The Mariners catcher bounced back in a major way with a career-best outing against the Philadelphia Phillies.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners earned a much-needed 9-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday at T-Mobile Park.
From a team standpoint, the win was an exhale after the Mariners' 19-2 loss at the hands of Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Even with the aforementioned defeat, Seattle earned the series win against Chicago and is now set up for its second-straight series win against a National League team in the playoff picture - if it takes one of the final two games against Philadelphia.
From an individual standpoint, Monday also could have marked the turning point of one of the more maligned players on the Mariners this season.
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, who's just one season removed from setting the MLB single-season record for most home runs by a catcher (60) and a second-place finish in American League MVP voting, has struggled to find his usual form. Raleigh's struggles started after he reported back to spring training this season after playing for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic. The former Platinum Glove-winner suffered an oblique strain that he attempted to play through before ultimately landing on the injured list.
Against the Phillies, Raleigh had a performance similar to what fans grew accustomed to in his historic season.
Raleigh finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs scored, three home runs, four RBIs and drew a walk. It was the first three-homer game of Raleigh's career, the first time a Mariners player has hit three home runs at home since Edgar Martinez in 1999.
Following his three-homer day, Raleigh has a slash line of .167/.282/.336 with a .618 OPS in 98 games and has hit eight doubles and 17 homers with 51 RBIs.
Over his last 15 games, Raleigh has a .920 OPS and has hit five homers with eight RBIs while also drawing 12 walks.
Following their win against Philadelphia, spurred by Raleigh's three-homer night, the Mariners are three games out of both the final wild card spot in the American League and first place in the American League West.
Seattle has the easiest strength of schedule in September to close out the regular season, and if Monday was a sign of a return to form for Raleigh, the Mariners could find themselves in firm control of their own destiny and with a spot in the postseason.
"I think this last month will say a lot about us as a group and us as a team," Raleigh said after the game Monday. "I think this is kind of where the boys are separated from the men. I believe in this group. Despite the struggles, whatever it's been this year, that kind of creates endurance and from endurance you get character and from character you get hope. That's what I see in this group."
