Raleigh's ninth-inning homer lifts Mariners to 8-4 win, 2-1 ALDS lead

Cal Raleigh hit a two-run, ninth-inning home run Tuesday night at Comerica Park to cap the Seattle Mariners 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, giving Seattle a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five matchup. The blast, Raleigh's first of the postseason and the 61st of the year counting regular-season and playoff play, landed in the bullpen and bounced directly to a fan wearing a homemade shirt that read "DUMP 61 HERE."

Raleigh connected on a 391-foot opposite-field shot off Tigers reliever Brenan Hanifee. The ball caromed into the bullpen and into the glove of Jameson Turner, a Mariners supporter who traveled from Las Vegas and had created the shirt after hoping to catch a Raleigh homer in Seattle. Turner told reporters he was "still in shock" after the play. He peeled off the outer shirt after making the catch to reveal another that read "DUMP 62 HERE." After the game the Mariners arranged a meeting between Turner and Raleigh; the catcher autographed Turner's shirt and gave him a signed bat and let him keep the ball, according to team representatives.

The homer extended a remarkable season for Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs during the...