Rangers score 4 early, including Lowe HR, hold off Rays 4-3
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 16: Nathaniel Lowe #30 of the Texas Rangers is congratulated after hitting a two run home run in the third inning during a game against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field on September 16, 2022 in St Petersburg, Fl
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nathaniel Lowe hit his 25th home run in a four-run inning Friday night and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3.
Lowe's two-run homer was the fourth of five straight hits in the third inning off Corey Kluber, who gave up seven straight hits in the first inning in New York nearly a week earlier.
Rangers starter Martin Perez (12-6) gave up three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Three of those were by Rays catcher Francisco Mejia, driving in runs with a single in the second and a double in the sixth.
Jose Leclerq pitched the ninth for his sixth save in seven attempts, retiring Harold Ramirez on a bases-loaded grounder to end the game.
The Rays, who opened a 10-game homestand, left at least one runner on base in every inning except the eighth, losing for the sixth time in eight games.
Kluber (10-9) gave up four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: LHP Brooks Raley was reinstated from the restricted list, and RHP Kevin Herget was optioned to Triple-A Durham. The unvaccinated Raley was unavailable for both of the Rays' series in Toronto this summer.
UP NEXT
LHP Ryan Yarbrough (1-8, 4.38 ERA) will make his 10th start of the season for the Rays on Saturday night after pitching five scoreless innings of relief Sunday against the New York Yankees. RHP Jon Gray (7-6, 3.79) will be making his second start for the Rangers since his return from the injured list with a left oblique strain.
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