Not every fairy tale has a happy ending, but this story may not might not even be concluded. Félix Hernández knows that, as do the thousands of fans who still made the trek to a more familiarly empty Safeco Field Wednesday night. As The King allowed solo homers in each of his first two innings, I wonder if he considered the state he found himself in. I wonder if his mind wandered to the man who conducted the night’s ceremonial first pitch?
Hisashi Iwakuma, with a familiar smile across his face, jogged out to deliver the first pitch to his 2012 teammate and Mariners’ 2018 Opening Day starting Left Fielder, Ichiro Suzuki.