Cal Raleigh hit his Major League Baseball-leading 58th home run Sunday night, helping the Seattle Mariners complete a sweep of the Houston Astros with a 7-3 win.
The catcher’s two-run shot came in the second inning, just after J.P. Crawford delivered a grand slam to put Seattle up 5-0.
Raleigh, batting left-handed, connected on a pitch from Houston starter Jason Alexander and sent it to right field.
The blast followed a milestone the night before, when Raleigh passed Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise single-season record with his 57th homer.
Griffey had hit 56 home runs in both 1997 and 1998.
Raleigh said the sweep mattered more than his personal numbers.
“Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a better three-game set,” he said. “Obviously there’s a lot on the line and I give credit to the guys here in this clubhouse. Never flinched and brought the same energy every day, the same focus. Wasn’t satisfied after one win or two wins, and we finished the job.”
Crawford praised Raleigh’s season, calling it “historic.”
“We’re watching history every day and we’re kind of surprised when he only gets base hits now,” Crawford said. “It’s not really cool. If he hits a homer everyone’s just like, wow, he did it again. He’s one step closer every time to more history and it’s really cool to see.”
With six games left in the regular season, the Mariners hold a three-game lead over Houston in the American League West.
Raleigh now sits five home runs ahead of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who are tied for second in the majors with 53.
Raleigh’s 58th also added to several all-time records he has set this year.
He surpassed Mickey Mantle’s 1961 mark of 54 home runs by a switch-hitter and broke Salvador Perez’s record for most homers in a season by a catcher, which was 48 in 2021.
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