Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had him a night in the team's 12-5 win against the Kansas City Royals. Raleigh is now in the history books after hitting his 55th and 56th home runs of the season. The 55th one broke Mickey Mantle's record for the most home runs in a season by a switch-hitter, and the 56th tied Ken Griffey Jr. for most in a season by a Mariners player.
In the process, Raleigh had a freak neck injury, where a ball bounced off the plate and hit his neck.
“I mean, it didn't feel good,” Raleigh said via the Associated Press. “You know, kind of let my head up a little bit. Have to tuck it in a little better. It was all good. Just stung a bit. One of those things that happen to catchers every once in a while.”
Outside of the injury, he felt good about being in the record books and being in the same conversation with some of the best who have played the game.
“It's really cool. I'm humbled by it. A crazy kind of thing I never thought would happen,” Raleigh said. “Just taking it day-by-day, pitch-by-pitch. Really enjoying every day with these guys and just trying to finish the season strong.”
With Raleigh's strong play over this time, the Mariners are still keeping their playoff hopes alive. With their latest win against the Royals, they've now won 10 straight games, which has put them atop the AL West. The Mariners now lead the Houston Astros by a half-game, and they will play a three-game series against each other starting Sept. 19.
If Raleigh can continue to play at a high level, the Mariners will give themselves the best chance to make the playoffs, and they could be a team some wouldn't want to see in a series.
