SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh hit his major-league-leading 45th home run in a four-run first inning, and the Seattle Mariners hung on for a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Raleigh’s two-run shot came off Rays starter Adrian Houser, before Eugenio Suarez added a two-run single for the M’s in the first.
Raleigh, who went 1-for-5, joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners players to hit 45 home runs in a season, according to ESPN Research. Griffey did it 5 times.
Raleigh also moved into a tie with Johnny Bench (1970) at second all time for most homers by a catcher in a season. The Kansas City Royals‘ Salvador Perez belted 48 in 2021.
Raleigh homered in all three games of the series.
Sunday’s win was Seattle’s seventh straight, the longest active run in the American League. Josh Naylor also homered for the M’s, who wrapped up a 9-1 homestand.
Seattle starter Bryan Woo (10-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. It was his 23rd start this season of six innings or more.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
