Cal Raleigh blasts grand slam in rout of Reds, Mariners reclaim first in AL West
SEATTLE – Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona didn’t hesitate. Dom Canzone did.
From the top step of the visitors’ dugout, Francona got the attention of home-plate umpire Dillon Wilson and held up four fingers, an unambiguous signal for an intentional walk.
Canzone, the Seattle Mariners’ left-handed slugger, was about to enter the batter’s box to face Caleb Ferguson, the Reds’ veteran lefty reliever, with one out and two runners in scoring position in the seventh inning. As Wilson tried to inform him that he was being awarded a free pass to first, Canzone hesitated and looked at the umpire as if to say, Uh, are you sure?
Canzone took his base to load the bases for Cal Raleigh, an unambiguous indication of just how little opposing teams are fearing the Mariners’ catcher these days.
One pitch, and one violent swing later, Raleigh struck back.
Raleigh blasted a grand slam on the first pitch he saw from Ferguson, a much-needed turn of events for the Mariners’ slumping catcher to continue a much-needed turnaround for this Seattle team in an 8-0 victory over Cincinnati in their series opener Monday night at T-Mobile Park.
It was Raleigh’s 10th homer of the season and his sixth career grand slam, and a welcome sign for a slugger that belted an MLB-best 60 home runs last season. The idea of any manager intentionally walking someone in front of Raleigh would have been unthinkable a year ago.
George Kirby allowed just three hits over six shutout innings, and the Mariners (51-50) won their third straight game to reclaim first place in the American League West after Texas’ loss to the White Sox earlier in the evening.
The Mariners won despite losing star center fielder Julio Rodríguez to an apparent hamstring injury midway through the game. Rodríguez exited after beating out an infield single in the fifth inning, driving in Victor Robles for the game’s first run off Reds lefty Andrew Abbott.
Rodríguez was holding the back of his left leg after sprinting through the base, and he soon left the home dugout with a team trainer.
There was no immediate word from the team as to the reason Rodríguez was lifted.
Rodríguez returned to the lineup last Saturday after missing more than two weeks with a concussion suffered in early July when he was hit in the back of the head by a throw while running from first to second base. Rodríguez had a walk-off sacrifice fly his first game back in a game the Mariners won in 10 innings.
J.P. Crawford was a late scratch from the lineup with an unspecified issue.
Colt Emerson, originally scheduled for an off day, was inserted into the lineup about 90 minutes before first pitch. Monday was Emerson’s 21st birthday, and he delivered a key sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to make it 2-0.
Weston Wilson, Rodriguez’s replacement, added an RBI double, and Raleigh came through with his biggest moment of the season two batters later.
Kirby, in his first start in 12 days, was pulled after the sixth inning despite throwing just 80 pitches. He walked one and struck out six.
After Kirby was lifted, rookie right-hander Nick Davila threw a scoreless seventh inning, working around a leadoff hit batter by getting Eugenio Suarez, the Seattle fan favorite, to ground to third baseman Buddy Kennedy to start a 5-4-3 double play.
Prospects promoted
With the MLB draft completed and a group of new players added to the organization and ready to head to minor-league affiliates, the Mariners have started promoting notable prospects up the organizational ladder.
On Monday, the team announced that four players – shortstop Felnin Celesten, outfielder Jonny Farmelo, catcher Josh Caron and reliever Lucas Kelly – have been promoted from High-A Everett to Double-A Arkansas.
Farmelo, 21, is rated as the Mariners’ No. 5 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline. His development has been sidetracked by injury issues, including season-ending knee surgery in 2024. In 83 games for the AquaSox this season, he’s posted a .267/.386/.477 slash line with 17 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers, 40 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, 62 walks and 98 strikeouts.
Celesten, 20, was having a breakout season for the AquaSox. The switch-hitting shortstop, who dealt with hand and wrist injuries at times last season, was Everett’s most dangerous hitter. In 80 games, he posted a .314/.409/534 slash line with 21 doubles, four triples, 13 homers, 52 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 45 walks and 75 strikeouts. He is rated as the No. 6 prospect in the organization.
Caron, 22, was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft out of the University of Nebraska. He’s played in 80 games this season for the AquaSox, posting a .272/.355/.579 slash line with 17 doubles, two triples, 19 homers, 62 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 32 walks and 90 strikeouts.
Kelly, who turns 23 on Sunday, was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft out of Arizona State. The hard-throwing right-hander made 24 appearances for the AquaSox, posting a 2-3 record with a 4.88 ERA. In 311/3 innings pitched, he struck out 57 batters and walked 21. Pipeline rates him as the No. 27 prospect in the organization.