Raleigh hits MLB-leading 32nd HR in Mariners' win

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cal Raleigh picked up close wherever helium near disconnected past week.

Raleigh deed his large league-leading 32nd location tally successful the ninth inning of the Seattle Mariners' 11-2 win implicit the Minnesota Twins connected Monday night.

Raleigh was chosen AL subordinate of the week aft helium deed .417 with 5 homers and 12 RBIs successful six games past week. Much of that came successful the Mariners' bid with the Cubs, erstwhile Raleigh deed 4 location runs arsenic the Mariners took 2 of 3 astatine Wrigley Field.

Monday's location tally came disconnected left-handed reliever Joey Wentz, a two-run changeable to near tract disconnected a precocious changeup that Wentz near implicit the mediate of the plate. It was Raleigh's 4th consecutive crippled with a location run.

"He's conscionable successful a truly bully spot," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. "I deliberation helium feels comfortable, clearly, and he's getting bully pitches. And erstwhile helium gets them, helium doesn't miss them."

In his past 30 games, Raleigh is hitting .331 (39 for 118) with 17 location runs and 36 RBIs. For the season, he's hitting .278 with 68 RBIs and a 1.048 OPS.

The 28-year-old catcher, who signed a $105 million, six-year declaration with Seattle this spring, needs 3 much homers to lucifer Ken Griffey Jr. for the astir earlier the All-Star interruption successful Mariners history.

"He's deed a batch of location runs, but he's recovered a batch of barrels, and erstwhile you're hitting .270 with that benignant of power, you're putting up a batch of bully at-bats," Wilson said. "He's hitting the shot hard. He's hitting the shot connected the line, and past occasionally he's getting ... underneath it a small spot much and driving it retired of the ballpark."

Mariners starter Bryan Woo struck retired 9 successful six innings to gain the triumph connected Monday. He's pitched astatine slightest six innings successful each of his 15 starts this twelvemonth and sports a 3.12 ERA. But adjacent Woo shook his caput erstwhile asked however he'd transportation to Raleigh close now.

"I'd enactment up 4 fingers and fto him instrumentality archetypal base," Woo said. "Yeah, I'm not pitching to him."