Josh Lowe's First MLB Homer Helps Rays Pound Twins, 6-1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There's a promotion on Sunday at Tropicana Field, and they're giving away sunglasses. There were no promotions on Friday night, but it might as well have been called "Get Untracked Night'' for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The three Rays hitters who have been struggling the most — second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Josh Lowe and catcher Mike Zunino — all had big hits in the Rays' 6-1 rout of the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
They bludgeoned Minnesota starter Dylan Bundy, who had allowed only one earned run total in his first three starts and showed up at the Trop with an 0.59 earned run average. Bundy gave up all six runs in six innings.
It all happened so fast, too.
The Rays scored four runs in the first inning on just eight pitches. Leadoff hitter Brandon Lowe, who came into the game hitting .183, ripped the first pitch of the game off the left-field wall for a double. Wander Franco blooped the fourth pitch down the left-field line for a double, scoring Lowe. Yandi Diaz hit the seventh pitch into right field, and Franco went to third.
And then Josh Lowe, who was hitting .170 before Friday, ripped the first pitch he saw over the wall in center field for a 418-foot homer. He pointed to the sky around the bases, and was greeted with high fives and hugs in the euphoric Rays dugout.
The first one is always special.
“It felt great to Josh. That was awesome,'' Lowe said with a smile in front of his locker afterward. "I got a good pitch to hit there and put a good swing on it and ran around the bases.''
Lowe was just 9-for-53 coming into the game and had only three RBIs. He got three more with one swing of the bat on Friday. The sense of relief, well, it was real.
"Absolutely,'' he said of finally getting that homer out of the way. "It’s kind of like what KK (Kevin Kiermaier) said the other day. We’ve always dreamed about that, to do that as a kid, and for me to do that and run the bases, it was a really good moment.''
Lowe said having some experience against Bundy in spring training helped, and he was fastball hunting on the first pitch. He also loved being able to celebrate with his teammates.
“I faced him before in spring training and I know he likes to get ahead with a fastball, so I was going up there getting ready to hit, and I got a good pitch to hit,'' Lowe said. “Yeah, it’s awesome. This team is special. Not only is it a good ball team, but there are a lot of good humans and individuals who walk through those doors every day. It’s not just teammates, we’re all brothers here.''
Rays manager Kevin Cash had Lowe hitting fourth in the lineup, and in the dugout before his at-bat, he told his 24-year-old rookie from Marietta, Ga., ''to not embarrass me'' for hitting him cleanup.
“He told me that, and I’m like ‘oh boy, here we go,’ '' Lowe said. "I came up to the challenge, and that was awesome. “He said it in the dugout, so that was some good assurance there from skip. That was fun.''
.@_joshelowe's first career HR is a BOMB pic.twitter.com/1SNtGRQFj7
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 29, 2022
The Rays added a run in the second when Taylor Walls walked to lead off the inning, stole second and scored two batters later on a Yandy Diaz single.
And then Zunino, who was hitting .083 so far and had just three hits all year, homered to left field in the third. Those three stars were a combined 25-for-180 — a cumulative .139 average — before their Friday night heroics.
"I felt like a few games coming into this one, I've hit the ball hard but didn't have any outcome from it,'' said Zunino, who hit a career-high 33 home runs last year. ''You've just got to continue to stay the course and have good at-bats because it's a long year. But I can build off that, too.''
Corey Kluber was terrific in his fourth start for the Rays. He allowed just one hit and one run through six innings, pounding the strike zone with all of his pitches, and getting lots of swing-and-misses and soft contact off of his changeup. He was perfect through three innings, allowed a run in the fourth, and got through six innings with just 71 pitches.
Javy Guerra pitched a scoreless seventh and Phoenix Sanders threw the final two innings, allowing just one base hit. It was the sixth straight game where the Rays' pitching staff has allowed two runs or less.
Kluber was pleased with his outing, especially since he had given up 11 hits in a loss to Boston last Friday. He always likes to throw strikes and stay ahead of hitters anyway, but getting a four-run cushion in the first inning helped a lot, too, he said.
"I had a good feel for (the change-up), and I kind of rode it,'' Kluber said. "The quicker I can establish all of my pitches and keep hitters off balance, I think that benefits me.
"For sure. Any time you can get run support early, especially four in the first four hitters, that's a huge lift, not only for the pitcher but the entire team because then you can really attack the strike zone. It's always a priority, but that kind of cushion puts the other team on the defensive a little more, so you can just go out there and pounce on them the best you can.''
The Rays are now 12-8 on the season, and are 5-2 on this homestand so far. The Twins are now 11-9, and had a seven-game winning streak snapped.
Saturday should be fun. The Twins will start popular former Rays pitcher Chris Archer in the second game of the series. Archer, who pitched eight seasons for the Rays, will square off with Tampa Bay's new ace, lefty Shane McClanahan. They were teammates a year ago. The game starts at 4:10 p.m. ET.
Related stories on Rays baseball
- JUST FOR STARTERS: Here's a breakdown of Corey Kluber's start on Friday night, and the cumulative stats for all Tampa Bay starters this season in our ''Just For Starters'' segment. CLICK HERE
- RAYS SCHEDULE: Here is the complete 2022 Tampa Bay Rays schedule, with all results so far, and dates, locations and gametimes for. the full season. CLICK HERE
Rays-Twins photo gallery
Brandon Lowe double
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (8) reacts after hitting a double in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Corey Kluber grounder
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Corey Kluber (28) fields a ground ball in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Corey Kluber great start
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Corey Kluber (28) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Lowe, Brett Phillips
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Josh Lowe (15) celebrates with right fielder Brett Phillips (35) after hitting a three run home run in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Lowe First Homer
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Josh Lowe (15) hits a three run home run in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Zunino, Brandon Lowe
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino (10) celebrates with second baseman Brandon Lowe (8) after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Randy Arozarena out at home
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) gets tagged out by Minnesota Twins catcher Gary Sanchez (24) in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Randy Arozarena steal
Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (4) catches the ball as Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) slides into second base in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Wander Franco double
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) hits a RBI double in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Rays win
Rays win
Yandy Diaz grounder
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) fields a ground ball in the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Yandy Diaz smiles
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) reacts after hitting a single in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Dylan Bundy Twins starter
Minnesota Twins pitcher Dylan Bundy (37) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is a former Rays player and coach. (USA TODAY Sports)
Brandon Lowe slide
Minnesota Twins third baseman Gio Urshela (15) waits for the ball as Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (8) slides into third base in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Lowe Out at Home
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe (8) is tagged out by Minnesota Twins catcher Gary Sanchez (24) in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Kiermaier catch
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (39) catches a line drive in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Phoenix Sanders relief
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Phoenix Sanders (80) throws a pitch in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
First home run ball
Rays rookie Josh Lowe is all smiles as he shows off the ball he hit for his first maor-league home run. (Photo by Tom Brew/InsideTheRays.com)
Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.