How Mariners star Cal Raleigh ended the longest hitless streak of his career

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Cal Raleigh finally ended the longest hitless streak of his career with a single against the Houston Astros, giving the Seattle Mariners catcher a badly needed reset.

The hit mattered because this was not a normal cold spell. Raleigh had gone nearly two full weeks without a hit, and every at-bat was starting to carry the weight of the streak.

That made the single feel bigger than one line in a box score. For a power-hitting catcher who has carried major expectations, simply seeing the ball land safely was the breakthrough.

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Cal Raleigh finally breaks through for the Seattle Mariners

As Talkin’ Baseball noted during the Mariners’ game against Houston, Cal Raleigh ended the longest hitless run of his career with a clean single.

“Cal Raleigh singles to snap an 0-for-38 stretch, the longest hitless streak of his career and of any player this season.”

That number shows how rough the stretch had become. Raleigh had not recorded a hit since April 27 before he finally connected in the seventh inning against Astros reliever Jayden Murray.

He entered that plate appearance already 0-for-2 with a walk on the night. Another empty at-bat would have pushed the story even further into uncomfortable territory.