Mariners' Slugger Luke Raley Made Some History with His Home Run Off Paul Skenes
The Seattle Mariners are reeling right now, having lost five straight games. As a result, they are 4.0 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West and 5.5 games back of the third and final wild card spot in the American League.
Though the last week has been rough, there have been some bright spots for Seattle, including the home run that Luke Raley hit off Paul Skenes on Friday night in Pittsburgh.
That blast was the hardest-hit ball that Skenes has allowed in his young career, according to @MarinersPR on Saturday:
Luke Raley went 2-for-3 with 1 run, 1 home run, 2 RBI and 1 walk in last night's game, blasting a 412 ft home run at 112.5 mph...the 112.5 mph blast was the hardest-hit ball allowed by Pirates starter Paul Skenes in his career...it was also the 5th hardest-hit home run of Raley's career, 3rd-hardest in 2024
Luke Raley, letting it eat ... He works into a 3-1 count then demolishes a 97.1 mph fastball from Paul Skenes into the right-field seats.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) August 16, 2024
Exit velo: 112.5 mph
Launch angle: 23°
Distance: 412 ft.
Hang time: 4.7 seconds pic.twitter.com/7ON8UoiUvP
Acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays this past offseason, Raley has provided some pop for the M's offense. Though he's hitting just .232, he's got 15 homers and 39 RBI. He plays mostly against right-handers. The 29-year-old has also provided solid versatility in the field, playing all three outfield positions and first base.
The Mariners will look to avoid getting swept by the lowly Pirates on Sunday morning. First pitch is set for 10:35 a.m. PT. George Kirby will be on the mound for Seattle. He's 8-9 this year with a 3.42 ERA. He'll be opposed by Jake Woodford, who is 0-4 with a 5.87 ERA.
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