On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox first baseman Nathaniel Lowe left eight runners on base. The Red Sox lost the game by four runs. The loss wasn’t squarely on Lowe, but the squandered opportunities were hard to forget after the game.
After a day off, Lowe returned to the lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays. He came to the plate in the first inning with a runner on second and two outs, and came through this time to score the game’s first run.
In the sixth inning, with the game tied, Lowe again singled in a run and later went on to score. He also drew two walks on the night to go 2-2 with two walks and a run scored. Lowe is a former World Series champion and knows the mentality he needs to keep in a playoff hunt.
“That ones over. Tonight was all that mattered,” Lowe said on the NESN postgame show. “I was really happy to put some good swings on some good pitches to hit tonight and obviously get a couple of runs across. We’re happy with the result.”
After Lowe’s second RBI single, Carlos Narvaez doubled in the Red Sox’s third and fourth runs. It gave Boston some breathing room and allowed them to go to their high-leverage arms to close the game. Going into the at-bat, Narvaez was 0 for his last 17. It was all they needed as the Red Sox won, 4-1.
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“It was a big time, big time hit for me and for the team,” Narvaez said.
Pending the result of the Houston Astros game, the Red Sox are one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Astros in the playoff hunt. Boston’s series with the Blue Jays continues on Tuesday, with Garrett Crochet scheduled to pitch.
