Cal Raleigh belts 45th homer as Mariners sweep Rays

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Aug 10, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

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 Tampa Bay 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 hanging on for a win over the Yankees, the Mariners needed to a win to remain just a 1/2 game back of their rivals.

Given a 4-0 lead after the first inning, Woo allowed a run in the second, third and fourth inning. 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.

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.

It tied him with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench for second most homers by a catcher in the season. Salvador Perez of the Royals set the record of 48 in 2021.

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.

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.

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.

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 while Canzone singled home Jorge Polanco in the eighth.

____