By Paul Taylor Posted on

Mariners rout Reds as Cal Raleigh comes to life with grand slam

Cal Raleigh takes out a year of frustration on the Reds in an 8-0 win, to help the Mariners back above .500 and into top spot in the AL West.

Monday represented one of those glorious evenings at T-Mobile Park, when the Mariners looked like the team picked by many preseason to represent the American League in the World Series. George Kirby pitched up to his staff ace potential, the defense was solid and the lineup racked up the hits. And at the heart of it all, the M’s clubhouse leader came through with the highlight of the game.

It’s a significant understatement to say Cal Raleigh has had a disappointing and frustrating year. Going to the World Baseball Classic was a mistake (albeit an understandable one), while a lingering right oblique issue compromised his productivity. Even after returning from the Injured List, he just wasn’t able to get his swing right, with him on course for his worst season since his rookie year in 2021.

As such, the Reds purposely decided to load the bases on Monday evening in the bottom of the seventh, to bring him up to bat. Such a scene was almost surreal and never would have happened last year, during his AL MVP-worthy campaign. (Or indeed for the majority of his time as a starting catcher in the majors.) So of course he responded in the best possible way by crushing the first pitch he faced off Caleb Ferguson, to increase the Mariners lead from 3-0 to 7-0 and all but finish the game off.

Cal Raleigh moves up the franchise home run charts

It was a wonderful moment for the 35,929 fans inside the stadium, to see Raleigh take out a season of frustration on the Reds and remind everyone just what he’s still capable of. It was the sixth grand slam of his major league career, tying him for eighth-most in Mariners history. It was also his 163rd career home run, tying him with Nelson Cruz for the sixth-most in franchise history.

Just for good measures, Raleigh added a season-high fifth RBI in the bottom of the eighth after grounding out into a fielder’s choice at second base. This closed out the scoring at 8-0 as the Mariners finally went back above .500, with their third straight win. They also reclaimed first place in the AL West, thanks to the Rangers’ second consecutive loss on Monday night.

We already mentioned Kirby’s sterling effort, which saw him go 6.0 innings of shutout ball, allowing just three hits and one walk in the process. He also struck out six over 80 efficient pitches and he now leads the team with 12 quality starts this season, including a current steak of six in a row. You hope the speculation about him potentially moved does not come to fruition, because the M’s are a better team when he’s in the rotation.

Some concern after Julio Rodríguez leaves the game with a leg injury

The Mariners recorded 13 hits in the game, tied for their third-most this season. Victor Robles was a monster in going 4-for-4, with his four hits tying a career-high. Randy Arozarena also continued to prove he’s the most consistent performer in the lineup, with two hits, a walk and his 17th hit by pitch this season. (He also scored the first run of the game.)

The M’s bullpen combined to pitch 3.0 shutout innings and in many ways this was a perfect game by the team. However, it wouldn’t be the Mariners if they weren’t some injury concerns, with J.P. Crawford being a late scratch from the lineup for an unspecified issue. Potentially more concerning is that Julio Rodríguez had to leave the game in the fifth inning, after being hit in the left leg by a throw.

The official word is that Rodríguez is day-to-day pending further examination, but fans are snake-bitten after all the injury challenges the team has dealt with this season. Of course the hope is that he is okay, but in the meantime, people will understandably be concerned. As important as a productive Raleigh is to the Mariners’ chances of success, so is a healthy Rodríguez.

Cal Raleigh retains faith in the M’s clubhouse and their camaraderie

Postgame, a reflective, grateful and calm Raleigh spoke to the media about his mindset approaching the bases-loaded situation. He explained his focus was on just getting some runs in, but he was happy to see the reaction of his teammates in the dugout after hitting the grand slam. He said:

“Yeah, it means a lot. I feel like this group’s in a good spot right now. I feel like the last three games, the energy has definitely been up, hustling, doing the little things. I saw tonight a couple of plays — and even the other day — guys fumbled the ball, running hard down the line, playing with energy in the field. I know that’s what we’re capable of. And I think the game will reward you when you’re playing the right way. Like I said, they’ve been very, very good, very positive and lots of energy in the dugout and you can feel it. I feel really good about where we’re heading.”

There has been talk at times about the chemistry of the team, a lot based on the fact the Mariners have struggled to get out of the shadow of .500 so far this season. However, those outside the clubhouse can never truly know what is going on with a team, and as far as the players are concerned, they have confidence and belief in each other. Raleigh said:

“We’re still in the hunt and we still have a job to do, understanding that and guys kind of taking on that challenge of: ‘Okay, we’re going to show up every day and we don’t really care about ourselves or the individual performance’. We’re trying to play for each other, play for the team and I think that’s something that we went over and talked (about), trying to make that a point of emphasis of obviously team first, playing hard and playing the game the right way. And the rest will fall into place, based on who we have in this locker room.”

It’s on the Mariners to now seize the opportunity and fulfil their potential

There’s still lots of baseball to be played, with the Mariners needing to show more consistency. The talent is clearly there — and always has been — but now it’s time to show it on a more regular basis. What does help is that this team has traditionally been a second-half team in recent year, so they know they can do it.

It also helps that the AL is clearly there for the taking this season, with no team really standing out. Now though, it’s up to the Mariners to seize the opportunity, in what could be their best chance yet to finally win the AL pennant. And if Raleigh begins to show more of what he did on Monday night versus the Reds, the M’s chances of success only become stronger.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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