Josh Lowe leads the way with 2 homers as Rays beat Astros

HOUSTON — Among many things that didn’t go as planned this season for the Tampa Bay Rays has been the performance of Josh Lowe.

Maybe there is still time.

Lowe hit two homers on Saturday — his first in well more than a month — as part of a career-high four-hit game to lead the Rays to a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros.

The victory improved the Rays to 56-54 and kept them at least within 5 1/2 games of the third American League wild-card spot pending later results.

Yandy Diaz also homered for the Rays to support a second straight strong start by Zack Littell, who worked into the sixth, allowing just a solo homer to Jon Singleton in the second. Colin Poche, Manuel Rodriguez, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks finished.

After a breakout 2023 season, in which Josh Lowe hit .292 with 20 homers, 83 RBIs, 30 steals and an .835 OPS, the Rays were expecting him to continue to improve.

But a spring training hip injury slowed him, then an oblique strain sidelined him into May. A hamstring issue delayed his return, and some uncertainty over his health led to a second stint on the injured list.

He returned to stay in early June, but has not been able to go on any kind of extended run of success, going into play Saturday hitting .223 with five homers, 23 RBIs and a .654 OPS.

After leaving runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings, the Rays got on the board with two in the fifth.

Brandon Lowe singled with one out off Houston starter Ronel Blanco, then with two outs Josh Lowe homered to right.

Diaz homered leading off the seventh, and Josh Lowe added his second two outs later with a 339-foot fly to left that barely made it over the wall. Per Statcast, Minute Maid Park was the only stadium it would have been a homer in.

The Rays added two more in the ninth. Jonny DeLuca, who has been struggling, led off with a single and Diaz followed with a ground-rule double. Brandon Lowe then bounced a single past first and both runs scored.

The Rays play five straight series, and 13 of 14, against teams presently over .500.

___