Cal Raleigh homers twice, sets new career-high as Seattle Mariners beat Pirates 6-0

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 04: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run, his 34th of the season, during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at T-Mobile Park on July 04, 2025 in Seattle, Washi (Alika Jenner / Getty Images)

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SEATTLE - Another day, another story about Cal Raleigh's spectacular season.

A summer of slams continued for the Mariners All-Star catcher as Raleigh hit two home runs off Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter in a 6-0 Seattle victory over the Pirates on Friday. Home runs No. 34 and No. 35 of the season matched, and then set, a new career-high for Raleigh, who is writing new records left and right this season.

The first home run off Falter in the first inning was a 115.2 miles per hour missile that landed three rows from the top of the upper deck in left field. It surpassed a 114.0 mph home run off former Mariner Casey Lawrence with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 as the hardest hit of Raleigh's career.

"It felt good," Raleigh said. "I mean, you know, took advantage of a mistake. He's a good arm, and just tried to get on a heater on the plate and take advantage." 

It also matched Raleigh's career-high of 34 home runs in a season, which was set last year. It's taken him just 88 games to reach that mark this season.

"That first one was about as far as I've seen the ball hit in this ballpark. Really crushed it," manager Dan Wilson said.

"It's remarkable. I mean, it feels like he hits a home run every game. That's what it feels like."

Raleigh then followed it up with a towering blast just over the left field wall into the Mariners' bullpen in the sixth inning for his 35th home run of the season, which also ended Falter's outing in the process. It tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs before the All-Star break in franchise history with eight games left to play before the break.

"To be mentioned with that name, somebody who it just iconic, a legend, a first ballot Hall of Famer, I'm just blessed," Raleigh said of joining Griffey. "Just trying to do the right thing and try to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it's a good guy to look up to."

He's the ninth different player to have 35 home runs in the first 88 games of the season, joining Babe Ruth (twice), Jimmy Foxx, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson, Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, Luis Gonzalez and Barry Bonds. Raleigh is the first catcher to accomplish the feat. His seventh multi-home run game of the year is second-most all-time through 88 games, matching Ruth, Foxx, Gonzalez and Albert Pujols. Reggie Jackson had eight such games in 1969.

"Just being in awe, like you are of Cal," Wilson said of playing alongside Griffey during his stretch in 1998. "You feel like one home run, you're like ‘oh man, that’s super majestic.' And then the next one is maybe even better and it just continues. For Cal, like it was for Junior, there isn't a ballpark that he feels like he's not going to be able to leave. Just seeing the ball well and if he gets the barrel to it, he's got a chance."

Raleigh also continues to lead all of MLB in home runs, three clear of Aaron Judge's 32 homers with the New York Yankees.

Raleigh's first home run gave Seattle a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Julio Rodríguez reached base on a dropped catch at first base by Spencer Horwitz.

Randy Arozarena homered for the fifth time in his last five games in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 3-0. His opposite field shot off Falter cleared the wall inside the right field foul pole for his 13th home run of the year.

Raleigh's second blast then made it 4-0 in the sixth as Falter's day came to a close. Falter allowed just three hits to Seattle, but all three cleared the fence. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four with three runs counting against his record.

Dylan Moore then broke out of a frigid 1-for-38 stretch that included 24 strikeouts with a two-run home run in the seventh inning off Braxton Ashcraft.

Meanwhile, Bryan Woo was sharp again for Seattle. He pitched six innings with just three hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. Woo has pitched at least six innings in each of his 17 starts this season. He joins Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers as the only pitchers in MLB this season with a sub-3.00 ERA, 100-plus strikeouts, and fewer than 20 walks.

"He's been a rock, right?" Raleigh said of Woo. "Obviously, all 17 starts or something of six innings? That's what a front-line guy does, you know? He's a stopper. He's been that guy, that consistent in our rotation this year." 

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