Seager finds comfort in pitcher-friendly Safeco Field

SEATTLE -- While the Mariners continue to have their offensive challenges at Safeco Field, one batter who has turned that around this year is third baseman Kyle Seager.

In 184 games at Safeco over the previous three seasons, Seager hit 13 home runs. In his first 34 home games this year going into Tuesday's game against the Padres, he already has nine. And it's not just the long ball that is happening at Safeco, where Seager's batting average of .313 is a huge turnabout from his career .228 mark at the park in his first three years.

"Last year, they weren't as good," Seager said of his numbers. "It's one of the things I was saying last year, I see the ball fine here. Obviously, you like being home, but it's one of those things where sometimes, you catch on and feel good in certain situations. My swing has been feeling good while we're at home, so it just kind of works out that way sometimes."

While Seager hasn't hit a hot stretch yet on the road, where he's hitting .215 in 33 games this season, the home results have helped put him on a strong pace for the season. His 45 RBIs going into Tuesday's game are the most by a Mariners player through the first 70 games of a season since Raul Ibanez had the same number in 2007.

Seager's 10th home run this year came in his 272nd plate appearance, 56 fewer than it took him to reach his 10th homer in 2013, when he went on to hit a career-best 22.

As a team, Seattle was batting .222 at home going into Tuesday's game, compared to .253 on the road. But as in years past, that's not solely a Mariners issue. Opponents are batting .229 at Safeco this year, as opposed to a .241 road average.