It’s the first day of the baseball season! But the Dodgers are already 2-1. And the Padres are 1-0. And the D-Backs are 0-2.
Welcome to Opening Day 2014, I guess. Not that I’m complaining. Baseball is baseball and it’s just fantastic to know that it’s back.
Here’s a quick rundown of the tater trots that we’ve missed as we all waited for the *real* Opening Day…
Home Run of the Day: Seth Smith, San Diego Padres – 22.4 seconds [video]
The Padres were shut down very efficiently from Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu heading into the 8th inning, so they were more than happy to see Brian Wilson take the mound to start the eighth. Making his Padre debut as a pinch-hitter, Seth Smith took Wilson’s 2-0 offering deep into Petco’s right field to tie the game up. It was the start of San Diego’s comeback, as they would up on the right side of a 3-1 victory.
The Tater Trot Tracker Down Under
Scott Van Slyke, Los Angeles Dodgers – 21.46* seconds
The first home run of the 2014 season came on a wallscraper down the rightfield line of the Sydney Cricket Grounds. It wasn’t the most majestic introduction to MLB’s power game for the Aussies in attendance, but it counts the same nonetheless.
Mark Trumbo, Arizona Diamondbacks – 21.66 seconds
The first home run in an Arizona jersey for Trumbo. It too went down the line, barely making it over the wall. It felt like more of a home run than Van Slyke’s, though, if that makes sense.
