Recap: Mariners crush Braves 18-2 for 1st road series win of 2nd half

Cal Raleigh his major league-leading 53rd home run and the Seattle Mariners had 20 hits as they scored their most runs since 2012 in an 18-2 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

BY RICK FARLOW

Sep 7, 2025, 1:19 PM Updated: 1:32 pm

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Seattle Mariners J.P. Crawford Ozzie Albies...

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 7: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners lightly tags Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a game at Truist Park on September 7, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

(Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)

ATLANTA (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 53rd home run and the Seattle Mariners had 20 hits as they scored their most runs since 2012 in an 18-2 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Seattle Mariners 18, Atlanta Braves 2: Box score | Standings

Eugenio Suárez homered twice, raising his season total to 45, and Jorge Polanco and Josh Naylor also went deep as the Mariners hit five homers in consecutive games for the second time in team history, the first since May 20-21, 1994.

Stick talk. pic.twitter.com/3zvZGH5hyo

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 7, 2025

Polanco and Naylor homered in eight-run third inning and Raleigh hit a three-run drive in a seven-run ninth, giving him 113 RBIs. Suárez hit a solo homer in the sixth and a two-run shot in the ninth.

No. 4️⃣4️⃣ for Geno! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/BqTOvzx51v

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 7, 2025

GENOOOOO pic.twitter.com/TGu9gUSSqx

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 7, 2025

Seattle had its most runs since beating Texas 21-8 on May 30, 2012, and its most hits since getting 20 in that game against the Rangers. The Mariners won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 24 against the Athletics and the following day vs. San Diego.

Highlights: Are they back? M’s explode for 8-run inning in Sunday’s win

Seattle (75-68) opened a 1 1/2-game for the third and last AL wild card over Kansas City (73-69), which played later Sunday. Texas fell to 73-70 with its third loss in four games Saturday following a six-game winning streak.

Luis Castillo (9-8) allowed one run and four hits in six innings.

Atlanta scratched scheduled starter Spencer Strider on Sunday morning and pushed him back to Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Joey Wentz (5-6) gave up eight runs, matching his career high, and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Key moment

After Raleigh’ singled in the third, Julio Rodríguez hit a sharp potential double-play grounder that deflected off third baseman Nacho Alvarez Jr.’s left thigh and into left for a three-run double that put the Mariners ahead 4-0.