NW Sports from the AP

Date: 04/06/2015 04:59 AM

AP-NW–SportsMinute/266
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) – Each of the past six years, Felix Hernandez has taken the ball and been on the mound in the season opener for the Seattle Mariners. All six times, those starts have been on the road. So it seems appropriate that with the Mariners entering a season of heightened expectations and finally opening at home again, it’ll be Hernandez on the mound at Safeco Field today against the Los Angeles Angels.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Maximiliano Urruti scored the winning goal for the Portland Timbers as they defeated FC Dallas 3-1. The win Saturday was the first of the season for Portland, while Dallas lost its first. On a night celebrating him, with fans given cutouts of his head on a stick, Nat Borchers opened well with his new team.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – A benefactor has given Gonzaga University a $5 million gift for its recent success on the basketball court. The university says it received the gift Friday from an anonymous donor who was inspired by Gonzaga’s student-athletes and the success of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The gift was given to support basketball performance and training.

NEW YORK (AP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers set a baseball record with a $270 million opening-day payroll, including nearly $44 million going to players no longer on the team. Major League Baseball’s average salary on opening day yesterday also set a mark at $4.2 million, according to calculations by The Associated Press. That is up 6.3 percent from last year’s opening average of $3.95 million.

 

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.