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

Apr 6, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Seth Smith (7) hits an RBI-triple against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Smith came over from the San Diego Padres this winter, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact for the Mariners. Smith went 3 for 3 on the day, with 2 doubles, a triple and 2 RBI’s. His first double was a liner into the right-center field gap in the bottom of the 1^st inning. His RBI triple was a fly ball that evaded a diving Kole Calhoun in right field. The 32-year-old clobbered a Jered Weaver fastball that fell in between Trout and Matt Joyce before hopping over the wall like the Easter Bunny for a ground rule double. Smith was the driving force offensively for Seattle, and played solid defense in right field.

Lloyd McClendon plans to hit Smith out of the number 2 spot against right-handed pitching all season. Admittedly, 1 game is a very small sample size, but Smith has the look of a guy who will excel with the M’s. He is a line drive hitter who sports a career .347 on base percentage. Obviously, it will be impossible to keep his 1.000 batting average in tact, but I think 2015 could be a big year for the Mariners’ new right fielder.

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