Raleigh defines with a golden hit and Mariners leave the Yankees on the field

SEATTLE. — Although he wasn’t in the starting lineup, Cal Raleigh found a way to be decisive.

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The Mariners’ catcher came off the bench to hit the single that sealed a 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees, leaving the rival stranded on the field in an exciting finish on Monday night. With an out in the ninth inning, Raleigh connected on a single down the line that surpassed the attempt of first baseman Ben Rice, allowing Leo Rivas to score the winning run without complications. Rivas had started the inning with a hit and advanced to third thanks to another single by Brendan Donovan. The timely hit comes at an important moment for Raleigh, who has had a discreet start to the season. Until that at-bat, the catcher had recorded only two hits in 16 appearances, with 11 strikeouts. “Everything will be fine. Many players are going through the same thing, trying to find their rhythm, especially at the beginning of the season,” Raleigh said after the match. Although it’s still early to talk about a turning point, the performance could represent a morale boost for the runner-up to the American League MVP, who has had an atypical preparation between his limited participation in the World Baseball Classic and few repetitions in spring training. The victory also featured the Dominican Luis Castillo, who shone from the mound with six scoreless innings. The right-hander also reached the mark of 1,500 strikeouts in his career, achieving the milestone against a heavyweight figure like Aaron Judge. In this way, Seattle combined dominant pitching and offensive opportunism to prevail at home and add a dramatic victory against one of its most demanding rivals.