Raleigh hits three homers as Mariners beat Phillies 9-2

Cal Raleigh blasted three home runs as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 at T-Mobile Park, ending Philadelphia’s nine-game winning streak. The Mariners backed Zack Wheeler’s rough start with runs in multiple innings to seize control early.

Raleigh opened the first inning with a two-run shot to right, helping Seattle jump to a 5-1 lead. Julio Rodríguez added a three-run homer in the same frame, giving the Mariners two home runs in the inning.

Philadelphia scored one run in the top of the first, but Seattle quickly stretched the margin after Wheeler issues and additional power from Raleigh. Wheeler allowed five runs in the first inning and saw his command slip as the game tilted in Seattle’s favor.

Raleigh followed with a solo homer in the fifth inning, again off Wheeler. In the seventh, he added a third home run to right field, completing a first career three-homer game with the Mariners in front throughout.

Wheeler finished with eight runs allowed over four-plus innings, tying his career high, and he also issued five walks in the start. The nine-game streak for the Phillies ended in an unusually lopsided result for a rotation anchor.

J.T. Realmuto described the key issue as where Wheeler’s misses landed and how that affected the plate, saying that big misses make the ball play larger. Don Mattingly said the performance looked uncharacteristic and pointed to command as the central problem.

"Uncharacteristic," said Don Mattingly.

Mattingly added that Wheeler’s stuff still seemed good but that command had put the Phillies in trouble. He also explained the decision to send Wheeler back out in the fifth.

"Command was probably the biggest thing," said Don Mattingly.

After the setback, Wheeler said he had been struggling earlier and needed to throw strikes and quality fastballs more consistently. He also singled out the frustration of walking batters early and letting it snowball.

"I’ve just been really struggling the past few," said Zack Wheeler.

Realmuto said the Phillies would review whether Seattle had been tipping pitches, noting good swings on some offspeed pitches but no glaring issue during the game. Seattle entered Monday after a 19-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs and improved its season record to 63-69.

"We’re just going to look into the tipping stuff because they took some pretty good swings on some offspeed pitches today that aren’t usual," said J.T. Realmuto.

Raleigh entered the game hitting .159 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI, but he followed that slump with three nearly identical homers. Seattle has won three of its last four outings as it remains three games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers and three games back of the AL’s final wild-card spot.