SEATTLE -- Safeco Field's first "Supreme Court" of 2014 returned its verdict on Friday night, and the decision was unanimously in favor of Felix Hernandez as the Mariners topped the A's, 6-4.The Mariners continued their tradition of expanding the normal "King's Court" section for Hernandez's starts at Safeco into a stadium-wide celebration of yellow-shirted fans waving "K" cards for his first home appearance of the season, and they had plenty to cheer for as The King struck out 11 in a dominating four-hit, two-run performance over seven-plus frames. 
A crowd of 38,968 enjoyed the festivities -- which included three hits by Dustin Ackley and home runs by Brad Miller and catcher Mike Zunino -- and Hernandez delivered one of his gems as the Mariners improved to 6-3, tying for the third-best record after nine games in franchise history.Seattle sits half a game ahead of the 6-4 A's atop the early American League West standings heading into Saturday evening's middle game in the weekend series.Hernandez has half of his team's victories with a 3-0 record and 2.11 ERA. It is the first time in Hernandez's 10-year Major League career that he has won his first three starts, and he is now 17-7 with a 2.60 ERA in 31 career outings against the A's.Hernandez did not walk a batter on Friday night, and, also retiring the first 10 batters he faced, he reached double-digit strikeouts for the 28th time in his career and second this season. His 25 starts with 10-plus strikeouts since the start of the 2009 season are the second most in baseball during that span, behind only Cliff Lee's 26.Oakland didn't touch Hernandez until the eighth, when he hit Daric Barton and gave up a single to Eric Sogard. Manager Lloyd McClendon went to his bullpen with Hernandez at 104 pitches and both his runners scored after relievers Lucas Luetge, Danny Farquhar and Charlie Furbush came on and split two walks, a single and a wild pitch between them as the A's cut the lead to 6-4.New closer Fernando Rodney came on in the ninth for his third save.The Mariners jumped out early against A's lefty Tommy Milone with three hits and a run on his first three pitches.Abraham Almonte led off with a double, moved to third on Miller's perfect drag-bunt single and then scored when Robinson Cano laced a hard grounder that first baseman Daric Barton couldn't field cleanly.Seattle took advantage of two infield errors in the fourth to add two unearned runs for a 3-0 lead, helped by an Ackley double and Zunino base hit.But they brought out the power in the sixth as Zunino ended Milone's night with a two-run shot to left for his second homer of the year, and Miller followed with a solo blast to center off reliever Drew Pomeranz for his third long ball in 2014, tying Corey Hart for the team lead.Ackley went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored to pace Seattle's 12-hit night, and he became the first Mariner with a three-hit game this year.Greg Johns / MLB.com
A crowd of 38,968 enjoyed the festivities -- which included three hits by Dustin Ackley and home runs by Brad Miller and catcher Mike Zunino -- and Hernandez delivered one of his gems as the Mariners improved to 6-3, tying for the third-best record after nine games in franchise history.Seattle sits half a game ahead of the 6-4 A's atop the early American League West standings heading into Saturday evening's middle game in the weekend series.Hernandez has half of his team's victories with a 3-0 record and 2.11 ERA. It is the first time in Hernandez's 10-year Major League career that he has won his first three starts, and he is now 17-7 with a 2.60 ERA in 31 career outings against the A's.Hernandez did not walk a batter on Friday night, and, also retiring the first 10 batters he faced, he reached double-digit strikeouts for the 28th time in his career and second this season. His 25 starts with 10-plus strikeouts since the start of the 2009 season are the second most in baseball during that span, behind only Cliff Lee's 26.Oakland didn't touch Hernandez until the eighth, when he hit Daric Barton and gave up a single to Eric Sogard. Manager Lloyd McClendon went to his bullpen with Hernandez at 104 pitches and both his runners scored after relievers Lucas Luetge, Danny Farquhar and Charlie Furbush came on and split two walks, a single and a wild pitch between them as the A's cut the lead to 6-4.New closer Fernando Rodney came on in the ninth for his third save.The Mariners jumped out early against A's lefty Tommy Milone with three hits and a run on his first three pitches.Abraham Almonte led off with a double, moved to third on Miller's perfect drag-bunt single and then scored when Robinson Cano laced a hard grounder that first baseman Daric Barton couldn't field cleanly.Seattle took advantage of two infield errors in the fourth to add two unearned runs for a 3-0 lead, helped by an Ackley double and Zunino base hit.But they brought out the power in the sixth as Zunino ended Milone's night with a two-run shot to left for his second homer of the year, and Miller followed with a solo blast to center off reliever Drew Pomeranz for his third long ball in 2014, tying Corey Hart for the team lead.Ackley went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored to pace Seattle's 12-hit night, and he became the first Mariner with a three-hit game this year.Greg Johns / MLB.com
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