The Seattle Mariners beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3 on Sunday afternoon, ending a brutal five-game losing streak that left them 4.0 games behind in the American League West race.

In the win, catcher Cal Raleigh got the offense going with a two-run home run in the first inning. It was his only hit in a 1-for-5 effort. Although Raleigh has only a .211 batting average this year, he is the leader of the team’s offense.

He continues to be the most dominant catcher in the game, leading the team with 27 home runs and 78 RBI. He has posted an OPS of .744 and also passed a very prominent name in team history on Sunday.

According to @StatsCentre:

Most RBIs in first 4 MLB seasons by a @Mariners player:
366 – Alvin Davis (1984-87)
344 – Ken Griffey Jr. (1989-92)
315 – Jim Presley (1984-87)
264 – Kyle Seager (2011-14)
242 – Ichiro Suzuki (2001-04)
229 – Cal Raleigh (2021-24 by a 2-run HR against PIT today)
228 – Alex Rodriguez (1994-97)

Now in his fourth major league season after Florida State, Raleigh has 86 home runs and 229 RBIs, and he also hit the most significant home run of the 2000s for Seattle when he beat the Oakland Athletics to send the team to the playoffs in 2022.

Rodriguez, who became a villain throughout his career because of his connection to the steroid era, is one of the most complicated figures in Seattle sports history.

He is arguably one of the two best players in Mariners history, and he played alongside Ken Griffey Jr. in the most exciting era of Mariners history. By that assessment, he probably deserves to be in the Mariners Hall of Fame, especially since it is believed he did not take steroids in Seattle. When he left, however, he broke the hearts of nearly every fan and left a hole in the fan base that has not healed 23 years later.

Rodriguez was selected number 1 overall in the 1993 MLB Draft and made his Mariners debut in 1994, where he stayed until the 2000 season. He made the All-Star team four times with the Mariners and won a batting title in 1996. He also hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases in an incredible 1999 season. He helped the Mariners make the playoffs in the 1995, 1997 and 2000 seasons.

NEW PODCAST IS HERE: The latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast is here. Brady Farkas talks about how the M’s got steamrolled by the Tigers, why it’s all so frustrating and more. We also talk about Julio Rodriguez’s ankle issue, Colt Emerson’s big day, the junior player rankings and the M’s potentially big financial hit. Plus, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney is on the show to talk about the M’s on Sunday Night Baseball. CLICK HERE:

M’s on the way to WILLIAMSPORT: The Seattle Mariners will play in the Little League Classic in 2025. CLICK HERE:

Down on the farm: The Mariners may be struggling in the Major Leagues, but there was good news this week from top prospect Laz Montes. CLICK HERE:

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