Mariners' Julio Rodríguez congratulates Cal Raleigh with 3-word comment after tying Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitter HR record

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh continues to make history in a remarkable hitting season after the All-Star slugger added to his home run tally against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Cal Raleigh took Angels starter Kyle Hendricks deep for a two-run home run in the first inning to give Seattle a two-run lead. It took Raleigh's tally to 54 homers, tying MLB icon Micky Mantle's record for most home runs by a switch hitter.

Raleigh's teammate, Julio Rodriguez, reacted to the milestone with a three-word message on Instagram.

"What a player," Rodriguez wrote in his Instagram story.

As the Mariners catcher continues his bid for a maiden American League MVP title, Raleigh is more focused on the team's performance than personal milestones.

“You know, in today’s age it’s hard not to go on your phone and people are talking about it, texting you about it,” Raleigh said. “I’m trying to do my best to block that out. I’m glad that we have something bigger to work towards.”

However, it was hard for the All-Star slugger not to mention Mantle's iconic record as he remembers his father talking about him when he was a kid.

“I remember him talking about him like he was a god. Which he was,” Raleigh said.

Cal Raleigh's milestone hit contributed to the team's 11-2 win against the Angels as the Mariners hold a 1.0 game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Cal Raleigh, George Kirby helps Mariners to ninth consecutive win

While Raleigh provided the offensive spark on Sunday, Mariners starter George Kirby was lights out from the mound. Kirby registered a career-high 14 strikeouts in 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs.

It was the second time Kirby struck out 14 in a game this season, the last being against the Angels in June, making him the first player in franchise history to reach the tally multiple times in a season.

“I think everyone is feeling that energy,” Kirby said. “Everyone wants to feel that energy and keep it going. The Astros and Rangers are never going to go away so we’ve got to keep attacking every day, and I think that’s what everyone’s doing right now.”

It was the ninth consecutive win for Seattle as the Mariners registered back-to-back series sweeps against the Cardinals and the Angels.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash