Aug 9, 2025: Seattle Mariners edge Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 as Cal Raleigh blasts HR No. 43, J.P. Crawford sparks offense, bullpen locks down fifth home win.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
That sound you heard echoing through SoDo was Cal Raleigh thundering his 43rd home run of the season, a no-doubt statement in a 3-2 win over the Rays that pushed the Mariners’ home streak to five and their record to 64-53. Seattle didn’t just ride the long ball, either—the pitching staff pieced together high-leverage outs late, J.P. Crawford kept the offense moving, and the club ended the night right where it started in the standings: 1.5 back of Houston, firmly in the division chase.
Cal Raleigh launched No. 43 as Seattle won its fifth straight at home and stayed 1.5 games back in the West.
Raleigh’s 43rd and 93rd RBI weren’t just loud—they were loud with context. With nearly two months to play, he’s closing in on the Mariners’ single-season home run record, and Saturday’s blast underscored how central his power has been to Seattle’s identity. A .248 average plays plenty when it’s paired with game-tilting slug, and opposing staffs are running out of safe plans. You can feel the dugout lean when he steps in: one mistake, one swing, scoreboard changes.
The Mariners kept Tampa Bay to two runs by executing the plan that has defined their best baseball: attack the zone early, then shorten the game with leverage arms. The Rays threatened late, but Seattle’s staff won pitch-to-pitch, turning a narrow margin into a handshake line. On offense, Raleigh supplied the thunder and J.P. Crawford set the tone at the top, continuing a quietly pivotal season from the shortstop table-setter with a .266 average and .357 OBP. It wasn’t gaudy, but it was the kind of stubborn, composed win that travels in October.
Staying 1.5 games behind Houston keeps the pressure squarely on the Astros while reinforcing the Mariners’ margin for error is slim. This is the stretch where banking home wins changes your math: fewer must-wins on the road, more flexibility with pitching matchups, and the ability to ride the hot hand. The division isn’t just in sight—it’s within a good week’s reach.
Every contender needs a heartbeat. Crawford’s line won’t dominate chyron space, but the .266/.357 foundation has stabilized innings and fed the middle of the order all year. His at-bats extend pitch counts, his defense keeps pitchers in rhythm, and he’s the connective tissue between the top and the thunder. Nights like this underline how indispensable that is.
Even without a headline move this week, the pen executed the blueprint: pound the zone, change eye levels, win margins. The final frames were tense, but Seattle strung together the right matchups and tempo to trap Tampa Bay at two. That’s how you stack one-run wins and build trust in roles as the calendar flips toward the stretch run.
In Double-A Arkansas, top prospect Colt Emerson turned a running catch into a double play with a quick-turn laser to first—exactly the kind of instinct-and-athleticism combo you can’t teach. Plays like that don’t just fill highlight reels; they hint at a defender whose game speeds up when it matters. The pipeline keeps feeding, and Seattle’s long-term infield picture looks as healthy as it has in years.
No new roster moves today, which tracks with a club that’s playing its best ball of the season. Recent notes: Collin Snider was sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma on August 3, and Trent Thornton hit the 15-day IL on August 1 with a torn left Achilles. Stability is the story—and with the pen covering tight finishes, the group looks content to ride what’s working.
The Mariners’ socials leaned into the moment—Raleigh’s 43rd, five straight at home, and a locker room that looks like it believes it’s about to run down the West. Players dropped celebratory shots from the clubhouse, and fans showed up in the replies like it’s 116-win summer energy. August baseball that matters hits different.
The series rolls on at T-Mobile Park, and Seattle has a chance to keep stacking home wins and chipping away at Houston’s lead while Raleigh chases franchise history. Keep winning the margins, keep feeding the middle of the order, and this thing gets very real very fast. Same time tomorrow—bring the noise.
