On paper, the move made plenty of sense. The Cincinnati Reds trailed the Seattle Mariners 3‑0 in the seventh inning and were on the verge of watching their deficit grow. With runners at second and third, Reds manager Terry Francona ordered lefty Caleb Ferguson to intentionally walk Dominic Canzone, loading the bases. That brought up Cal Raleigh, last year’s AL MVP runner‑up.

The slumping catcher is hitting just .163 this season, but he pounced on the first pitch and turned on a hanging breaking ball, sending it 408 feet into the left‑field bleachers to break open the game in an 8‑0 victory.

Francona stood by his decision, saying he would make the same one again every time. "I know what Raleigh's hitting and, he still worries me," the veteran skipper said with a laugh. "But, I thought that was our best chance to have them not score. We could play the infield double‑play depth. And, the worst possible outcome happened."

Raleigh was surprised to see Canzone intentionally walked, but he appreciated the teammates’ raucous celebration. "It means a lot," he said. "I feel like this group’s in a good spot now… We’re very positive, lots of energy in the dugout, and you can feel it." He admitted the season has been frustrating, noting he wants the team to build on the current string of success.