ST. PETERSBURG -- Junior Caminero is making a habit of the dramatic.
With the Rays and A’s locked in a 1-1 game in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, Caminero turned on a pitch from reliever Elvis Alvarado and drove it to right field for a walk-off home run that sealed Tampa Bay’s 2-1 win. It was his second walk-off homer in five days, coming just after the blast that clinched the Rays’ first postseason berth since 2023.
Before Friday night, Caminero had never even come to the plate in a walk-off situation in the Majors. Now he’s done it twice, and both times he ended the game with a bang.
The win pushed Tampa Bay to 91-59 and kept the Rays at least 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees, who were in Minnesota on Tuesday night.
For most of the evening, this one belonged to the pitchers. Griffin Jax gave Tampa Bay five scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing only two hits. Jax, who is working back from an elbow injury that cost him August, was lifted after 67 pitches.
The A’s eventually broke through in the sixth against rookie Ty Johnson. After consecutive one-out singles, Johnson gave up a run on a wild pitch.
Tampa Bay’s first run followed a similar script. Chandler Simpson ripped a double - the longest hit of his Major League career at 356 feet - and Richie Palacios then delivered a productive out before a passed ball got away from Jonah Heim and brought Simpson home in the second.
In Other News...
Rays Suddenly Have New Hope For A Key Bullpen Arm
With Shane McClanahan, Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodriguez and Tyler Wells all on the injured list, the Rays have spent plenty of the summer trying to patch together their pitching staff on the fly. Wells, in particular, had been a frustrating absence after forearm tightness sent him for an MRI, but the early read offered Tampa Bay something it badly needed, a little optimism instead of another long-term setback.
For a bullpen that has already leaned on Kevin Kelly and others to absorb extra innings and higher-leverage work, any encouraging update on Wells matters. The Rays are still managing their relief mix carefully, but the possibility that Wells stay on the shelf could be limited has at least changed the tone around one of their key arms, and now the bigger question is how quickly he can get back into the picture when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Win Streak Comes With A New Clubhouse Tradition Fans Will Love
The Rays postgame mood has taken on a little more theater lately, and Jonny DeLuca found himself in the middle of it after Tampa Bays latest win. The outfielder spun the teams celebration wheel and landed on the assignment to give manager Kevin Cash a hug, a recent wrinkle in the clubhouses victory routine that has players taking turns with whatever task the wheel delivers.
With Nick Martinez nudging him along, DeLuca followed through during Cashs postgame media session, creating a moment that stood out even by the Rays loose, playful standards. It also marked the first time Cash reciprocated one of those hugs, a small but revealing sign of how this winning stretch has only deepened the teams evolving postgame tradition. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Kelly Just Gave The Rays A Bullpen Decision To Make
After a difficult outing, Kevin Kelly answered right away in his first appearance back, striking out the side and helping the Rays close out a 2-1 walk-off win over the Athletics. It was the kind of reset Tampa Bay needed from a bullpen that has been tested by injuries to Tyler Wells and other relievers, leaving the club searching for steady innings wherever it can find them.
Kellys response only adds to the mix of options the Rays are weighing as the postseason nears. With relief roles still being evaluated, a sharp rebound like this can carry real weight, especially for a team trying to sort out who can be trusted in leverage when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]