariners: Seattle is off Monday. The Mariners host San Diego Tuesday, when LHP James Paxton (0-2, 5.08) will make his seventh start of the season against RHP Ian Kennedy (2-1, 5.03).

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