Former Texas Tech Pitcher Homers, Leads Rays to Victory

Former Texas Tech right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns (5-5, 3.47 ERA) had an incredible night Tuesday night (July 21), tossing five shutout innings in Tampa Bay's 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The start matched Karns with Felix Hernandez for the American League lead with 14 starts this season where he has given up two earned runs or less.

Not only did Karns pitch 5 shutout innings he knocked in the games only run with a solo blast in the 3rd inning when he put a first pitch fastball into the seats in left field. Not only was this Karns first major league home run, it was also his first major league hit.

Karns, who did not make a single plate appearance during his two seasons at Texas Tech (2008-09), became just the second Rays pitcher to homer in franchise history and the first American League pitcher to do so since 2011.

Elias Sports wrote on Wednesday morning that there had been only two other games over the past 30 years where a solo home run from a pitcher accounted for the only run of the game.