WASHINGTON -- When Josh Lowe stepped to the plate on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park, it’s likely few were expecting him to snag an extra-base hit -- certainly not in the first inning.
But Lowe, who had just two homers in his previous 46 games, defied expectations. Lowe smashed a three-run home run in the first inning, then a solo long ball in the fourth to power the Rays' 4-1 victory over the Nationals to secure the series win.
The two-jack affair marked Lowe’s first multihomer game this season, and just the third in his career (he went yard twice in two games last season).
Better yet, Lowe’s performance backed a strong outing from Ryan Pepiot, who was pegged for just one hit over five scoreless innings for a second straight start. Pepiot didn’t give up a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning, and likely could have continued if his pitch count hadn’t ballooned (93 pitches, 53 strikes).
“Yeah, he did a nice job,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I think [Pepiot], he had great stuff. Command, execution probably wasn’t as sharp, that’s what got the pitch count so high. But still, to go through five innings, give up one hit, no runs, we've got to be pleased with that.”
The first of Lowe’s two home runs was made possible in part by the two prior plate appearances. With two outs, Brandon Lowe singled, then Junior Caminero worked a nine-pitch walk.
Then, it was Josh Lowe’s turn, and he took his opportunity.
“Really, [I was] just looking for something over the heart of the plate,” Lowe said. “First pitch he threw me, [I] swung on a curveball. It started in a good spot, but he made a good pitch with it. And then from there on, I knew what the curveball was going to look like. Just stayed on a fastball and got to that one.”
“Got to” might be an understatement. Lowe got a third-pitch sinker middle-middle and launched it at 104 mph to straightaway center, the ball soaring a Statcast-projected 409 feet.
On his second homer, though, that awareness of Nats starter Jake Irvin’s curveball came in handy. On the third pitch of his at-bat, a 75.3 mph curveball, Lowe again launched it 104 mph into center field -- this one surpassed the first in distance, traveling a Statcast-projected 423 feet.
Postgame, Lowe joked that perhaps the extra power in his swing came from his “uncle pop,” as his brother, Nathaniel (formerly with Washington, now with Boston) was just activated off the paternity list after his wife gave birth to their first child, son Barrett Ray Lowe.
Or, perhaps it was just Lowe’s hard work paying off.
“Happy for Josh, the whole dugout was,” Cash said. “He’s really been putting the work in, trying to get his swing in the right direction and feel connected. And I was happy that he connected on not one, but two.”
Though Lowe’s home-run production has tailed off the past two years, after a 20-homer 2023 campaign, Lowe has done his job well. He’s been fairly even-keeled, provided solid defense and, of course, been a crucial part of the clubhouse. And even in a tough season like ‘25 has proven to be for Lowe, he’s kept grinding away trying to regain that true consistency at the plate. Saturday was a direct result.
“It’s huge just being able to produce for the guys,” Lowe said. “ When, you know, some days I feel like I haven't been able to do that, to [then] go out there today and to provide offense and help the team win. It's a big stepping stone for me to build on and to go out and do some more good things tomorrow.”
“He means a lot because he comes in consistently,” Cash said. “He's very well respected in the clubhouse. He plays the game the right way throughout his struggles. The effort doesn't change, the approach doesn't change. So people have a lot of respect. Certainly, I do. The staff does and I know his teammates do.”
Despite the stops and starts, Lowe is one homer away from his third straight double-digit season (10 last year), and will become the seventh Ray to reach the 10-homer mark this season with his next long ball.
“It’s a tough season,” Lowe said. “Baseball is hard enough, but just going out there and having fun is the main thing. And for a day like today to happen, it’s fun.”