3 Up, 3 Down: Cal Raleigh, Bullpen Lead Mariners to Emotional 7-4 Win Over Astros

Tempers flared and Robbie Ray disappointed once again, but Cal Raleigh went yard and the Mariners' bullpen shined in a big way to defeat the Astros by a final score of 7-4. Ty Dane Gonzalez breaks down the three best and worst performances that made it possible.

There is a lot to unpack from the Mariners' 7-4 win over the Astros on Monday, which marks their seventh victory in 10 games and brings them one step closer to .500 on the season.

Unfortunately, the biggest takeaway from the night's action won't be Seattle's impressive showing against one of the best teams in baseball. Instead, the conversation will be dominated by the events that transpired in the top of the ninth inning, highlighted by a benches-clearing altercation between the two clubs.

No punches were thrown, but plenty of colorful language was exchanged as both teams collided at home plate after Ty France was struck in the back by a 94.1 MPH fastball from Héctor Neris. Things continued to escalate from there, resulting in home plate umpire Chris Guccione dishing out ejections like Oprah on a weekday afternoon. 

While Seattle opted not to respond in the bottom half of the game's final frame, it's unlikely the tension borne by the hectic ninth has been deadened. As such, the next two days could get very interesting down at Minute Maid Park.

"Brawl Watch" aside, the Mariners survived yet another disappointing start from their No. 1 rotation piece—more on that later—to put together a performance built on the foundation that fueled their memorable postseason bid a season ago. From the high emotions that came into play, to the overall height of the matchup in general, this was as big of a win as any Seattle has claimed so far in 2022. 

Here were the three best and worst (with a twist) individual outings that made it all possible. 

3 Up

The Mariners' bullpen

Robbie Ray was awarded the win in this one, but the Mariners' bullpen deserves far more credit. Penn Murfee was brilliant in his 1.2 innings of work, allowing just one hit in that time before being replaced by newcomer Ryan Borucki. The former Blue Jays reliever was thrown right into the fire in his Seattle debut, receiving the daunting task of facing Yordan Álvarez in a one-run ballgame. Borucki survived, however, forcing Álvarez to ground out on his second and final pitch of the night.

Sergio Romo then tagged in to handle the bottom of the eighth, fresh off a brutal pair of outings in which he allowed a combined four home runs. Mariners manager Scott Servais put his trust in the three-time World Series champion and it paid off as Romo tallied six swings and misses on 26 pitches with good feel for his slider, holding Houston scoreless. Given a three-run cushion as a result of Seattle's wild top of the ninth, Diego Castillo came in and shut the door on the Astros with ease for his sixth scoreless outing in a row, capping off a 2021-esque performance by the Mariners' bullpen. 

C Cal Raleigh

Dating back to last season, the Mariners are now 8-0 when Raleigh hits a home run. The big man carried the load on Monday night, scorching a three-run shot with an exit velocity of 99.4 MPH to straightaway right field and later punching in what proved to be a game-winning RBI single his next time through the lineup. It's not a breakout just yet, but Raleigh has hits in four of the six games he's appeared in during this road trip and just completed his best day as a big leaguer. 

OF Julio Rodríguez

After the benches cleared and both sides returned to their respective dugouts, Rodríguez ensured Neris and the Astros would regret their decision to put France on first. The 21-year old outfielder got a 93.4 MPH fastball at the top of the zone and deposited it into the right field stands for his seventh career home run, extending the Mariners' lead to 7-4. For obvious reasons, the timing could not have been any better. 

3 Down

LHP Robbie Ray

The fact Ray made it through 5.0 innings with just four runs to his credit was nothing short of a miracle. Generating just 10 whiffs on 98 pitches and issuing three walks, the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner bounced between catching too much of the plate and missing it entirely. He was given three separate leads in this game and immediately blew two of them, surrendering his 12th, 13th and 14th home runs of the season, which ties him with Nationals righty Josiah Gray for second-most in MLB. While it's still relatively early in the year, there's no more avoiding the elephant in the room: the Mariners need better from their $115 million starter, and soon. 

RHP Héctor Neris

These game reviews are typically limited to Mariners players only, but we're going to make a special exception for Mr. Neris. After doing his dugout's bidding by hitting France in the back, the veteran reliever proceeded to serve up a two-run blast to Rodríguez and a walk to J.P. Crawford. Neris, unable to live with his struggles, exhaled his frustrations in one of the most disgraceful ways you possibly can on a baseball diamond, hurtling a 94.4 MPH fastball at Eugenio Suárez's head, which could have done serious damage had it made impact. There are no excuses for Neris' actions and no benefit of the doubt to be given; it was clear what his intentions were and he should be suspended without hesitation for putting Suárez's livelihood at risk over his hurt pride. 

3B Eugenio Suárez

After leading the Mariners to a pair of comeback wins in Arlington this past weekend, Suárez was fitted for a golden sombrero on Monday night. Striking out four times and nearly getting his head taken off by an upset Neris in the process, this was certainly a night the veteran third baseman would like to move on from.