Mariners’ Cal Raleigh ties Aaron Judge record with incredibly clutch home run

Before Eugenio Suarez hit the grand slam that pushed the Seattle Mariners to within a win of the World Series, they needed Cal Raleigh. Of course they needed Raleigh.

In the midst of this magical, epic, record-setting season by their MVP candidate catcher, the Mariners trailed 2-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 5 of the ALCS, series tied at two games apiece.

That's when Raleigh launched a towering fly ball to left field.

Clearly, it was high. Clearly, it was far. But was it gone?

Raleigh took off trotting down the first base line, watching the ball just the way everyone else in T-Mobile Park was.

If it came down short of the fence, it'd almost certainly be an out. It hung in the air for almost seven seconds.

But if it had just enough juice, it'd be the most clutch home run of all the homers Raleigh has hit this year.

It was the latter.

CAL RALEIGH
TIE GAME
T-MOBILE PARK IS ROCKING 🔱 pic.twitter.com/6eOzi9jf2a

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Raleigh answered the call.

In the process, he had his fourth home run of the postseason, which is his 64th combined between regular season and postseason.

That ties Aaron Judge, who in 2022 hit 62 in the regular season and another two in the playoffs, for the most home runs by an American League player in that combined segment ever.

It's not an oft-quoted record, and it's mostly being used now by Seattle fans to make Raleigh look just even a bit better than he already looks. But it's still a cool mark, showing Raleigh hasn't cooled off with the lights shining bright.

The Mariners would love for Raleigh to hit more, too, and he very well might.

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