If you weren’t already sold on Cal Raleigh as the soul of the Seattle Mariners, ALCS Game 2 just wrote it in bold, all-caps, with a permanent marker. Let’s set the scene: top of the fourth, tie game, tension so thick you could slice it with a batting glove. And then—BOOM—Raleigh hits the turf, face down, like the air got sucked out of the whole city of Seattle. This wasn’t just a catcher going down. This was the guy going down.
Then the big man jammed his wrist on a play only a few catchers could even attempt, let alone execute. “I’m good,” he said. “All’s good.” And just like that, he stood up, dusted off, and went right back to work. And that tells you everything you need to know about the Mariners right now.
From Wrist Scare to Walk-Off Swagger
Seattle beat the Blue Jays, 10–3. It wasn’t even close after that.
Now let’s talk strategy, because Toronto manager John Schneider made a call that will be picked apart for years if the Jays don’t make it out of this series. Fifth inning. Tie game. No outs. Runner on second. And he intentionally walks Raleigh. The last time something like that happened this early in a playoff game, you’ve got to rewind the reel to Mickey Mantle, Rick Monday, and Albert freakin’ Pujols. That’s the company Raleigh’s in now.
But here’s the kicker—Seattle made them pay. Jorge Polanco, who’s having a postseason so clutch he should come with a warning label, crushed a three-run homer, and from there, it was lights out. Three straight games with a go-ahead RBI after the fifth.
Seattle’s Pitching Puzzle Has No Key
Raleigh isn’t just calling games. He’s conducting symphonies. Toronto’s offense, which just annihilated the Yankees, has been reduced to a whisper. Since the second inning of Game 1, they’ve got one hit. One. That’s a .024 batting average if you’re keeping score. And it’s not luck, it’s a game plan executed to perfection.
Raleigh knows these arms. These arms trust Raleigh. And the Mariners aren’t playing around with finesse pitches or cutesy cutters. They pound the zone, challenge hitters, and expand when they’ve got the leverage. They’re not nibbling—they’re coming right at you.
Guerrero Goes Silent as Mariners Take Control
And it’s working. Vlad Guerrero Jr., the Yankees slayer? He’s 0-for-7 with six grounders. That’s not a slump—that’s a shutdown. Against lefties in the ALDS, Vlad ate. But Seattle? They’re feeding him sliders and sinkers from the right side like it’s a buffet of kryptonite.
Now the series heads back to Seattle, where the Mariners are practically unbeatable. But let’s be real—the real battleground is right there between the mound and home plate. And if Cal Raleigh is standing tall behind it, this team isn’t just dangerous—they’re historic.
