Mariners’ Cal Raleigh Ties Mickey Mantle’s Record With 54th Home Run Of Season

Cal Raleigh deed his awesome league-leading 54th location tally of nan season, tying Mickey Mantle’s grounds for a move hitter group successful 1961, arsenic nan Seattle Mariners took sole possession of first spot successful nan American League West pinch an 11-2 triumph against nan visiting Los Angeles Angels connected Sunday afternoon.

Jorge Polanco tied a franchise grounds pinch 3 doubles and Julio Rodriguez added 2 much pinch 2 runs and 2 RBIs arsenic nan Mariners (82-68) won their ninth crippled successful a row.

Randy Arozarena led disconnected nan bottommost of nan first pinch a azygous and Raleigh deed nan adjacent transportation from Kyle Hendricks, a sinker connected nan extracurricular corner, 409ft into nan Seattle bullpen successful left-center field.

Raleigh said he had talked astir nan grounds pinch his father. “I retrieve him talking astir [Mantle] for illustration he was a god. Which he was,” Raleigh said of visiting Yankee Stadium pinch his begetter erstwhile he was younger. “It’s benignant of cool to deliberation astir that.”

Mariners head Dan Wilson paid tribute to Raleigh’s attitude. “To do what he has done offensively, to do what he does defensively, to do what he does pinch our pitching staff, you conscionable marvel astatine each nan things that he’s accomplishing,” Wilson said. “On apical of that, making history, and conscionable successful a very humble way, that’s nan benignant of feline he is. He conscionable wants to win, and that’s wherever it each comes from. That’s nan driver.”

The Mariners’ past section title came successful 2001, erstwhile they won 116 games. Raleigh said he is concentrating connected helping his squad extremity their drought.

“You know, successful today’s property it’s difficult not to spell connected your telephone and group are talking astir it, texting you astir it,” Raleigh said. “I’m trying to do my champion to artifact that out. I’m gladsome that we person thing bigger to activity towards.”