Cal Raleigh powers Mariners past White Sox again

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh knew the green light had been approved from the home dugout as he stepped back into the batter’s box strapped with a 3-0 count on Tuesday night. He also knew that a middle-middle fastball would almost certainly present itself in that seventh-inning sequence with two outs.

For the Mariners to break through for their 13th comeback win of the season — again on the shoulders of “Big Dumper” — it would merely be a matter of execution, and just as much, not overthinking the magnitude of the moment.

“Sometimes, being a dumb hitter is better than being a smart hitter,” Raleigh said after the Mariners’ 4-3 win over the White Sox. “It’s a real thing.”

Indeed, that 3-0 count from White Sox reliever John Brebbia yielded a heater right down the middle that Raleigh connected on for a two-run, go-ahead double into the right-field corner that wound up being the game-winning hit. And it came less than 24 hours after he crushed a walk-off grand slam in the series opener on Monday.

Raleigh now has six hits in the seventh inning or later this season that have either tied the game or put the Mariners ahead — tied with Milwaukee’s Willy Adames for the most in the Majors. Beyond Monday’s slam, he also drove in two decisive insurance runs during the 10th inning of Sunday’s 6-5 win in Kansas City. And he now has a 1.046 OPS with 18 of his 42 RBIs in late-and-close situations, according to Baseball Reference.

“I think it is the heartbeat,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “And the fact that he can hit multiple pitches. He is a good fastball hitter. He’s also a good breaking ball hitter. And that really helps in those situations.”

Before Tuesday, Raleigh had just 29 career plate appearances in a 3-0 count, 26 of which turned into walks. He’d seen 61 pitches in 3-0 counts and had only swung at three, yielding two outs and one RBI single, last Sept. 26 against Houston.

The Mariners pointedly approached Raleigh earlier this year about being more aggressive in 3-0 counts, knowing that they could produce the optimum pitches to do damage. Raleigh said he hasn’t always been comfortable swinging in 3-0 counts, but there’s been a shift.

“In the past, I haven’t done a lot,” Raleigh said. “So just learning as I get older and a little more experienced, it’s one of those times where it might be the only pitch you get — especially in tight games like that or [when there are] bases open. So, take advantage of it. And sometimes, it’s what the game calls for. You need to get a big hit and you don’t want the pitcher to pitch around you, and that’s the one chance you get.”

Raleigh’s 3-0 liner left his bat at 109.3 mph and scored Josh Rojas from second base and Julio Rodríguez all the way from first, after he legged out an infield single. The burly backstop also had another two-out double in the third inning that made it a one-run game to account for three of the Mariners’ four RBIs. The other came from Mitch Garver in the second, after he and Luke Raley lined consecutive opposite-field doubles, also with two outs.

Overall, the Mariners have a .740 OPS with two outs in June (ninth best in MLB) after posting a .611 OPS in March/April and May (fourth worst).

Raleigh’s heroics on Tuesday advanced Seattle to nine games above .500 (39-30) for the first time this season and extended its lead atop the American League West to 6 1/2 games, after the Rangers were routed at Dodger Stadium.

A big part of why the Mariners have created such a comfortable cushion is that they’ve now won 15 of their previous 24 games and are 23-11 overall at T-Mobile Park this season. They can win their eighth straight series at home with a win on Wednesday or Thursday to complete this four-gamer against the White Sox.

Adding more solace to Seattle’s comeback was that it came hours after the club revealed that it was awaiting results from an MRI on Bryan Woo, who was scratched from Tuesday’s start due to lingering issues with his right forearm. The Mariners instead turned to Jhonathan Diaz for a spot start, and the veteran lefty gave them a serviceable, 5 1/3 innings with three runs allowed.

Diaz kept them in the game, as did the bullpen with a scoreless effort. But it was another huge moment from a player who’s delivered countless that made the difference on Tuesday.