Cal Raleigh absolutely demolished a grand slam in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, propelling the Mariners to a dominant 8-0 shutout win at T-Mobile Park. This wasn’t just any home run, it was a thunderous statement that screamed, “We’re not dead yet!” after what has felt like a lifeless season for so many fans.
From Lifeless At-Bats to a Resurgent Raleigh
Let’s be real, Mariners fans, 2026 has been a grind. We’ve been begging this team to “Bring Me To Life” all season, after the electrifying taste of playoff baseball last summer. Much of this year has been a bitter pill of failure, and the biggest, most frustrating twist has been seeing our 2025 All-Star, switch-hitting, Home Run Derby champ, and iron man, Cal Raleigh, look like a shell of his former self. His at-bats went from must-watch to “I’d rather be at the dentist.” It’s been brutal for all of us, and you know it’s been brutal for Cal too.
Coming out of the break, things felt like they were getting worse, with a flat 0-7 shutout loss against the dismal Giants. That was a gut punch. But something shifted. To their credit, the Mariners found a spark, winning the next two games against the Giants. They carried that momentum into the Reds series, securing a win on Sunday and coming into Monday’s game having won three of their last four. The team was finally finding ways to win, using both small ball and the long ball, a formula that worked again last night.
Kirby Dominates, Raleigh Delivers The Knockout
Even before Raleigh’s blast, the M’s were in control, thanks to some heads-up small ball, capitalizing on Reds’ miscues, and absolutely dominant pitching from starter George Kirby. He might have walked leadoff man Elly De La Cruz in the first and gone to a full count on JJ Bleday despite throwing four first-pitch strikes, but that was just a minor blip. Kirby was dealing, keeping the Reds offense completely stifled.
Then came the seventh inning. The Reds, with former Mariner and 2025 playoff team member Caleb Ferguson on the mound, made a calculated gamble. Reds manager Terry Francona intentionally walked Dom Canzone, setting up a left-on-left matchup with Raleigh and the bases loaded, one out. As Dan Wilson charitably explained postgame, they were clearly looking for an inning-ending double play. What they got instead was pure, unadulterated Cal Raleigh fury. He crushed that pitch for a grand slam, blowing the game wide open and reminding everyone in the stadium what he’s truly capable of. That’s the Cal Raleigh we know and love!
This team feels like it’s finally perking up, putting together wins and showing that fight we’ve been craving. They’ve found a rhythm, and with that kind of power from Raleigh backed by solid pitching, the rest of this Reds series just got a whole lot more interesting. Let’s keep this momentum rolling, Emerald City!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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