Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh ended his season-opening home run drought with a dramatic first-inning blast against Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom on Monday in Arlington. The 418-foot homer came after a 12-pitch at-bat, giving the Mariners an early 1-0 lead. Raleigh, who led the majors with 60 homers last year, had struggled at the plate entering the game.
Raleigh, who entered Monday hitting just .132 with a .417 OPS over 11 games, faced a tough challenge from deGrom. He fell behind 0-2 in the count but fouled off five straight pitches before crushing a 99.1 mph fastball to right field. The drive, measured at 418 feet by Statcast, marked a no-doubter that silenced the home crowd temporarily. This was the third time in Raleigh's career that he homered in an at-bat lasting 10 or more pitches, setting a Mariners franchise record. It also represented the most pitches deGrom had ever thrown in a plate appearance ending with a hit allowed by the pitcher. Mariners officials highlighted the at-bat's intensity, noting Raleigh's persistence after a slow start to the season. The performance provided a boost for Seattle as they looked to climb in the standings.
