Raleigh hits go-ahead home run to lift Mariners to 5-3 win over Rangers

Cal Raleigh hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-3

SEATTLE -- Cal Raleigh hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Friday night.

It was Raleigh’s third home run of the season and snapped a 1-for-16 cold spell at the plate. He hit a cutter from Texas’ Chris Martin 399 feet with an exit velocity of 109.7 miles per hour. Raleigh set a new Seattle record for home runs by a catcher with 96.

The Mariners (6-8) have now won back-to-back games. Andres Munoz pitched the ninth for his fifth save of the season.

It was tied at 3 after Rangers third baseman Josh Jung hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field on the first pitch he saw from Seattle right-hander Trent Thornton.

Seattle went up 2-0 early on solo homers from Jorge Polanco, his third of the season as part of a three-hit day, and Rowdy Tellez.

Starter Bryce Miller hit 100 pitches for just the third time in his career, giving u one hit and striking out five in five innings.

Texas (9-5) cut the margin in half on Jung’s bloop RBI single in the fourth. He ended the night with three RBIs while Josh Smith had two hits. Jacob deGrom went just four innings, giving up three earned runs and four walks with four strikeouts.

Seattle pitchers Gabe Speier and Carlos Vargas left the go-ahead run on third base in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Both of the bullpen arms set down five combined hitters with one or fewer outs.

In all three games where Polanco has finished with three hits, he’s totaled six bases and hit a home run.

Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker (0-1, 7.88 ERA) goes against Seattle righty Bryan Woo (1-0, 3.75 ERA) on Saturday.

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