Brandon Lowe was not lying when he said he hopes his dramatic hit Tuesday night will turn around the Tampa Bay Rays’ sour season.
With two outs in a tie game in the ninth inning, Lowe rocked a walk-off, three-run homer in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Rays will host the Cubs in the middle contest of their three-game series Wednesday evening in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Through eight innings on Tuesday, it looked like more of the same for the American League East’s last-place Rays.
They had produced just five hits — like they did on Monday in a 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. That came on the heels of managing six in a 9-2 setback to Baltimore on Sunday and just two in Saturday’s 5-0 shutout loss to the Orioles.
But against Chicago closer Hector Neris on Tuesday, Richie Palacios doubled, Ben Rortvedt walked two batters later, and Jose Caballero stroked a tying one-out single to center field.
That set up Lowe’s big moment.
After seeing four consecutive splitters from Neris and fouling off two, Lowe saw a flat fifth one and blasted his third walk-off homer, a 387-foot shot that landed in the first row of the stands in right center — just far enough for the Rays to snap a four-game losing streak.
“It was one of those things where I was not going to strike out in that situation,” Lowe said of his fourth career walk-off hit. “I wanted to do something so someone would have to make a play. I was able to put a little bit on it.”
The sting of losing a four-game home series against the Orioles was an eye-opener.
“Losing four against Baltimore really left a sour taste in everybody’s mouth,” Lowe said. “We told everyone that was a turning point and we’d start playing better. I’m glad to not be a liar just yet.”
The Rays on Wednesday will turn to right-hander Aaron Civale, who is 2-5 and carries the burden of a career-worst 5.51 ERA through 13 starts.
Civale owns a 1.62 ERA without a decision in three career starts against the Cubs.
Chicago fell to 1-4 on its seven-game trip. Tuesday’s setback was especially frustrating since the visitors received six scoreless innings from Jameson Taillon and Christopher Morel’s team-leading 13th homer.
“Look, we had a bunch of singles today,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And we had some balls hit well to the wall and not enough. But two runs? You’re not going to win most nights scoring two runs.
“Two runs ain’t gonna cut it.”
On Wednesday, right-hander Javier Assad (4-2, 2.74 ERA) will look to rebound from his worst outing this season.
In his second consecutive start against the Cincinnati Reds, Assad was battered on Thursday for five runs on seven hits — including a three-run homer by dynamic shortstop Elly De La Cruz — in 5 2/3 innings as the Cubs lost 8-4.
Across his last three starts, Assad is 0-1 with a 6.19 ERA, allowing 11 runs and 17 hits in 16 innings. He has struck out 22 and walked eight in that span.
Assad hasn’t notched a victory since tossing six shutout innings at the Atlanta Braves on May 15. He will make his first career appearance against the Rays.
–Field Level Media
