Intro:

Felix Hernandez combined with two relievers on a six-hitter as Major League Baseball opened its season in Tokyo for the fourth time.

Ichiro Suzuki helped the Seattle Mariners to a 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics in front of 44,227 people at the Tokyo Dome..

Script:

Major League Baseball has paid its tribute to the 2011 Japanese tsunami disaster by having three heroes of the recovery effort throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

It was as the Seattle Mariners took on the Oakland Athletics inside the Tokyo Dome.

Ichiro Suzuki gave the locals something to cheer about in the top of the first inning when he beat out an infield single.

But the game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning - when Dustin Ackley blasted McCarthy deep over the wall in centre-field to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Oakland's Kurt Suzuki tied things up when he ripped an RBI double into left. Cliff Pennington scoring to make it 1-all.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Mariners Justin Smoak grounded a ball that ricocheted high off the first base bag, but Oakland second baseman Jemile Weeks did a great job of getting into position to get the out.

Oakland's Josh Reddick drove a ball deep to left field, but Mike Carp leapt high to grab the out off the wall as the first game of the 2012 Major League Baseball season headed to extra-innings.

In the top of the 11th, Seattle's Dustin Ackley finally broke the deadlock with an RBI single to centre off Oakland reliever Andrew Carignam to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead.

Ichiro Suzuki then came out to bring home Ackley with a single up the middle to make it 3-1.

Ichiro got caught in a rundown between first and second - but not before giving the Mariners a two-run cushion with his fourth hit of the game.

Brandon League came on in the bottom of the 11th and closed it out for the Mariners by striking out Kurt Suzuki.