Cal Raleigh Hits Three Homers as Mariners End Phillies’ Nine-Game Win Streak

Cal Raleigh gave Seattle’s difficult season one unforgettable night on August 24. The Mariners catcher hit three home runs as Seattle beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 at T-Mobile Park on Monday, snapping Philadelphia’s season-best nine-game winning streak.

The result was also one of Zack Wheeler’s roughest starts in a Phillies uniform. Seattle scored five runs in the first inning, forced Wheeler to work through constant traffic, and eventually tagged him for eight earned runs and four home runs in four innings.

The short answer: Cal Raleigh went 3-for-3 with three home runs, four RBIs and a walk. Seattle’s five-run first inning put the Phillies behind immediately, and Zack Wheeler never regained full command as the Mariners ended Philadelphia’s nine-game winning streak.

Mariners vs Phillies at a glance

Detail	Confirmed result
Final score	Mariners 9, Phillies 2
Venue	T-Mobile Park, Seattle
Cal Raleigh	3-for-3, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB
Zack Wheeler	4 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 4 HR
Logan Gilbert	5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Phillies streak	Nine straight wins ended

How did Seattle take control so quickly?

Philadelphia actually scored first on Alec Bohm’s run-producing groundout, but the lead disappeared almost immediately.

Seattle answered with a five-run first inning. Julio Rodriguez hit a three-run homer after Wheeler fell behind in traffic, and Raleigh followed with a two-run shot that made it 5-1 before Wheeler had completed the inning.

The sequence is also detailed in the Associated Press game recap published by ABC News, which records Julio Rodriguez’s three-run homer and Raleigh’s two-run shot as the two decisive swings in Seattle’s five-run first inning.

The Phillies cut the deficit to 5-2 when J.T. Realmuto homered in the second, but that was their final run. Seattle added another run on a wild pitch in the third and then broke the game open again in the fifth.

How historic was Cal Raleigh’s three-home-run game?

Raleigh’s first homer came in the first inning, his second opened the fifth, and his third arrived in the seventh against reliever Chase Shugart. All three were pulled into the right-field seats from the left side of the plate.

According to the Associated Press recap on FOX Sports, Raleigh became only the second Mariners catcher to hit three home runs in one game, joining current Seattle manager Dan Wilson, who did it in April 1996.

Raleigh also became the 13th player in Mariners history with a three-homer game. He finished 3-for-3 with a walk, four RBIs and three runs, turning what had been a difficult offensive stretch into the biggest individual performance of the night.

Seattle’s biggest turning points

• Julio Rodriguez erased Philadelphia’s early lead with a three-run homer in the first inning.
• Raleigh added a two-run shot in the same inning, giving Seattle a 5-1 cushion.
• A wild pitch with the bases loaded pushed the lead to 6-2 in the third.
• Raleigh and Cole Young opened the fifth with back-to-back home runs.
• Raleigh completed the first three-homer game of his career in the seventh.

What went wrong for Zack Wheeler?

The issue was less about a sudden loss of velocity and more about where the pitches finished. Wheeler walked five batters, repeatedly fell into stressful counts and left too many pitches over the heart of the plate when he did attack the zone.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s analysis of Wheeler’s startMLB.com’s first-party game report also documents Wheeler’s fifth-inning return: after four completed innings, he came back out and allowed back-to-back home runs to Raleigh and Cole Young without recording an out. MLB.com game report.

The final line was unusually harsh for one of Philadelphia’s most dependable starters: eight earned runs on nine hits, five walks and four home runs across 4.0 innings. Wheeler returned for the fifth but did not record an out before being removed after back-to-back home runs. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that it was the first start in Phillies history in which a pitcher allowed at least four home runs while also walking five batters, and the eight runs tied Wheeler’s career high. Official MLB box score lists Wheeler at 4.0 IP.

The walks are the clearest trend to watch. Wheeler has issued 15 walks across his last four starts, a sharp change from the strike-throwing consistency that has defined much of his Phillies career.

Does the rough start point to a health problem?

There is no public indication from Wheeler or the Phillies that this outing was caused by a new physical problem. Wheeler said after the game that he felt healthy and strong, and the team framed the issue around command and execution.

That context matters because Wheeler returned in April after thoracic outlet surgery ended his 2025 season. His comeback was initially excellent. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that he posted a 2.16 ERA over his first 16 starts after returning and had worked his way into the National League Cy Young conversation before this recent dip in results.

One bad night does not erase that body of work. The more immediate concern is whether Wheeler can quickly restore his fastball command and reduce the free passes that have made recent innings much harder to finish.

Why could the Phillies not answer Seattle’s power?

Philadelphia had chances early, but the offense never created the kind of counterpunch needed after Seattle scored five in the first. Bohm drove in the first run and Realmuto homered in the second, yet the Phillies finished with only five hits and did not score again.

Mariners starter Logan Gilbert worked five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Seattle’s bullpen then closed the final four innings without allowing another hit.

That contrast defined the game. Philadelphia needed long at-bats and baserunners to climb back into it, while Seattle kept adding damage with one swing. The Mariners hit five home runs in total, three from Raleigh plus one each from Rodriguez and Young.

What does the loss mean for the Phillies and Mariners?

The loss dropped Philadelphia to 73-59 and ended a nine-game winning streak that had been the club’s best run of the season. Seattle improved to 63-69 and received exactly the kind of power surge it needed from a lineup that had been searching for a spark.

For Philadelphia, the larger question is not the streak ending. Winning streaks eventually stop. The more important issue is Wheeler’s recent command because the Phillies expect their rotation to carry significant weight in any postseason push.

For Seattle, Raleigh’s night offered a reminder of how quickly one elite power hitter can change a game. The Mariners did not need a long rally in every inning. They attacked Wheeler’s mistakes early and kept applying pressure whenever he returned to the middle of the zone.

What comes next in the series?

As of publication on August 25, the three-game series is scheduled to continue Tuesday in Seattle, with Aaron Nola listed for Philadelphia and George Kirby for the Mariners. Philadelphia will be looking for a cleaner start after falling behind by four runs in the first inning on Monday. Official MLB starting lineups schedule. This section should be refreshed if the article is published after the next game begins.

Bottom line

Cal Raleigh owned the night. His three home runs powered a 9-2 Mariners win, ended Philadelphia’s nine-game streak and turned Zack Wheeler’s command problems into one of the toughest starts of his career. For Seattle, it was a statement performance from its catcher. For Philadelphia, the next test is whether Wheeler’s recent walk and command issues are a short-term dip or something that needs a deeper adjustment.