Cal Raleigh’s 2 homers gave him majors’ best 12, then he had to pay the price

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the Seattle Mariners’ 13-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday that gave him the major league lead with 12 homers.

So being hit by a pitch to send a message in his final plate appearance might have been anticipated.

Except the pitch that plunked him in the backside was a 63-mph slider tossed by Rangers reserve catcher Tucker Barnhart, mopping up the final two innings in a game that got away early.

“I think I’ll live after that one,” Raleigh said.

Raleigh hit a first-pitch blast deep down the right-field line leading off the fourth inning to open the scoring. An inning later, with the bases loaded and one out — after falling behind 0-2 — he yanked out a 2-2 curve below the strike zone with a one-hand swing that brought in four runs.

Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh follows through while hitting a grand slam against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 2, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

“When you get to two strikes, you have to have a good approach,” Raleigh said. “Stay within myself. Just trying to get my knock.”

Knock he did, for a 5-0 lead with Texas held to one single to that point.

“That was a huge spot for him to do that and give us a little bit of breathing room there,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Got a breaking ball down. That’s what makes him so dangerous. He continues to find the barrel, and they’re going out of the ballpark.”

“Everybody knows what kind of power he has at this point,” winning pitcher Bryan Woo said. “But it’s just everything all together. It’s the bat. It’s the leadership. It’s the humility. It’s what he means to the guys in the clubhouse. It’s what he means to the fans in Seattle. I don’t want to keep hyping him up so much. His ego’s going to blow up.