Welcome to the Cal Raleigh show. The MVP candidate used and abused the Rockies, hitting his 59th and 60th homers and doubling to drive in five runs as the Mariners clinched the AL West crown for the first
time since 2001.
It’s games like this that make you wish for a mercy rule. At the very least, games like this help you realize you are ready for this 2025 Colorado Rockies season to be over.
This game will be remembered in Seattle forever. The 42,883 fans in attendance relentlessly cheered, rarely sat down and were rewarded with a celebration that only comes around every 24 years (or never in the Rockies case). Hopefully, people will just remember Raleigh’s performance and not the purple team it came against.
One and Done
The Mariners wasted no time in taking the lead over the Rockies, but it actually was ok for one batter. Tanner Gordon struck out Randy Arozarena, but then came the homers. First, it was Raleigh. The MLB home run king, who is four ahead of Kyle Schwarber’s 56 for the MLB HR lead, smashed his 59th homer of the season up and out at 110.9 mph. It landed 438 feet later in the third deck in right field.
Then it was Julio Rodríguez’s turn, and he hit his 32nd homer to left field. Gordon got another out before Jorge Polanco sent a line drive homer to right field for his 25th homer to help Seattle take a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Even though it was only one inning, the three-home run frame set the tone for the game. Gordon hung in for longer, but it didn’t get much better.
In the second, Gordon hit a batter and gave up two doubles, including a two-run double by Raleigh to drive in his 123rd and 124th RBIs of the season, and putting Seattle up 5-0. After putting up his only scoreless frame of the game in the third, Gordon didn’t make it out of the fourth. He ended his night giving up seven runs, only five of which were earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Gordon ends his rookie campaign with a 6-8 mark, which could still mean he will be the leading win earner for Rockies starters, and a 6.33 ERA.
Castillo Nearly Flawless
Luis Castillo threw 7 1/3 nearly perfect innings. He didn’t walk a batter, he struck out 10 and he only gave up one hit. That lone hit, thankfully for the Rockies, came in the form of a Blaine Crim home run. The shot came in the fourth inning and traveled 412 feet to just sail over the center field fence for his fifth homer in just 11 games with the Rockies.
Can I Get an Assist?
One outfield assist in a game is pretty sweet. This one had two. Without them, the score would have been much worse. The first came in the third when Dominic Canzone hit what appeared to be a double, which would have put runners on second and third with two outs. Instead, left fielder Jordan Beck hustled to the ball and threw it on the run to second to get Canzone on a challenged call.
In the bottom of the sixth, it was Yanquiel Fernández’s turn. After Arozarena hit a double, Julio Rodríguez singled to right field with two outs. It seemed like Arozarena would score easily, but Fernández fired in a 98-mph throw on one hop straight to Hunter Goodman to get him at the plate.
The Rockies have now recorded 29 outfield assists on the season. The good defense helped slightly make up for a throwing error by Orlando Arcia that led to two unearned runs in the fourth inning.
Other Bright Spots
Antonio Senzatela entered the game in the fourth and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He helped bridge Gordon’s short start, but even more impressively, he was hitting 97 mph with his fastball. That helped him strike out four Mariners. He gave up three hits and one walk, but no runs.
Mickey Moniak got the Rockies second and final hit, a double, in the ninth inning. It followed an Arcia walk and helped Arcia score on a Goodman sacrifice to double the Rockies previous run total to two.
Raleigh hit his 60th homer in the eighth inning off Angel Chivilli. The baseball world paused to pay tribute. After wielding his trident in the dugout for the celebration, Raleigh came out for a curtain call, tipping his hat to Seattle’s fans. It’s no fun to be on the other end, but it was a beautiful moment. Raleigh joins an exclusive club, becoming only the seventh player in MLB history to have hit 60 or more homers in a season.
Up Next
The Rockies and Mariners will conclude their three-game series on Thursday. Bradley Blalock will get the start for Colorado, while Seattle’s starter has yet to be named. First pitch is at 7:40 MDT.
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