Cal Raleigh belts 45th homer as Mariners sweep Tampa Bay Rays

SEATTLE – As Adrian Houser’s pitch count steadily climbed from a lot to absurd in the first inning, and the large crowd at T-Mobile Park basked in the endless Sunday afternoon sunshine, having already witnessed Ichiro throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Randy Johnson, Cal Raleigh hit his 45th homer of the season – a two-run laser to right – and a two-run single from Eugenio Suárez, an easy, drama-free victory and a series sweep of the Rays seemed inevitable.

With Bryan Woo, the Mariners’ most consistent starting pitcher this season, on the mound, it wasn’t a question if Seattle would win, but by how much.

The answer: a 6-3 victory in a game that was far from easy for Seattle or Woo.

But margin of victory and style points don’t help the Mariners in their battle with the Houston Astros for the American League West title. With Houston (66-52) hanging on for a win over the Yankees, the Mariners (66-53) needed a win to remain just a half-game back of their rivals.

The Mariners held on for the win – their seventh in a row – and finished the 10-game home stand with a 9-1 record. They will open a nine-game, four-city road trip on Tuesday at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

“A great way to end the home stand with just another outstanding ball game by our guys,” manager Dan Wilson said. “Now it’s time take it on the road and continue the momentum.”

The Mariners bottom of the first couldn’t have started off much better. Houser grazed leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena with a pitch to start his problems. Raleigh worked a 3-1 count and then devoured a 96-mph fastball, ripping a line drive over the wall in right field for his 45th homer of the season and second of the series.

“I’m trying to get in those good counts as often as I can,” he said. “And I know when I’m getting in those good counts, I’m seeing the ball well and I’m trusting my hands. So was able to get to that (pitch). It was a big one to kind of start the game.”

The homer tied him with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench for second-most home runs by a catcher in the season. Salvador Perez of the Royals set the record of 48 in 2021.

“Bench is a pretty big name, so when you tie him, that’s a pretty big deal,” Wilson said. “Unbelievable.”

Julio Rodríguez followed with a single and Josh Naylor worked a walk. Houser moved them up 90 feet with a balk. Suárez scored both runners with a single up the middle to make it 4-0. But the Mariners failed to add another run off Houser in the inning.

“It was a great, great start,” Raleigh said. “You put the pressure on them from beginning. That’s what having a deep lineup does. Some really good at-bats, grinding them out and got him into a deep pitch count.”

Given a 4-0 lead after the first inning, Woo allowed a run in the second, third and fourth innings. Meanwhile, Houser somehow reeled in his start after facing 10 hitters and throwing 45 pitches in the first inning. The veteran right-hander worked the next four innings scoreless, throwing a combined 49 pitches and allowing just two hits.

Woo battled his way through six innings, allowing the three runs on eight hits with a walk and a career-high nine strikeouts to pick up the win and improve 10-6 on the season. Woo only had two three-ball counts, but the Rays fouled off 31 pitches in the game.

“You’re gonna have games like that where stuff is not going your way, or your command isn’t as good, or pitches just don’t end up where you want them to,” he said. “In the moment, obviously, I get emotional, but deep down, it’s really just trying to continue to do my job, but also use that energy or frustration, whatever you want to call it, use it as motivation to continue to carry on and use it in a positive direction.”

In his 23 starts this season, Woo has pitched at least six innings in all of them. He’s the first pitcher to have 23 starts of six-plus innings to start a season since Clayton Kershaw did it in 2019.

“They were fouling a lot of balls off,” Wilson said. “They were able to get to his fastball a couple times, but he continued to battle. He was determined to get through that thing. And he was able to do it. Getting through six again is pretty incredible. He did what he had to do.”

With Woo’s pitch count inching toward 100 in the sixth inning, Wilson opted to trust his starter even after he walked Ha-Seong Kim with two outs.

Woo didn’t disappoint, striking out Jake Mangum with a 95-mph fastball on his 99th pitch of the game.

“I think when coaches and players and anybody, they have faith in you to finish a job, especially late in the game, I think it means a lot, it holds a lot of weight,” Woo said. “As you creep up to 100 pitches in the sixth, physically, you’re not feeling your absolute best, but mentally, you’ve got to will yourself to get the most out of yourself and kind of leave it all out there.”

Naylor and Dominic Canzone provided big insurance runs late in the game.

Naylor ripped his 15th homer of the season – a solo blast – in the seventh off reliever Bryan Baker, while Canzone singled home Jorge Polanco in the eighth to push the lead to three runs.

Matt Brash picked up his second save of the series, working a scoreless ninth.