Cal Raleigh showcased his remarkable power on July 7, 2023, hitting his 37th and 38th home runs of the season as the Seattle Mariners triumphed over the Detroit Tigers with a score of 12-3. Raleigh’s performance brought him within one home run of tying Barry Bonds’ record of 39 homers before the All-Star break, set in 2001.
Raleigh, serving as the designated hitter, made a significant impact in the eighth inning with a solo home run, which extended the Mariners’ lead to 5-3. He then delivered a grand slam during a seven-run ninth inning, marking his eighth multi-home run game of the season. This achievement ties him with Reggie Jackson (1969) for the most multi-homer games before the All-Star break in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, as reported by ESPN Research. Additionally, he matched Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multi-homer games in Mariners franchise history.
The Mariners have two games remaining before the All-Star break, providing Raleigh with an opportunity to either tie or break Bonds’ historic record.
Pitcher Tarik Skubal, who had been unbeaten for three months, suffered his first loss since April 2. Skubal had an impressive record of 10-0 with a 1.62 ERA in his last 16 starts prior to this game. Against the Mariners, he allowed four runs on four hits and walked two batters over five innings while striking out five.
On the pitching side, Luis Castillo earned the win for Seattle, surrendering three runs over five innings. The game commenced with the Mariners taking the lead in the third inning when center fielder Parker Meadows dove for a sinking liner from Donovan Solano but missed, allowing Solano to reach third base for an RBI triple.
The Tigers tied the game 1-1 in the fourth inning with a single from Ach McKinstry. However, the Mariners regained the lead in the fifth when J.P. Crawford connected for a two-out RBI single, followed shortly by Julio Rodríguez hitting a two-run homer over the Seattle bullpen in left-center field.
Despite the Tigers’ efforts, including an RBI triple from Riley Greene in the sixth inning, which brought the score to 4-2, the Mariners continued to expand their lead. Spencer Torkelson contributed with a sacrifice fly, but it was insufficient to halt the Mariners’ momentum.
With their victory against the Tigers, the Mariners not only celebrated Raleigh’s remarkable performance but also positioned themselves strongly as they approach the All-Star break. The remaining games promise to be critical for Raleigh as he chases a piece of baseball history.
