Lowes drill a couple of jacks for Rays

With Spring Training coming to a close soon, the Rays are leaving Florida on a Lowe note or two.
Top prospects Brandon Lowe and Nate Lowe blasted three-run homers in the first inning of Tampa Bay's 8-1 split-squad win over Atlanta on Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park. Each long ball came off Kyle Wright, the second-ranked Braves prospect, who is battling for the final spot in Atlanta's rotation.

Fresh off his six-year, $24-million contract extension, Brandon Lowe took a 3-1 offering by Wright over the wall in left-center field to put the Rays on the board. With Guillermo Heredia on first base and Avisaíl García on second, Nate Lowe unloaded to right, also on a 3-1 count. The long balls were the third of the spring for both players.
Nate, the club's No. 8 prospect, later added an RBI double to left in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-1, while ninth-ranked Brandon singled to lead off the third, but was thrown out trying to steal second.
Rays No. 3 prospect Brendan McKay started the game and allowed one run on two hits with four strikeouts over two innings. The lone blemish on his line was a homer by fifth-ranked Braves prospect Austin Riley, who went 1-for-3.
Wright lasted two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for six runs on four hits and two walks, striking out both batters he retired. No. 18 prospect Thomas Burrows walked two over two hitless innings out of the bullpen.

In other spring action:

Phillies 13, Blue Jays 6
No. 14 Toronto prospect Billy McKinney and No. 21 Rowdy Tellez went deep in a game with 10 home runs combined in Clearwater. Tellez's two-run homer in the seventh marked his fifth in the Grapefruit League this year-- the most of any Toronto slugger -- while McKinney's solo blast in the eighth was his third. Top Phillies prospect Alec Bohm struck out in his first career Grapefruit League at-bat after entering as a defensive replacement at third base in the sixth. Box score
Tigers 5, Astros 3
It was a mixed day for Houston's Top-100 pitching prospects. No. 80 overall prospect Corbin Martin struggled in the start, surrendering five earned runs on five hits and a walk over three innings. Three of the hits left the yard for home runs. No. 96 prospect J.B. Bukauskas was more solid in his relief appearance, striking out five, but gave up three walks over two hitless frames. No. 8 overall prospect Kyle Tucker went 1-for-4 with a strikeout as the Astros' designated hitter. Tigers No. 8 prospect Christin Stewart struck out in all three of his at-bats. Box score
Angels 2, D-backs 1
Eighth-ranked Los Angeles prospect Matt Thaiss scored a run as a pinch-runner. Ty Buttrey (No. 14) and Jake Jewell (No. 26) struck out apiece in their respective scoreless frames, with Jewell giving up one hit and Buttrey allowing none. Box score

Royals 14, Reds 6
Vying for a spot on Cincinnati's Opening Day roster, baseball's No. 6 prospect Nick Senzel went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Royals No. 10 prospect Kyle Isbel drilled a three-run homer and walked while Emmanuel Rivera (No. 18) slugged a two-run shot and Meibrys Viloria (No. 19) went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a run. Box score
Giants 5, Cubs 5
San Francisco's No. 22 prospect Aramis Garcia went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and No. 17 Abiatal Avelino added an RBI double in the seventh. No. 30 Travis Bergen struck out one in a perfect eighth. Box score
White Sox 12, Rangers 2
Chicago's No. 23 prospect José Ruiz allowed an earned run on two hits with two strikeouts in one inning of relief. Texas' No. 16 prospect Eli White singled twice. Box score
Brewers 11, Dodgers 5
Milwaukee's No. 2 prospect Corey Ray ripped a two-RBI double to extend Milwaukee's lead in the seventh. Top Los Angeles prospect Alex Verdugo went 1-for-3. Box score
Rangers 7, Indians 3
With the bases loaded in the first, Cleveland's 29th-ranked prospect Eric Haase lined a two-run single to left. Box score
Red Sox 8, Rays 0
A trio of pitching prospects helped Boston rack up a shutout. Fourth-ranked Darwinzon Hernandez (No. 4) didn't allow a hit, but walked three in the third, No. 23 Colten Brewer gave up a hit and struck out three in the sixth, and No. 12 Durbin Feltman fanned one in a perfect ninth. Box score
Nationals 7, Cardinals 1
Victor Robles scored for Washington after walking in the seventh, the No. 4 overall prospect's ninth run of the spring. St. Louis' No. 8 prospect Dylan Carlson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk while No. 13 Tommy Edman was 2-for-5. Third-ranked Andrew Knizner (No. 3) went 1-for-1 and crossed the plate and No. 28 Max Schrock walked. Box score
Mariners 6, Reds 3
Seattle's No. 2 prospect Jarred Kelenic went 1-for-4, plating No. 14 Jake Fraley with a single and scoring in the fourth. Fraley went 1-for-4. Fourth-ranked Evan White and No. 7 Kyle Lewis both singled, with White knocking in a run in the fifth. Seattle's No. 3 prospect Justin Dunn allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six across four innings. No. 25 David McKay picked up his first win of the spring despite allowing two runs on a hit and a walk in one frame. Box score