For the first time since June 1, fans in the Pacific Northwest can call the Seattle Mariners a first-place team without having to note the asterisk that they are merely tied. The lead in the American League West is all theirs after they won their ninth game in a row on Sunday.
And even if he did tie Mickey Mantle's single-season record for home runs by a switch-hitter, Cal Raleigh wasn't even the star of the show.
It was George Kirby's day, really. The right-hander took the hill against the Los Angeles Angels in need of a pick-me-up after consecutive rough outings, and he walked away with 14 strikeouts and no walks over 6.