Joey Votto didn’t have a problem with Junior Caminero taking his time after one of the biggest swings of Tampa Bay’s season.
Caminero’s celebration became a talking point after the Rays third baseman launched a first-pitch splitter from Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith over the left-field foul pole in the seventh inning of Monday’s American League Championship Series Game 6 at Tropicana Field. The two-run homer pushed Tampa Bay ahead 5-1 on the way to a 7-3 win and sent the Rays to the World Series.
The 23-year-old’s trip around the bases lasted 38.66 seconds, the longest postseason home run trot in the Statcast era. He beat his chest, saluted the crowd and then used Randy Arozarena’s crossed-arms pose near the plate. Arozarena was in attendance for the game.
That kind of moment was exactly why Votto came to Caminero’s defense on Tuesday during a discussion with Christopher Russo and host Brian Kenny. MLB Now later posted Votto’s remarks on X, formerly Twitter.
“What do we owe to you? We owe you nothing, and you know what? When we get you in a big moment, we're gonna dunk on you and celebrate, and that's what I saw from from Caminero.”
Russo saw it differently, and the exchange made clear there are still plenty of opinions about how far is too far when a player lets a postseason blast breathe.
For Caminero, the homer carried multiple firsts. It was his first postseason home run, and it was the first major league homer Smith had given up on his splitter. Statcast also listed it as the second-longest undisputed, uninterrupted homer trot it has tracked since 2015; the only one longer came from Caminero himself, when he took 40.65 seconds to circle the bases against the Athletics in September.
The Arozarena reference tied the celebration to Tampa Bay’s past postseason moments, though it does not prove every gesture was aimed at Smith.
Yandy Diaz followed with a two-run homer in the eighth, and Freddy Peralta was named ALCS MVP after helping the Rays claim their third pennant.
.@JoeyVotto and @MadDogUnleashed don't agree about Junior Caminero's home run trot last night 😂
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) October 20, 2026
"When we get you in a big moment, we're going to dunk on you and celebrate." https://t.co/WNdJOzSYFN pic.twitter.com/zx1AqaYwcV
Tampa Bay now moves on to the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, which begins Friday.
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