AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS RAYS

October 12, 2026

Nathaniel Lowe

Tropicana Field

Cleveland Guardians

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Guardians - 7, Rays - 3

Q. Stephen just mentioned how much you thrive with runners in scoring position. What's your thought process and your approach when you have those situations around you?

NATHANIEL LOWE: It's the best. That's the quickest lane to scoring runs, so it's where you can go out there and do your best work.

It's hard to hit solo homers and win games. And the guys that did it tonight deserve all the credit for doing it, for keeping us in the game. But when we build momentum, the way that we play, when runners get into scoring position, it's when we can capitalize. I'm so thankful that I'm the guy that got to do it first tonight.

Q. Speaking of momentum, are you guys just feeling it right now after the slow start to the postseason?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Yeah, it feels good to kind of, to see some balls fall, to see some guys get on the barrel, to see some guys have some great at-bats, because the first two games of the White Sox series, we got beat. We did.

Whether it's beating ourselves trying to do too much or not feeling it, like not feeling it, we had to go get our backs against the wall and do something crazy, and this group did. It's nice to feel some momentum coming here and to take Game 1.

Q. A lot of these coaches have mentioned that you and Jo coming in at the same time and how immediately, not only you two bonded but this team welcomed you. What is it like just to watch the two of you guys look like you've been here all year but to contribute in the ways that you did?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Well, I mean I've competed against these guys for such a while now. Whether it's knowing them from off the field or playing golf together or hanging out through friends of friends, it's such an easy group to get along with.

And then Jo having the treat of playing with my brother most of the year and then me now, like, you know it makes it easy.

So these guys have been great. They've been very welcoming. I feel like I've had a lane to kind of go out and teach a little bit too while I'm continuing to improve myself.

Q. The two-run single, talk about that. Stephen said you got jammed a little bit. Talk about the AB and what you were trying to do in that situation?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Early in the count, I took a shot. I tried to hit it as far as I could. And then as the at-bat went on, I started praying harder and thankfully got a pitch up that I could just get into the outfield.

I talked about it with the guys on the pregame radio, too, like, it doesn't necessarily have to be a homer to score the runs right there. But if there's a chance to get the ball to the outfield, you gotta find a way to do it. And I'm thankful I got a great pitch to do it on and it worked out.

Q. You talked about building momentum after the first two losses against the White Sox, but was there anything that you learned from that series that you all brought to Game 1?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Yeah, we can do it. We ran into a really hostile environment. I give all the credit to the Chicago fans. They made it as loud as they could. And there were some situations where this group definitely could have folded. But we didn't. And we're here competing now, and we're very happy up one.

Q. After such a dominant Division Series from Rasmussen, why do you think you all were able to find success against him tonight?

NATHANIEL LOWE: We just had to keep working, man. He was sharp. He had great stuff. He was throwing the ball in the corner. He had quick innings. We didn't really get a chance to get to him.

Then when we did, Pat and Chase kept us in that game right there. I'm sure they loved the situation where he can loop back around. And I'm sure Drew wants the ball again at another point. But I'm happy we got him out of there when we did tonight.

Q. How much of a full-circle moment was it for you coming back here where you were drafted, getting these big hits, hitting the ball really hard? What was the mindset coming into tonight?

NATHANIEL LOWE: I love coming back here, I really do. A lot of the minor league staff is now with the Major League team, and a lot of the Major League staff is similar. It's nice to see some familiar faces the other side.

And I like competing against these guys too. So coming back here, being in St. Pete and competing at the Trop is always a treat for me.

Q. I think you were hitting, like, 111 against lefties during the season. In that situation, what are you trying to do?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Not think about that, that's for sure.

(Laughter).

I want a good pitch to hit right there. So whether it's coming from the submarine righty or lefty, over-the-top right-hander or left-hander, I want a good pitch to hit. It might not have been the best pitch to hit right there.

But it was up, and it was a good one for me to do the job on. So I can't think too much about it. I just gotta hope that I get a good pitch and get out there and give it my best.

Q. For years it feels like Cleveland's always looking for protection for José, and maybe they found it in Chase, these two series alone. What do you see out of him?

NATHANIEL LOWE: Out of Chase or out of protecting Hosey?

Q. Both.

NATHANIEL LOWE: Chase is such a polished at-bat. We joke about it -- you can't teach it the way that he sees the ball because more times than not if he takes it it's not in the box. And guys don't usually have that skill set. They kind of have to learn it. It feels like Chase has that skill set in his first trip around the circuit.

Q. How big is it for a team like Cleveland to acquire you right at the trade deadline, like 30 minutes before it was about to expire? And then you come into a place like the Trop where you have played so many games in and come up with a big hit like you had tonight?

NATHANIEL LOWE: It feels so good. You don't really -- you get kicked so much in this game. Like, you get punched and punched. And, you know, if you make outs 60 percent of the time, you get on base .400, you're a great player.

And a moment like that, with my family here and doing that off a left-hander against a team that gave me a shot first, I'm just really grateful. I'm really grateful.