ARLINGTON, Texas -- Through all the struggles, all the moments when it looked like he should be dropped down in the lineup or out of it altogether, Brandon Lowe believed. He had built himself into one of the American League's best hitters, and no slump, not even one during the playoffs, could derail that. The Tampa Bay Rays kept believing in Lowe, too. And in Game 2 of the World Series, both were rewarded handsomely for their faith.
Lowe became the first player ever to hit two opposite-field home runs in one World Series game, and the Rays' bullpen bent but didn't break as they held on for a 6-4 victory Wednesday night to even the series at one game apiece.