Welcome to Seattle Seth Smith! Mariners Win 4-1 on Opening Day

Apr 6, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino (3) greets pitcher Fernando Rodney (56) following the final out of a 4-1victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners started the 2015 season on the right foot, winning 4-1 against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday afternoon at Safeco Field. Felix Hernandez (1-0, 1.29 ERA) was dominant as he notched his first victory of the campaign. Jered Weaver (0-1, 6.00 ERA) was not sharp this afternoon, and suffered his first loss of the young season. Fernando Rodney flung his first arrow of the season on Monday after shutting the door on the Halos in the 9^th inning.

The Angels got the scoring started early in today’s ballgame. Predictably, it was reigning American League MVP Mike Trout that put the Halos on the scoreboard. Trouty won an 8-pitch at bat with King Felix by hitting a solo home run that was just out of the reach of center fielder Austin Jackson. Trout’s blast gave the Angels a 1-0 lead heading to the home half of the 1^st inning.

The Mariners leapfrogged ahead in the bottom of the 3^rd inning. Austin Jackson had a great spring, and today he laced a 1-out double down the left field line. Newcomer Seth Smith made quite a first impression today, knotting the game at 1 with an RBI triple to right field. Robinson Cano gave the M’s their first lead of the season by singling on a line drive to center field. Smith came in to score, and the Mariners took a 2-1 lead into the 4^th inning.

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Seattle doubled their lead in the home half of the 5^th inning. Dustin Ackley led off the frame with a bang, depositing Weaver’s 2-0 offering into the seats in right field. Ackley’s dinger was a towering shot that cleared the fence by a good 10 rows. Brad Miller followed the leadoff homer with a single on a sharp ground ball to right field. Miller advanced to second base following a wild pitch to put himself in scoring position. Seth Smith was a run producing machine on Monday, and he plated Miller on a ground-rule double to center field. The M’s held a commanding 4-1 lead after 5 innings.

The bullpen performed nicely today, pitching 3 shutout frames to keep the M’s 3 run lead in tact. Carson Smith entered the ball game with 2 out in the 8^th inning to face Mike Trout with runners on first and second. Smitty has had success against Trouty in the past, and that trend continued this afternoon. The 25-year-old struck out Trout swinging to end the Angels’ threat and preserve Seattle’s lead.

Fernando Rodney has a tendency to keep Mariners’ fans on the edge of their seats, but today he had a relatively drama free 9^th inning. The M’s flamboyant closer allowed a leadoff walk, but immediately induced a fielders choice for the first out. Logan Morrison made a nifty play to start a game ending double play. Following the twin killing, LoMo scurried over to Rodney to watch the arrow fly into the bright Seattle sunlight.

The full box score can be found here.

Next: King Felix Hurls a Gem