ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cal Raleigh became the first player to hit 40 homers this season with a tiebreaking solo shot in the sixth inning of the Seattle Mariners’ 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Raleigh hammered a 97 mph fastball from José Fermin (2-2) 416 feet into the right-field bleachers for his second homer in eight games since winning the Home Run Derby.
Julio Rodríguez hit his fourth solo homer in three games at Angel Stadium, and Randy Arozarena also connected for the Mariners.
George Kirby (5-5) struck out nine over six difficult innings of five-hit ball to earn his fourth win in five starts despite not matching his 14-strikeout performance at Angel Stadium last month. Kirby fanned Luis Rengifo on a slider with the bases loaded to end the sixth.
Taylor Ward hit his 24th homer for the Angels, who have lost five of six.
Tyler Anderson yielded six hits and two runs while pitching inefficiently into the fifth. The veteran left-hander and Angels trade candidate has a 5.66 ERA in his last four starts.
Rodríguez connected in the third, adding his 18th homer of the season to his solo shot Thursday and two more in the Mariners’ loss Friday.
Arozarena led off the fourth with his 20th homer, reaching the milestone for the fifth consecutive season.
Yoán Moncada, another Angels trade candidate, left in pain after Kirby’s fastball hit him in the hand. X-rays were negative.
Key moment
Dominic Canzone bolstered Seattle’s lead with a two-run single in the sixth after Raleigh’s homer, and Jorge Polanco scored moments later on Rengifo’s error at second base.
Key stat
Raleigh is the seventh catcher in major league history to hit 40 homers in a season. It’s been done nine times overall — twice by Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza.
Up next
Kyle Hendricks (5-7, 4.92 ERA) pitches for Los Angeles in the series finale Sunday against Logan Gilbert (3-3, 3.07).
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