Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, whose home run total has been the talk of Major League Baseball, had a power surge when it mattered most in the opening round of the Home Run Derby.
Facing elimination with one out left in the bonus round, he hit two straight homers to tie Brent Rooker for fourth with 17, but advanced to the semifinals by about an inch in a tiebreaker — the farthest homer hit.
Raleigh’s farthest was 470.6 feet. Rooker’s farthest was 470.5.
Raleigh faces Oneil Cruz, the top seed in the semifinals.
Raleigh, who has an American League record 38 home runs at the All-Star break and is on pace to hit 64 this season, was pitched to by his father Todd, former baseball coach at Western Carolina and Tennessee.
Catching was Todd Jr., Cal’s 15-year-brother.
Raleigh hit eight home runs left-handed before calling a timeout with 1:22 left in the opening round. He then switched to right-handed and hit seven more. Needing at least two in the bonus round to have a chance to advance, he made two straight outs before crushing two balls that moved him on in the competition.
James Wood of the Washington Nationals opened the competition, hitting 16 home runs.
It got better from there. Brent Rooker of the Athletics followed with 17, and Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays then topped that with 21.
Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz then equaled Caminero with 21, with five of his homers going at least 483 feet, with a top one of 513.
Minnesota’s Bryon Buxton, hitting fifth in the first round, had 20 homers, eliminating Wood. The Yankees’ Jazz Chisolm Jr. followed Buxton, and struggled mightily, hitting three.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson, hitting last in the opening round, had a chance to eliminate Raleigh and Rooker, but finished with 15.
There was a late change in the lineup of participants as Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. dropped out and was replaced by Olson.
Raleigh became the eighth Mariner to participate in the Home Run Derby. The only Seattle player to win it is Ken Griffey Jr., who won in 1994, 1998 and 1999.
This story will be updated.
