TOKYO (AP) — Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes hit his first major league home run to power the Athletics to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday that earned Oakland a split in the teams' two-game season-opening series at Tokyo Dome.
Cespedes connected for a two-run homer off Seattle reliever Shawn Kelley to give Oakland a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Josh Reddick followed with a solo shot off George Sherrill to give the A's a two-run cushion.
Ichiro Suzuki, who was 4 for 5 in Seattle's 3-1 win over Oakland on Wednesday, was hitless in four at-bats Thursday.
Oakland starter Bartolo Colon picked up the win after striking out six and holding the Mariners to one run on three hits over eight innings.
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john Shafer of IL 8:13PM March 28, 2012