Watch: Raleigh clutches up, blasts 1st career grand slam

May 7, 2024, 8:14 PM | Updated: May 8, 2024, 4:03 pm

Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners bats during a 2024 game. (Jack Gorman/Getty Images)

(Jack Gorman/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh started Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins on the bench after catching four straight contests, but manager Scott Servais said beforehand the switch-hitting slugger would likely find his way into the game.

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Raleigh did get into the action in Minnesota, and he did so with a blast.

With the Mariners trailing 4-2, Raleigh entered the game as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and one out in the top of seventh inning, and he greeted left-hander Steven Okert by demolishing a hanging slider 445 feet into the third deck in left field for a go-ahead grand slam.

GRAND SALAMI CAL RALEIGH pic.twitter.com/KweXZiOiyk

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 8, 2024

The grand slam was the first of Raleigh’s career and gave the Mariners a 6-4 lead. It also tied Ken Phelps, who’s best known as the player traded to the New York Yankees for Jay Buhner, for the franchise record of four pinch-hit home runs and was the fourth pinch-hit grand slam in team history.

The prodigious blast came after Raleigh was brought in to replace backup catcher Seby Zavala. With Raleigh set to come up, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli decided to switch to the lefty Okert. Raleigh has been feared most hitting from the left side of the plate during his career, but he’s shown a power surge from the right side early this season. The home run was Raleigh’s career-high fifth as a right-hander in 31 plate appearances this season, which surpassed last season’s total of four homers in 108 plate appearances. He brought his team-high total to nine homers this season.

Seattle would need another comeback Tuesday but went on to win 10-6, tying up the four-game series with the Twins at 1-1.