Cal Raleigh Hits 3 Homers, Mariners Win 9-2

Cal Raleigh hit three home runs Monday night, the first three-homer game of his career, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 at T-Mobile Park. AP's Shane Lantz and ESPN's recap both had the line. It snapped Philadelphia's season-best nine-game winning streak. Raleigh finished 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBI, RotoWire and HeraldNet both wrote, and lifted his average from .159 to .167. All three balls went to the right-field seats from the left side of the plate.

"I had never done that before, at any level. So, hard to fathom, and it was a fun night," Raleigh said, per AP. He is the 13th player in Mariners history to hit three homers in a game. The previous one was teammate Dominic Canzone on Sept. 16 last year. The only other Seattle catcher to do it was current manager Dan Wilson in April 1996.

Cal Raleigh three homers: Wheeler, then Shugart

Julio Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the first. Raleigh followed with a two-run shot off Zack Wheeler to cap a five-run inning, AP and ESPN sequenced. HeraldNet had the first one at 109 mph exit velocity off a 95 mph Wheeler fastball. Raleigh and Cole Young opened the fifth with back-to-back homers and chased Wheeler. The third was a solo shot off reliever Chase Shugart in the seventh, his 17th homer of the season. It was his first multihomer game of 2026.

Wheeler (10-5) allowed a season-high eight runs on nine hits and five walks in four-plus innings, ESPN wrote. He struck out four. Logan Gilbert (11-7) gave up two runs in five innings, including a J.T. Realmuto homer in the second. Gilbert escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first by striking out Bryson Stott after Alec Bohm's RBI groundout. Randy Arozarena walked three times. Seattle is 63-69. Philadelphia is 73-59.

From .159 to a 60-homer hangover

Raleigh was AL MVP runner-up last year, when he led the majors with 60 home runs and 125 RBI, AP noted. HeraldNet said he entered Monday threatening to be the worst qualified hitter in baseball after missing time with an oblique. He began the night with a 31.2% strikeout rate. "I've been feeling better in the box," he said, per AP. "Physically, trying to just get my hands back sooner." Wilson pointed at barrels, walks, and better pitches. "Tonight was just a combination of all of that again."

The outburst came a night after Seattle lost 19-2 to the Cubs, the Ian Happ grand slam game. HeraldNet said the Mariners stayed three games behind Texas (66-66) in the AL West and three back in the wild-card race. Gilbert called it a confidence night. "You know how this team does when he gets hot and gets rolling." Aaron Nola faces George Kirby on Tuesday. One three-homer night does not fix a .167 average. It is the first time all year the Big Dumper looked like last year's version.

Cal Raleigh three homers FAQ

How many home runs did Cal Raleigh hit Monday? Three, the first three-homer game of his career, per AP, ESPN, and HeraldNet. He went 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBI in a 9-2 win. All three were pulled to right field from the left side.

Who did the Mariners beat, and what was the score? Philadelphia, 9-2, at T-Mobile Park on Aug. 24. It stopped the Phillies' nine-game winning streak. Julio Rodriguez hit a three-run homer. Cole Young also homered. Zack Wheeler allowed eight runs.

Where does Cal Raleigh stand after the game? Seventeen home runs, batting average .167 (up from .159), per AP and ESPN. Last year he hit 60 and finished second in AL MVP voting. Wilson is the only other Mariners catcher with a three-homer game (April 1996).