Raleigh homers twice as Mariners stay hot, topple Red Sox 6-2

Jul 31, 2023, 9:35 PM | Updated: 10:33 pm

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh holds a trident in the dugout after hitting a solo home run, his second of the the night, against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 31, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox walks during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners throws to first base against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox scores on a stolen base and two errors during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Nick Pivetta #37 of the Boston Red Sox throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Gabe Speier #55 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Nick Pivetta #37 of the Boston Red Sox throws a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with teammates after scoring during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Julio Rodriguez #44 and J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners hug during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 31: Ty France (L) #23 and Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Seattle Mariners high-five after a6-2 win against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park on July 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP staff

SEATTLE (AP) — On the day they said goodbye to their closer and one of the anchors to their clubhouse, the Seattle Mariners reached their highwater mark for the season.

Strange times for a team that’s lingered around .500 for most of the season right up to the trade deadline.

Seattle Mariners 6, Boston Red Sox 2: Box score

“It’s hard this time of year. It really is. Players and their families and everything else with the trade deadline and trying to see how it all plays out,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

Cal Raleigh hit a pair of solo home runs off Nick Pivetta, Julio Rodríguez added a two-run single as part of a four-run eighth inning, and the Mariners moved a season-best four games over .500 with a 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

Seattle (55-51) concluded its most successful month of the season, going 17-9 in July and inched closer in the AL West and wild card races.

But the successful month wasn’t enough for the Mariners front office to keep from selling off a few pieces. Seattle’s afternoon started with closer Paul Sewald being traded to Arizona and outfielder AJ Pollock getting dealt to San Francisco.

Seattle Mariners Trades: Sewald to D-backs | Pollock to Giants

The day ended with the Mariners enjoying their eighth win in 11 games.

“It’s unfortunate to see (Sewald) go. We wish him the best of luck. But it’s out of our control,” Raleigh said. “We can look at it two ways — we can kind of pack it in, or we can keep going and trying to make this thing real and kind of prove them wrong.”

Raleigh hit a towering fly ball leading off the second inning that had enough carry to sneak into the right field seats for his 15th homer of the season.

Cal Crushing Co. pic.twitter.com/Zj1LHCQhgo

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2023

His 16th with one out in the seventh inning was a no-doubter off the bat and stayed inside the foul pole to give Seattle the lead.

It was Raleigh’s fourth multi-homer game this season and second in the past two weeks after hitting a pair on July 22 against Toronto.

ANOTHER ONE 💥 pic.twitter.com/a4yPR73olZ

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2023

The two homers were the only mistakes by Pivetta, who was otherwise outstanding in his return to starting a game. Starting for the first time since May 16, Pivetta (7-6) pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowed five hits and struck out 10.

“Him going deep in the game, that was huge for us to reset and actually give us a chance to win the series the next two days,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.

Seattle was able to score four times in the eighth with Rodríguez lining a single off reliever Joe Jacques down the right-field line to score a pair, and Eugenio Suárez and Teoscar Hernández following with RBI singles.

JULIOOOOO pic.twitter.com/KA1aY8DHMe

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2023

Boston lost its third straight and has scored three runs or less in four straight games.

Boston’s first run came courtesy of a play straight off the youth baseball field. Jarren Duran walked to open the game, stole second, immediately advanced to third as catcher Tom Murphy’s throw airmailed into center field and scampered home as Rodríguez’s throw from the outfield got past Suárez at third base.

While Seattle’s defense was shaky in that moment, it came through later with key plays by Suárez and second baseman Jose Caballero, and Rodríguez running down Pablo Reyes’ liner in right-center field.

J.P. Crawford ended the game with a spectacular catch of Masataka Yoshida’s line drive.

.@jp_crawford JUST CAUGHT THAT! pic.twitter.com/NnPbDaqSnL

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 1, 2023

“We all take pride into all we do defensively too because we know that’s a way that we can win ballgames,” Rodríguez said.

Matt Brash (6-3) was one of five relievers used by the Mariners after starter George Kirby labored through five innings. Justin Turner’s infield single with two outs in the ninth scored Wong, but Turner walked off the field with a slight limp after beating out the slow grounder.

Turner is day-to-day with a left heel contusion.

ROSTER MOVE

Boston placed LHP Joely Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with right hip inflammation and recalled Jacques from Triple-A Worcester. Rodriguez has pitched only 11 innings all season due to a combination of an oblique injury and shoulder inflammation.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (7-6, 3.66) has pitched at least six innings in four of his past five starts. Bello allowed three runs over six innings in his last outing against Atlanta.

Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (7-3, 3.96) picked up the win in his last start despite giving up six runs and four homers to Minnesota. In his past two starts at home, Miller has allowed one earned run in 10 1/3 innings pitched.

What They Said: Paul Sewald, Scott Servais after Seattle Mariners trade