MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-14
9. Nate Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays, 43 percent
The Tampa Bay Rays trail the AL East leading New York Yankees because the Rays can’t beat them. Entering Saturday night’s game, the two teams had met 11 times in 2019, New York winning nine of them.
It took a team effort to slow that Yankee momentum in Tampa and rookie Nate Lowe certainly played a part.
Behind C. C. Sabathia, the Yanks led 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh.
Sabathia entered the inning having allowed just four hits, and Aaron Hicks gave him a lead in the top of the inning. With two out and runners at first and third, Hicks rolled a ground ball single into right field.
In the bottom of the inning, Sabathia struck out Kevin Kiermaier and retired Willy Adames on a fly ball to the deepest part of center in Tropicana Field. But Travis d’Arnaud, who would later a play a more decisive role, gave Lowe a chance with a line single ro right.
Lowe maximized the opportunity. On a 1-2 pitch, Lowe homered deep into the right field seats. The hit put Tampa Bay ahead by a run, improved the chances of a Rays victory from 32 to 75 percent, and put Tampa within six outs of wrapping up the win.
It would not, however, be quite that easy. More on that momentarily.
MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-14
T-7, Trea Turner, Washington Nationals, 43 percent
Following their slow start, the Nationals have launched a mid-season drive into contention in the NL East. They went 18-8 in June and have added four more victories in their first five July games.
Winning that consistently requires beating up on the league’s weak teams, and that means beating the Miami Marlins. Turner’s efforts Tuesday kicked off a three-game sweep of the division tail-enders.
It wasn’t easy. The Nats led 2-1 entering the eighth inning only to see Cesar Puello’s leadoff double turn into the tying run. In the bottom of the eighth, the Nats moved the go-ahead run to third base with two out, but Nick Anderson retired Ryan Zimmerman on a ground ball.
Marlins third baseman Neil Walker’s error on Yan Gomes’ grounder with one out in the bottom of the ninth opened the door for Turner, who batted after Jose Quijada retired Brian Dozier for the second out.
With two out, a runner on third and a tie score in the bottom of the ninth, the odds of a home team victory are 57 percent. Turner worked the count to 3-2, then lined a double into the right-center field gap. The hit chased Gomes all the way home with the walk-off winner.