Josh Lowe’s two-hit night time a memorable one for him, Lowe household

ST. PETERSBURG — Saturday’s 8-4 loss to the Rangers was a forgettable sport for the Rays.

Rookie starter Taj Bradley allowed a career-high 5 runs (one unearned) and 4 walks in 3 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his profession. Second baseman Vidal Bruján made a pricey throwing error. Reliever Jalen Beeks gave up a two-run homer to Corey Seager, who completed 5-for-5. Tampa Bay went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring place, and the membership’s seven-game successful streak got here to an finish.

But it was an unforgettable day at Tropicana Field for the Lowe household.

After sitting out Friday’s sequence opener, Rays outfielder Josh Lowe lastly obtained an opportunity to take the sphere towards his older brother, Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, in a giant league sport. Nathaniel went 0-for-3 with two walks and a Texas victory towards baseball’s greatest crew. Josh completed 2-for-4 with a double, an outfield help and a bunch of reminiscences he’ll cherish for a very long time.

Perhaps essentially the most distinctive second befell earlier than Josh took his spot in proper area, nonetheless. At Josh’s request, he and Nathaniel exchanged the golf equipment’ lineup playing cards at dwelling plate, met with the umpires and posed for an image earlier than their first sport as Major League opponents.

Josh had seen others do it earlier than, citing the instance of Astros supervisor Dusty Baker and his son, Nationals prospect Darren, in Spring Training. Why couldn’t he and his brother, too? It was Rays assistant hitting coach Dan DeMent’s day to take out the lineup card, however Tampa Bay’s workers wasn’t about to face in the best way of one thing like that.

“That was very cool,” Rays supervisor Kevin Cash mentioned. “Special second for them to go on the market and try this. You’re not going to see that fairly often.

“I had by no means been a part of a home-plate assembly earlier than, in order that was actually, actually cool,” Nathaniel added. “Just one other a part of a extremely cool weekend for our total household.”

There have been lots extra moments to come back. One befell in Bradley’s first inning, when Nathaniel got here to the plate and Josh checked out his defensive positioning card.

“It’s pretty cool to be out in the outfield and look down and see my outfield card says another Lowe on there,” Josh mentioned. “It’s pretty cool to watch him play.”

Nathaniel struck out in his first at-bat, then Josh fulfilled a promise in his first journey to the plate. Asked Friday afternoon about what they may say to one another when Josh reached first base this weekend, Josh quipped, “I hope to be running by first base.”

Sure sufficient, he doubled to proper area off Nathan Eovaldi and dashed to second for his 14th double of the season.

“I wasn’t lying,” Josh mentioned, smiling.

Josh mentioned he didn’t even say something as he trotted by his brother, not desirous to threat being thrown out by Rangers proper fielder Adolis García.

But that they had an opportunity to catch up within the fourth, as Josh led off with a single to heart. So there they stood, lastly, facet by facet at first base, on a giant league area.

Josh mentioned he couldn’t share the contents of their dialog, however famous they have been speaking baseball and that he messed round together with his brother by making a facial features that’s “more kind of just like, ‘I see you’” — “normal siblings stuff,” as he referred to as it.

“Brotherly love,” Beeks mentioned with a smile. “Yeah, I could see them fighting growing up. But definitely, I know they love each other a lot.”

“That’s probably going to be a picture [in] the Lowe household,” Cash added. “Well, all of their households.”

It wasn’t an extended reunion, although. Randy Arozarena singled to proper three pitches later, and Josh scored the Rays’ first run on a Luke Raley double in a four-run inning highlighted by Francisco Mejía’s second homer of the season.

“It was cool to see him there,” Nathaniel mentioned. “I wish he’d have stuck around and hung out a little bit longer.”

The brothers did dangle round after the final out, as they did Friday night time, to share hugs and well-wishes with mother and father David and Wendy and everybody else there to be a part of a day they received’t quickly neglect.

“That’s just awesome. No matter what happens in the game, seeing the family there after the game, feeling their support every single day of the year, it’s special,” Josh mentioned. “Not all people have that, and that group means a lot to me.”