SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 48th and 49th home runs, setting a single-season record for catchers, as the Seattle Mariners beat the Athletics 11-4 on Sunday.
The switch-hitting Raleigh hit his home runs in the first and second innings off Athletics left-handed starter Jacob Lopez (7-7), with the second homer giving the Mariners a 5-1 lead. Raleigh passed Salvador Perez’s total with the Kansas City Royals in 2021 to set the record.
Seattle turned the contest into a lopsided win in the third with a six-run inning that featured RBI singles from Victor Robles and Julio Rodriguez, as well as a two-run double by Josh Naylor. While Raleigh led the Mariners with four RBIs, Robles, Rodriguez and Naylor each knocked in two runs.
The Mariners’ offensive outburst was hardly needed for starter Logan Gilbert (4-5), who set a career-high with 13 strikeouts in six innings of one-run ball. Gilbert was efficient, too, walking just one batter before a trio of Seattle relievers combined to secure the Mariners’ 70th win of the season.
Key moment
In the second inning, Raleigh drilled a changeup from Lopez 412 feet. The homer was Raleigh’s 40th of the season while catching.
Key stat
Raleigh’s multi-home run game was his ninth of the season, passing Mickey Mantle (eight for the 1961 New York Yankees) for most multi-home run games by a switch-hitter in a season in major league history. The overall record is 11 multi-home run games in a season.
Up next
Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn (2-5, 4.95) starts Monday against the Detroit Tigers.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller (2-5, 5.87) gets the ball for Seattle to start a three-game set against the San Diego Padres on Monday
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
