Seth Smith’s big debut the first sign of Mariners’ offensive upgrades

Right fielder Seth Smith went 3 for 3 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs in his Mariners debut. (AP)

At least for one game, the Mariners’ new and improved offense delivered.

It wasn’t exactly as advertised, though. There was no big homer from $58 million man Nelson Cruz, nor was there even a hit out of him or All-Star third baseman Kyle Seager. But the beauty for the Mariners is that – at least on Opening Day – they were fine without production from their No. 4 and 5 hitters.

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The biggest reason for that: No. 2 hitter Seth Smith, one of the less heralded acquisitions Seattle has made in the past two seasons, proved just how crucial a veteran presence can be near the top of the order. The 32-year-old right fielder, once a thorn in the Mariners’ side as an Athletics platoon player, instead showed why Seattle was willing to part with promising reliever Brandon Maurer to bring him aboard as he tortured Angels starter Jered Weaver all day long.

Smith not only provided both the Mariners’ first hit and first RBI of the day, but he was unquestionably the offensive star, finishing 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles, a triple, two RBIs and a run scored in Seattle’s 4-1 Opening Day victory.

While most of the Mariners had trouble early on figuring out Weaver’s Jamie Moyer-esque array of off-speed pitches, Smith was locked in from the moment he stepped in against the lanky right-hander.

“Well, he definitely knows what he’s doing and he’s been doing it successfully for a long time,” Smith said of Weaver. “Just try not to do too much and just hope he gives you one that you can get to the barrel to.”

Finding pitches he could barrel up wasn’t an issue for Smith as he stroked one to the right-center gap in the first inning, right over the top of a shift employed by the Angels against the left-handed hitter. He nearly left the yard in the third with a drive off the left-center wall to score Austin Jackson, then capped off his day with a ground-rule double for another RBI.

Smith’s success against Weaver seemed to be the blueprint the other Mariners utilized to eventually combine for four runs. Left fielder Dustin Ackley, who hasn’t been the quickest starter in his career, brushed off a pop up in his first at-bat and teed off on a Weaver mistake for a towering solo homer to lead off the fifth inning. Robinson Cano followed up Smith’s triple by smacking a single back up the middle to drive him in.

Of course, the Mariners won’t be satisfied if their 3-4-5 hitters put up many more days like today – Cano, Cruz and Seager were a combined 1 for 12 – but the good news is that considering they still amassed 10 hits, they may finally have a lineup that can pick up the slack if the middle of the order is struggling. And if the leadoff man can reach base twice in a game like Jackson did, there’s a much better chance somebody behind him can advance him than in years past.

Yes, it was only the first game of 162, and Seth Smith isn’t likely to provide 3-for-3 days on a regular basis. Still, after last season’s near-miss of the playoffs and a long offseason, it’s hard not to read into such a positive offensive performance from the Mariners against the best pitcher their chief competition in the American League West can produce.