AP

Lowe helps power Rangers sweep past Diamondbacks 8-5

Sep 8, 2021, 4:33 AM | Updated: 6:25 pm

PHOENIX (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe didn’t want to steal the thunder from his brother Josh’s big day.

Lowe had three hits and missed a cycle by a home run as the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 Wednesday to match a season high with their fourth straight win.

The big news in the Lowe family was the major league debut of younger brother Josh with Nathaniel’s former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. He was in the Rays’ starting lineup, batting eighth and playing right field, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

Nathaniel had a shot at the cycle in the ninth but grounded out.

“I saved the homer for him,” Lowe said of his brother. “I didn’t want to take his hits away.”

The Rangers (51-88) matched their longest winning streak of the season. Arizona fell a season-low 50 games under .500 at 45-95. The Diamondbacks have lost five straight, all at home, and 10 of 11 overall.

Lowe tripled to drive in a run in the fourth, then scored on Nick Solak’s single that put the Rangers ahead for good at 3-2 against Luke Weaver (3-4). He singled to start a two-run sixth and doubled leading off the eighth, scoring the first of three runs in that inning.

Solak had a 16-pitch at-bat against Arizona reliever Jake Faria. With one out in the sixth, Solak was down 0-2, fouled off 11 pitches and worked the count full before hitting a slow roller to short and then beating it out.

Lowe watched the whole thing from first base and had a good view because manager Chris Woodward didn’t send him on any of the pitches.

“After I scored I thanked Woody because that’s 11 times I might have had to take off,” Lowe said. “For (Solak) to do that and beat out an infield single, it was really cool to watch.”

Woodward concurred, calling Solak’s effort a “goose-bump at-bat.”

“There’s so many good things that have been happening,” Woodward said. “We just out-grinded them.”

With 22 games remaining, Arizona is in danger of surpassing the franchise record of 111 losses set in 2004. The Diamondbacks are on pace for 110.

“We’re not here to set records,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I just care about winning the next game.”

Lovullo acknowledged the challenges of a season that has them battling with Baltimore to avoid the majors’ worst record.

“I don’t think anybody in this clubhouse has been through anything like this in their career,” Lovullo said. “There’s not a thing we can do about it. We got to keep fighting.”

Jose Trevino drove in three runs with a fielder’s choice and a two-run single for Texas.

Jharel Cotton (1-0) pitched one inning and was credited with the win after starter Kohei Arihara came out after 4 2/3 innings. Joe Barlow, the eighth Rangers pitcher, got the last out for his fourth save.

David Peralta and Nick Ahmed homered for the Diamondbacks.

Leody Taveras, who turned 23 on Wednesday, was the first baserunner for Texas against Weaver. He led off the fourth with a triple to the 413-foot sign in center and scored on Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s bouncer to third.

Solak had two hits, a walk and a stolen base. Pinch hitters Yohel Pozo and Jason Martin each contributed doubles to multiple-run innings for the Rangers.

Arihara gave up four hits and two runs while striking out three in 4 2/3 innings in his ninth start in his first MLB season after pitching six years for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League. Weaver lasted five innings, allowing four hits and three runs and striking out four.

WELCOME ABOARD

Brandyn Sittinger pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Diamondbacks in his major league debut. The 27-year-old right-hander, who pitched at Marshall, is the 62nd player to appear for Arizona this season and the 26th rookie, both franchise highs. Only the Cubs and Mets have used more players this season with 63.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Texas: OF Eli White had surgery on Wednesday for a UCL tear in his right elbow, the Rangers said. White’s recovery time is estimated at six months, which would have him returning sometime during spring training.

NEXT

Texas: Begins a series Friday in Oakland with RHP Glenn Otto (0-0, 1.86) facing A’s RHP Paul Blackburn (0-2, 4.12).

Arizona: Start a three-game series in Seattle on Friday. No starter has been announced.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Lowe helps power Rangers sweep past Diamondbacks 8-5