Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh homered in the third inning against the host Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to surpass Mickey Mantle's single-season record for long balls by a switch hitter, then hit his 56th homer of the year an inning later to equal the franchise record set by Ken Griffey Jr.
Leading off the third inning, with the visiting Mariners ahead 3-0, Raleigh crushed a Michael Wacha pitch that stayed fair into the right field seats for his 55th home run. The blast pushed Raleigh past Mantle's mark established in 1961.
Raleigh, who homered from the left side of the plate against Wacha, turned around against left-hander Daniel Lynch IV in the fourth inning and tied the club record with a two-run drive over the center field wall for a 9-0 Mariners lead.
Griffey hit 56 homers for Seattle in both 1997 and 1998.
Raleigh told MLB Network, "My name shouldn't be in the same sentence with those guys, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. I don't really have words for it. ... I'm sure one day it will set in."
Raleigh also doubled and scored in the first inning, and Seattle went on to win 12-5.
{{/usCountry}}Raleigh also doubled and scored in the first inning, and Seattle went on to win 12-5.
{{/usCountry}}A first-time All-Star this year, Raleigh leads the major leagues in home runs and paces the American League with 118 RBIs. Earlier this year, he set the single-season record for home runs by a full-time catcher, previously held by Salvador Perez of the Royals .
The first-place Mariners lead the Houston Astros by a half- game in the American League West.
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