Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners win Major League Baseball season opener over Oakland Athletics

Ichiro Suzuki drew all the cheers. Most everyone else on the Seattle Mariners did all the hitting.

A crowd that came to salute Ichiro in his homeland saw Domingo Santana deliver the biggest hit at the Tokyo Dome, a grand slam that sent Seattle over Oakland 9-7 Wednesday in the Major League Baseball opener.

Batting ninth and knowing he'd get two plate appearances, Ichiro popped up and worked a walk. The 45-year-old star took his spot in right field to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, then was pulled to another huge ovation.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said Ichiro will play in Thursday's final game of the series, but there is no guarantee he'll start.

"We certainly want to give him an opportunity to go out and play, but we also want to get some other guys in the game," Servais said. "I understand everybody wants to see him go all nine innings. We're trying to do the best thing for the team and Ichiro understands."

This marked the earliest opening day ever . No doubt, most fans in North America were sound asleep when Oakland's Mike Fiers threw the first pitch at 4:36 a.m.

A year after the Cubs' Ian Happ homered on the very pitch of the season, the ball again was flying.

... Outfielder Matt Joyce reached agreement on a minor league deal with the Giants. Joyce, who is 34 and spent the past two seasons across the bay with Oakland. He played in just 83 games last season, batting .208 with seven home runs and 15 RBI. J

... Rays' rookie utility man Brandon Lowe, who made his big league debut last August, has agreed to a $24 million, six-year contract.

... Chuck Harmon, the Reds' first African-American player has died at the age of 94. Harmon made his debut on April 17, 1954. He played more than two seasons as a Reds utility player. He also played for the Cardinals and Phillies in his four years in the majors.

Penn State will collect hundreds of thousands of dollars left over from the defunct charity for youth founded by convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, settling claims from a threatened civil lawsuit.

The university said it also will receive additional payments from entities that insured The Second Mile, although the terms are confidential.

Soccer: FIFA will only allow natural grass fields at the 2023 Women's World Cup following the controversy over the use of artificial turf at the 2015 tournament in Canada.