Cal Raleigh became the first player this season to reach 40 home runs with a tiebreaking solo shot in the sixth inning, helping the Seattle Mariners secure a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Raleigh launched a 97 mph fastball from José Fermin 416 feet into the right-field bleachers, marking his second homer in eight games since winning the Home Run Derby.
Julio Rodríguez contributed his fourth solo homer in three games at Angel Stadium, while Randy Arozarena also went deep for Seattle. George Kirby earned his fourth win in five starts, striking out nine batters over six innings of five-hit ball despite a challenging outing. Kirby closed the sixth inning by striking out Luis Rengifo with the bases loaded. For the Angels, Taylor Ward hit his 24th homer, but the team has now lost five of six games.
Tyler Anderson struggled through five innings, allowing six hits and two runs as he pitched inefficiently. Anderson, a veteran left-hander and trade candidate, has posted a 5.66 ERA over his last four starts. Julio Rodríguez’s homer in the third inning was his 18th of the season, following solo shots on Thursday and Friday. Arozarena’s 20th homer, hit to lead off the fourth, marked the fifth consecutive season he’s reached that milestone. Angels’ trade candidate Yoán Moncada left the game after being hit on the hand by one of Kirby’s fastballs, though X-rays showed no fractures.
Dominic Canzone extended Seattle’s lead with a two-run single following Raleigh’s homer, and Jorge Polanco scored shortly after on an error by Luis Rengifo. Raleigh now joins an elite group as the seventh catcher in major league history to hit 40 home runs in a single season, a feat accomplished nine times overall, including twice by Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza.
The series finale on Sunday will feature Kyle Hendricks (5-7, 4.92 ERA) pitching for the Angels against Logan Gilbert (3-3, 3.07) for the Mariners.