Cal Raleigh ties Griffey Jr.’s record with 35 home runs before the All-Star
Seattle Mariners player Cal Raleigh hit his 34th and 35th home runs of the season, setting a new personal record and tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s mark for the Mariners before the All-Star break.
Raleigh’s outstanding performance contributed to Seattle’s victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a score of 6-0 on Friday.
Raleigh, MLB’s home run leader, connected on a Bailey Falter pitch in the first inning, sending the ball beyond the left field fence. The two-run hit had an exit velocity of 115.2 mph, the highest in Raleigh’s career, according to Statcast.
With his 35 home runs, Raleigh ties for the fifth-highest number in MLB history before the All-Star break (since 1933), tying Griffey Jr. in 1998 and Luis Gonzalez in 2001. The record is held by Barry Bonds with 39 in 2001.
In the sixth inning, Raleigh surpassed his previous personal best, set last season, with a solo home run that forced Falter to leave the mound. The Mariners only managed another hit, also a home run, courtesy of Randy Arozarena in the fourth inning.
Raleigh, a switch-hitter, has hit more home runs from both sides of the plate than any other Mariners player: 21 from the left side and 14 from the right. Arozarena is second on the team with 13 home runs this season.
