Josh Lowe homers twice in the Rays’ 6-1 victory over the Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — Josh Lowe homered twice to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 6-1 on Saturday night.

Lowe hit his sixth and seventh homers of the season for his second career multi-homer game. His first came off Ronel Blanco, who was a pitch away from escaping the fifth inning with a shutout intact until Lowe turned a 91-mph fastball down the middle 373 feet to right.

“He can be such a big part of us getting our offense going, and today, we saw what he’s capable of,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Blanco was having his way with us up until then, and it seemed like it just gave our dugout a boost that just snowballed from there.”

Rays starter Zack Littell (5-7) allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He had one walk and one strikeout.

Blanco (9-6) was pulled after the fifth. He allowed two runs, six hits and two walks and struck out seven.

In the seventh, Lowe hit an opposite-field shot that sailed 339 feet into the left-field Crawford Boxes to make it 4-1.

Lowe added a double in the third and a single in the ninth to go 4 for 5 for the first four-hit game of his career.

“In the Miami series, I really think I figured something out with my timing and put my finger on something that I’ve been missing this whole season,” Lowe said. “I just think I was like a half-click too late on some things.”

Yandy Diaz led off the seventh with a 344-foot homer off Astros reliever Tayler Scott for Tampa Bay’s third run, and Brandon Lowe had a two-run single in the ninth to put the Rays up 6-1.

Littell’s only big mistake came on an 87-mph slider in the second inning that Jon Singleton hit over the glove of a leaping Lowe. It was Singleton’s ninth homer of the year.

“I would like the pitch to Singleton back, but I’m happy with it and hung around long enough for our guys to get some runs,” Littell said.

Astros outfielder Pedro León had his first major league hit down the left-field line in the third inning but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.

Reliever Caleb Ferguson — acquired from the Yankees on Tuesday — allowed four hits and two runs in a two-inning Houston debut.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: CF José Siri made a sensational diving catch in the third inning that had him on the ground for a while afterward. Siri appeared to land awkwardly on the dive and was later hunched over, seemingly in pain. He remained in the game.

Astros: RF Kyle Tucker (shin contusion) is making progress, but manager Joe Espada wouldn’t commit to saying the All-Star would be back by the end of August, only that, “it’s a possibility.” … P Luis Garcia could resume playing catch soon as he slowly works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-9, 5.58) was set to start Sunday. RHP Hunter Bigge (0-0, 1.69) will make his first major league start, a week after the Rays acquired him from the Cubs.

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