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A's aim to even series with Mariners

Apr 2, 2013 - 2:25 PM (Sports Network) - Jarrod Parker was a big reason why the Oakland Athletics won an American League West title last season.

He hopes to follow up his impressive rookie season on Tuesday when the Oakland Athletics resume a three-game season-opening series at O.co Coliseum.

Parker, who is on an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, made 29 starts for the A's last season and was 13-8 with a 3.47 ERA. He also started two games in the postseason, but lost both of his ALDS games to the Detroit Tigers.

He's 1-1 in two starts versus the Mariners with a 5.40 ERA.

Seattle, meanwhile, will hand the ball to Japanese right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, who pitched well after moving to the rotation last year. Iwakuma began the year as a reliever, but became a starter midway through the year and went 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 16 starts. Overall he was 9-5 with a 3.16 ERA.

However the A's gave him some trouble, as Iwakuma was 0-2 with a 6.14 ERA against them last season.

Iwakuma will be hard pressed, though, to match the terrific effort that Felix Hernandez gave the Mariners in Monday's season opener. The former American League Cy Young Award winner tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings to help Seattle to a 2-0 win.

Hernandez (1-0), who inked a seven-year, $175 million extension this offseason, gave up three hits and struck out eight.

"Opening Day, it's good to start the right way," Hernandez said. "It's pretty special. It was loud today with a lot of people, but I was just in my game, just trying to make my pitches. I felt pretty good today."

Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run single in the fifth inning for Seattle, which increased its Opening Day winning streak to seven.

Brett Anderson (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings for the Athletics, who have dropped nine straight season openers, which is the longest Opening Day losing streak in American League history.

"It's disappointing to lose on Opening Night. It's your first look. Your fans are out in full force," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "We played well with the big crowds in our stadium for the better part of last year, so it's disappointing. You want to win. Typically you do get someone's ace and Felix is one of the best in the game, and we just couldn't muster anything off him."

Oakland won 12 of its 19 matchups with the Mariners last season.