Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh etched his name deeper into the record books Tuesday night in Kansas City, blasting his 55th and 56th home runs of the season. The performance pushed him past Mickey Mantle’s 1961 total for the most homers ever by a switch-hitter and brought him level with Ken Griffey Jr.’s single-season franchise record set in 1997.
Raleigh’s first long ball came in the second inning against Michael Wacha, followed quickly by another shot in the third off Daniel Lynch IV. The slugger also took a foul tip off his mask and neck during the game, leaving a visible welt, but still went 3-for-5 with two homers and a double. His effort powered Seattle to a 12-5 victory, extending their winning streak to 10 games.
The milestone night also saw Raleigh move past Salvador Perez for the most homers in a season by a catcher, while marking the fifth time in his career he has homered from both sides of the plate in a single game. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, Raleigh not only leads the majors in home runs but has become the centerpiece of Seattle’s push for the postseason.
