Cal Raleigh, the 2025 AL MVP runner-up, walks it off for Mariners in 2-1 win against Yankees

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit a walk-off RBI single down the right-field line as the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 2-1 on Monday night.

Raleigh, who was not in Seattle’s starting lineup after starting the season 2 for 15 with 10 strikeouts, came through when he ripped a cutter from Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn (0-1). It was Raleigh’s second RBI of the season.

The Mariners jumped in front 1-0 on a broken-bat single by second baseman Cole Young off starter Ryan Weathers, who tossed 4 ⅓ innings of one-run ball. Seattle starter Luis Castillo kept New York scoreless across his six innings of work and recorded his 1,500th career strikeout.

Castillo did not get the win, though, as the Yankees evened the score in the top of the seventh when Amed Rosario came off the bench to deliver a sacrifice fly off Seattle reliever Eduard Bazardo. Matt Brash (1-0) and the rest of the Mariners’ bullpen kept the Yankees bats quiet the rest of the way and set the stage for Raleigh’s late-game heroics.

Raleigh entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, but struck out swinging for his 11th strikeout of the season. The catcher’s fortunes changed in the bottom of the ninth after Leo Rivas led off with a single, and advanced into scoring position on a base hit by Brendan Donovan.

The walk-off victory was Seattle’s first of the season. The Yankees lost for the first time this season after sweeping the San Francisco Giants.

It will be a matchup of aces on Tuesday night, with the Mariners sending out righty Logan Gilbert (0-0, 5.06) against Yankees lefty Max Fried (1-0, 0.00).…Read more by