Date: 04/02/2013 06:36 AM
NW–SportsMinute/382
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Felix Hernandez struck out eight on opening day in his first start since signing a $175 million, seven-year contract in February, and the Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0 last night. Hernandez surrendered one walk while pitching 7 2-3 scoreless innings. He didn’t allow a hit until John Jaso doubled to left-center with one out in the fourth, only a couple of hours after the pitcher gifted his former backstop with a Rolex watch for catching his perfect game in August against the Rays.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Al Jefferson scored 24 points, Mo Williams hit six 3-pointers and the Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 112-102 last night to extend their winning streak to a season-best five games. The win was Utah’s second in four days over the Blazers (33-41), losers of five consecutive. Wesley Matthews scored 23 for Portland, still without leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge because of a sprained ankle. Rookie standout Damian Lillard added 17 points, including three 3-pointers.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Layshia Clarendon scored 17 of her 25 points in the second half and overtime, and California rallied from down 10 with less than 7 minutes in regulation to beat Georgia 65-62 in the Spokane Regional final and advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history. The second-seeded Golden Bears became the first team from the western U.S. other than Stanford to reach the Final Four since Long Beach State in 1988. Shacobia Barbee scored 14 points to lead Georgia.
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) – The Oakland Raiders have traded for Seattle backup quarterback Matt Flynn in the team’s latest change at the game’s most important position. The deal announced by the Seahawks yesterday signals an end to Carson Palmer’s tenure in Oakland. Palmer is expected to be dealt to Arizona. Oakland will send a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a conditional pick in 2015 to Seattle for Flynn, who left Green Bay and signed a lucrative free agent deal with Seattle last year. But he couldn’t beat out Russell Wilson for the starting job. The Raiders also will receive a late-round pick from Arizona if the deal for Palmer is completed.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.