Cal Raleigh breaks Johnny Bench's record for homers by a catcher before All-Star break
CHICAGO — Cal Raleigh broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench's 1970 record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners' 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Raleigh put Seattle ahead and moved past Bench in the seventh inning with No. 29, a drive to the back of the left-field bleachers off Caleb Thielbar.
Advertisement
'Any time you're mentioned in even the same sentence with one of the best, if not the best ever do it is a special thing,' Raleigh said. 'I'm just very grateful. He's one heck of a player or was one heck of a player. And like I said, just very, very happy about it.'
Raleigh needed only 73 games to break the record that Bench set in 87 games. The Seattle star shattered the mark with 22 games to spare before the All-Star game. Barry Bonds holds the overall record with 39 for San Francisco in 2001.
Raleigh sent his first homer just over the basket in the first off Matthew Boyd.
The 28-year-old slugger had three hits in his sixth multi-homer game of the season. He drove in three runs to push his season total to 63.
Advertisement
Bench was a 14-time All-Star in his 17-season career with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1970, at age 22, he became the youngest player to win the National League MVP award. He led the NL with 45 homers and drove in 148 runs.
Seattle's Mitch Garver, a catcher by position, hit two homers and drove in five runs as a designated hitter. The duo stole the thunder from the NL-Central leading Chicago on a day when Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over 20 years.
Raleigh and Garver are the first pair of primary catchers for a team to each homer twice since Joe Ferguson and Steve Yeager did it for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1979 home victory over Houston.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- USA Today
Corbin Carroll Player Props: June 21, Diamondbacks vs. Rockies
Corbin Carroll will look to build on a one-hit performance in his most recent game (1 for 3 with a triple). His Arizona Diamondbacks square off versus Carson Palmquist and the Colorado Rockies on Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET on COLR and ARID. Find odds, stats, and more below to make your Corbin Carroll player prop bets. Carroll is hitting .255 with 13 doubles, nine triples, 20 home runs and 30 walks. Among all hitters in MLB action, Carroll's home run total ranks sixth and his RBI tally ranks 32nd. Watch tonight's Diamondbacks game on Fubo! Corbin Carroll Prop Bets and Odds How to Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies Corbin Carroll vs. Carson Palmquist Corbin Carroll prop bet insights MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 1:27 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Corbin Carroll stats against the Rockies Rockies starter: Carson Palmquist
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former WNBA Star Gets Ripped For 'Nasty' Hailey Van Lith Message
Former WNBA Star Gets Ripped For 'Nasty' Hailey Van Lith Message originally appeared on The Spun. Chicago Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith is trending on social media this weekend because of something she didn't even do. Advertisement The Sky selected Van Lith with the No. 11 overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft. She helped out her stock tremendously by averaging 17.9 points and 5.4 assists per game at TCU. Not only was she named Big 12 Player of the Year, she took the program to the Elite Eight. Van Lith is still trying to figure out her role in Chicago, but that hasn't stopped her from making an impact. The TCU product is currently averaging 5.2 points and 1.3 assists per game for the Sky. Despite getting off to a respectable start this season, Van Lith has been publicly called out by a five-time WNBA All-Star. During an appearance on the "Let Her Shoot" podcast, Angel McCoughtry questioned if Van Lith is in the WNBA because of her social media following. Advertisement "Hailey Van Lith, she's a decent player," McCoughtry said, via Sporting News. "Are there players out there who may be better than Hailey Van Lith? I believe so. They're not popular... If Hailey Van Lith had 10,000 followers, would she be in the league? Just her true talent, take away the followers." May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2) warms up before a WNBA game against the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesKamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images It didn't take long for WNBA fans to rip McCoughtry for this message. "That's so nasty man," one fan said. "HVL had a successful college career and lead TCU to an elite 8 in the '25 NCAA tourney after they were a 2nd round exit in the WBIT the szn prior. It's normal for rookies to struggle, most take an adjustment period. Sucks to see old ppl be so hateful." Advertisement "The way the WNBA media covers their league is so toxic," a second fan wrote. "It's fair to ponder Hailey Van Lith's upside as a player. It's also reasonable to debate her fit with the Chicago Sky. But to suggest she would not be qualified to be in the WNBA if she didn't have a large social media following is…an asinine stretch of a take," another fan replied. "This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard," a fourth person commented. Van Lith has not responded to McCoughtry's claim. At this point, she wouldn't gain anything from it. Fans will get to see Van Lith in action this Saturday against the Phoenix Mercury. Advertisement Related: Hailey Van Lith Looks Amazing In Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Digital Cover Former WNBA Star Gets Ripped For 'Nasty' Hailey Van Lith Message first appeared on The Spun on Jun 21, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
11 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle accused of abuse by wife, MLB investigating
Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants said Major League Baseball is looking into allegations of abuse made by the wife of reliever Sean Hjelle. Caroline Hjelle made a post on TikTok on Friday of her with the couple's two children with a caption that said: 'When my MLB husband abandons us on Mothers Day a week after this (video was taken) once I finally found about his affairs and stopped putting up with his abuse, so I've been raising two boys alone.' The Giants said in a statement Saturday that they are 'aware of these serious allegations' and that MLB is handling it. Manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox that Hjelle would be available to pitch. 'Obviously we're aware of it,' Melvin said. 'He told me about it last night. We talked to MLB. At this point, it's in their jurisdiction right now so I really can't comment on it further.' Hjelle took the loss in Friday night's game against the Red Sox, allowing a tiebreaking homer to Ceddanne Rafaela in the sixth inning. Hjelle is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in six appearances this season. ___ AP MLB: recommended
