Junior Caminero kept the power surge rolling Tuesday night, and the Tampa Bay Rays turned a big second inning into a 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals in the series opener.
Caminero went deep for the fifth straight game, launching a three-run homer in the second inning to spark a six-run frame that put Tampa Bay firmly in control. The 22-year-old third baseman, who entered the day as the reigning AL player of the week, had already announced he would take part in the All-Star Home Run Derby after finishing second to the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh last year. He then backed it up by crushing a Noah Cameron pitch over the left-field wall for his 23rd homer of the season and his eighth in his last seven games.
The Rays weren’t done. Ryan Vilade followed on the very next pitch with a homer of his own, and Tampa Bay’s lineup kept stacking damage.
The club has now hit 13 home runs in its last five games. Nick Fortes drove in two runs, Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single, and Aranda reached base four times.
Kansas City had its own power moments, but not nearly enough to keep pace. Carter Jensen opened the game with a leadoff homer, and Bobby Witt Jr. later added a two-run blast.
Witt also homered again in the eighth off Rays reliever Cole Sulser, giving him his seventh career multi-homer game. Jensen’s shot pushed his hitting streak to 20 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors.
Griffin Jax (4-5) took the win for Tampa Bay despite surrendering those early Royals swings. He gave up the leadoff homer to Jensen and the two-run shot to Witt, but still worked six innings, striking out five and walking none. It was his second victory over Kansas City in a week.
Noah Cameron (4-6) had a rougher night than the last time he faced Tampa Bay. After allowing five runs in five innings against the Rays last week, he gave up six runs on nine hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. Over his last four starts, he has allowed 21 earned runs in just 18 innings.
The AL East-leading Rays also kept adding to a strong split against left-handed starters, improving to a majors-best 19-7 in those games this season.
Up next, Rays left-hander Shane McLanahan (6-5, 3.30 ERA) will try to stop a three-game skid Wednesday night in his fourth career start against Kansas City. The Royals will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo (3-5, 4.18), who is looking to rebound after a tough outing against Tampa Bay last week, when he gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings.
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