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Jed Lowrie picking up where he left off

By David Hill

Jul 16, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) celebrates his two-run home run for a walk-off win against the Cleveland Indians during the ninth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 16, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) celebrates his two-run home run for a walk-off win against the Cleveland Indians during the ninth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jed Lowrie was one of the biggest surprises for the Oakland A’s over the first half of the season. The fact that he was able to provide anything at all, considering he had a total of eight plate appearances over the previous two seasons, was a miracle in and of itself. The A’s had gotten far more from him than anyone had any right to expect.

Given that he had such a limited amount of playing time during his tenure with the Mets, there were plenty of eyes on him as the second half of the season began. It would be understandable if he struggled a bit, especially as Lowrie had played in 86 games already on the year.

Jed Lowrie gets off to fast start in second half

The four days off due to the All Star Break certainly worked wonders. Lowrie’s bat seemed rejuvenated on Friday night, as he was 3-5 with a home run and three RBI. None of those hits were as big as his homer, as his walk-off blast gave the A’s the 5-4 victory over the Indians.

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Lowrie had a tremendous first half for the A’s. Even though he showed some signs of wear in June considering his usage, he had started to heat up again before the All Star Break. He entered Friday with a .263/.336/.423 batting line, hitting ten homers and 18 doubles while providing solid defense at second base.

The A’s certainly need this type of production from Lowrie moving forward. While Tony Kemp has been swinging a hot bat of late, the A’s injury woes necessitate his slotting around the diamond. Should Lowrie enter a prolonged slump, the A’s would not be able to put Kemp at second for an extended period of time.

Thus far, that has not been an issue. Even when Lowrie has begun to slump, he has just needed a day or two for rest. With the All Star Break, he may have another hot streak in his bat, especially given that period of rest.

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Jed Lowrie was one of the biggest surprises for the Oakland A’s over the first half of the season. He has started the second half where he left off.