SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh’s 64th home run of the year wasn’t his longest, but it was certainly the most satisfying.
The Big Dumper’s eighth-inning drive against the Toronto Blue Jays was far from a sure thing. The ball soared 155 feet above the field on a high arc, hanging in the air for 6.7 seconds before dropping over the left-field wall at T-Mobile Park, 348 feet from home plate.
“So the roof open, you know, maybe a different result, I don’t know,” Raleigh said following Friday’s 6-2 win that moved the Seattle Mariners within one victory of their first World Series trip. “But, glad I got enough of that one.”
Seattle now heads back to Toronto for Game 6 on Sunday night, holding a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS. Eugenio Suárez added a tiebreaking grand slam later in the eighth inning to seal the victory.
Raleigh, a switch-hitting catcher who led the major leagues with 60 home runs during the regular season, has added four more homers in the playoffs, continuing to deliver on both sides of the ball.
He also showcased his Gold Glove-caliber defense. With the Mariners leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out against starter Bryce Miller. Raleigh then turned only the second 2-3 grounded into double play in postseason history.
Ernie Clement tapped the ball onto the plate. Raleigh snatched it up with a foot on home plate for a force out, then threw to first base to complete the double play. Mariners manager Dan Wilson started the only previous 2-3 ground into double play in postseason history, which occurred against the Yankees in Game 2 of the 2000 ALCS.
“It was just a heads-up play,” Wilson said. “I don’t think anybody could have placed it any better than where it ended up, and then for him to be able to pounce on that, touch home plate, and then get the easy double play at first.”
The Blue Jays struggled to capitalize on their opportunities, going just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and scoring only two runs after putting up 21 over the previous two games.
“That’s what he’s done all season long, both sides of the ball,” Wilson said about Raleigh. “We saw him make that play today, a lot of nice blocks today, and then to be able to deliver offensively like he did. It’s just, again, in my mind, an easy MVP choice and today was just another perfect example of that.”
https://nypost.com/2025/10/18/sports/cal-raleighs-legacy-only-growing-as-seattle-closes-in-on-world-series-berth/
