Cal Raleigh belted his 54th home run of the season to tie Mickey Mantle’s single-season record for a switch-hitter, and the Seattle Mariners powered past the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep and take over sole possession of first place in the AL West.
Raleigh’s first-inning blast off Kyle Hendricks gave Seattle an early 2-0 lead. It also set another milestone — his 43rd homer as a catcher, breaking the previous record of 42 set by Javy López in 2003. Mantle’s 54 came during his legendary 1961 season with the Yankees.
George Kirby (9-7) was dominant, striking out 14 to match his career high while allowing just two runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He threw 101 pitches without issuing a walk, marking his 36th career outing of six-plus innings with zero walks.
Seattle’s offense erupted as Jorge Polanco doubled three times, extending his doubles streak to seven games, tying a club record. The Mariners have now won nine straight — their longest run since a 14-game streak in July 2022 — and 20 of their last 23 at home. With the win, they improved to 82-68, one game ahead of Houston.
Hendricks (7-10) was hit hard, surrendering nine runs and 10 hits in just 3 1/3 innings.
For Los Angeles, Christian Moore and Oswald Peraza each connected for solo home runs, while rookie Denzer Guzmán notched the first two hits of his big-league career.
Key Moment:
Raleigh’s first-inning homer set the tone and etched his name alongside Mantle in the record books.
Key Stat:
Polanco’s streak of seven straight games with a double ties the Mariners’ all-time record.
Up Next:
The Angels head to Milwaukee on Tuesday with rookie Caden Dana (4-2, 6.32 ERA) starting against Freddy Peralta (16-6, 2.69). The Mariners open a series in Kansas City with Logan Gilbert (4-6, 3.54) facing Michael Wacha (9-11, 3.45).
