SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh busted out of a season-long slump with the first three-homer game of his career Monday night.
The switch-hitting catcher capped a five-run first inning with a two-run shot off struggling Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Raleigh and Cole Young opened the fifth with back-to-back homers, chasing Wheeler, and Raleigh connected for another solo shot off reliever Chase Shugart in the seventh to give him 17 home runs this
season.
It was the first multihomer game of the year for Raleigh, who finished 3 for 3 with a walk in a 9-2 victory and raised his batting average from .159 to .167. He began the night with a strikeout rate of 31.2%.
Raleigh pulled all three homers into the right-field seats from the left side of the plate, becoming the 13th player in franchise history to hit three home runs in a game. The previous one was teammate Dominic Canzone on Sept. 16 last year.
The only other Seattle catcher to accomplish the feat was current Mariners manager Dan Wilson in April 1996.
Raleigh was runner-up for the AL MVP award last year, when he led the majors with 60 home runs and added 125 RBIs.
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