Mariners dominate Angels 11-2 and Cal Raleigh equals history

Cal Raleigh catches Mickey Mantle with his 54th home run and Mariners stand alone atop the AL West after sweeping Angels.

One thing which was prevalent during this homestand for the Mariners, was how close the games were. This was encapsulated by the Mariners needing extra innings in the series finale against the Cardinals and the opener versus the Angels, to continue a winning run which began in Atlanta.

Well, in keeping with just how unpredictable this Mariners team can be, they decided to flip the script in Sunday afternoon’s final game against the Angels. They dominated early with 11 runs in the first four innings, on the way to a 11-2 victory which extended their winning streak to a season-best nine games.

There were plenty of contributions throughout the lineup including three hits and three RBI by Dominic Canzone, two hits and three RBI by Josh Naylor and two hits and two RBI by Julio Rodríguez. However, it was that man Cal Raleigh who got things started with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, which also notched another historical mark on his belt.

No stopping Cal Raleigh’s date with history

The home run was the 54th of Raleigh’s remarkable campaign, which tied Mickey Mantle for most in a season by a switch-hitter. The blast also saw him surpass the record of 42 homers in a season as a catcher, which he had shared with Javy Lopez.

Postgame, Raleigh talked about what it meant to have his name alongside a Hall of Famer and 20-time All-Star in the record books. he said:

“(My dad) was teaching me (in seventh grade) about Mickey Mantle, saying I could be a switch-hitter like him. … I remember him talking about him like he was a god, which he was. So it’s kind of cool to be thinking back about then.”

The 2024 Platinum Glove Award winner was also asked about how he has managed to carry the weight of expectation which accompanies chasing various home run records. He said:

“In today’s age it’s hard not to. Going on your phone, people talking about it and texting you about it. It’s kind of in your face everywhere, so it’s been there. I’ve tried my best to block it out, (but) I’m glad we’ve got something bigger to work towards. It could always be worse, we could be just playing unmeaningful games. We’re playing meaningful games and chasing something bigger than that, which makes it a lot easier for me for sure.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson also discussed how Raleigh has handled things, especially during these last couple of months. He said:

“I think that’s the one thing that I’ve seen from Cal that I’m very impressed with is just his ability to kind of shut those things out, especially at game time, and really focus on the task at hand. He has just continued to push. It’s been pretty consistent here and I thought today’s at-bat, just staying on that ball and driving it the other way was just a great at-bat and shows you where he is. But his ability to handle it all and to do what he has done offensively, to do what he does defensively, with the pitching staff, you just marvel at all the things he’s accomplishing. And on top of that making history in a humble way, that’s just the kind of guy he is. He just wants to win and that’s where it all comes from – that’s the driver.”

Fans get to see more of the real George Kirby

The game also featured a return to form for George Kirby following two rough outings. He went 6.1 innings and equalled a career-high of 14 strikeouts, which only allowing three hits, no walks and two earned runs.

Afterwards, Kirby was asked what he did ahead of Sunday’s game to flush out his two previous poor starts. He said:

“I had a lot of stuff going on this week, trying to just figure out how to get back to my game and not worry about stuff. Just having confidence, just go out there and compete and stay in control. That’s the only things you can really do, so it’s kind of what I focused on today.”

Kirby was locked in from the very first pitch and Wilson was delighted with what he saw from the righty on the day. He said:

“George was as good as we’ve seen him. I thought the fastball was really good today coming out of his hand. There was just a good velo to it, a good command, location,he did very well. We saw some curveballs, we saw some sliders, all the secondaries; he had good ones today to help accentuate that fastball.”

Mariners lineup shows what it can do

Wilson was of course happy with the team in general, but particularly glad to see the lineup show more of what it’s capable of. He said:

“Offensively, just so many good things up and down the lineup. You can look at a lot of different things. Bottom of the order really getting on base a lot for the top of the order, top of the order being able to drive them in. Great at-bats, grinding out at-bats, getting some walks.”

Thanks to the Mariners’ win combined with the Astros’ loss on Sunday, they now stand all alone at the top of the AL West with a 82-68 record, one game ahead of their divisional rivals. They are also now three games ahead of the Rangers, who also lost on Sunday.

Despite all of these positives, it now remains to be seen what the Mariners do on their final road trip of the season, which includes three-game stops in both Kansas City and Houston. The Royals are fighting for dear life in the wild card race, while the clash with the Astros will go a long way towards determining the destination of the AL West title.

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Can the Mariners turn around their poor road form?

This leads to the question of what gives Wilson the confidence that his team can continue their winning ways on the road, given the recent struggles away from home and on the last two road trips specifically. He said:

“I think it’s just our determination. It’s just the drive that these guys have. We know what’s in front of us, we know what needs to continue to happen and these guys have a way of doing it. What we’ve seen here night after night, I think their preparation, their mindset at game time has been impressive. That’s what’s going to continue to need to happen and I think that’s what they’ll do when we get out on the road. We’ll be ready to go.”

As for the chances of winning a first division title since 2001, Raleigh wholeheartedly believes this Mariners team has what it takes. He said:

“We’ve got the pieces to do it. You heard Garver the other night, we’ve got the pitching, the defense, the deep lineup to do it. We’ve got guys who’ve been here before, so I have a lot of confidence in these guys and the rest of the clubhouse. We’re playing loose, we’ve been playing free, which is good to see. It’s just continuing to do that, so I think a lot of these guys … we’re playing with nothing to lose and it’s kind of the mentality of the team. You can’t go out there and try and play tight and not to lose, so I think we’re doing a good job of going out there and trying to take it and you saw it this week.”

The Mariners will have Monday off from playing before they begin their season-defining road trip on Tuesday in Kansas City. Logan Gilbert will take the ball and hope to continue improving, as he aims to return to the form which made him the staff ace last season.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

So now it’s back on the road, to visit Kansas City and Houston. Will the Mariners do better than their previous two road trips? What’s your prediction for their record in these next six games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.