Caminero waits it out, then launches his first ALCS home run for the Rays

Junior Caminero had gone 0-for-34 in postseason at-bats before his first career playoff homer finally arrived in Game 6, a swing that helped Tampa Bay seize the lead and clinch the pennant.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero had been waiting for his first career postseason home run through the first 34 postseason at-bats of his career dating back to 2023. In Game 6 of the 2026 American League Championship Series on Monday night, that drought ended with a two-run homer that bookended the night’s key stretch for the Rays.

Caminero came to the plate in the seventh inning looking to break through again against Cleveland. He turned on a first-pitch splitter from Guardians closer Cade Smith, driving the ball to the left-field corner for a towering shot that struck the foul pole for a home run.

The homer moved Tampa Bay ahead 5-1, and the Rays went on to win 7-3, clinching the pennant at Tropicana Field. Afterward, Caminero’s bat flip and around-the-bases routine made the moment last, with his 38.66-second home run trot described as the second-slowest by Statcast (since 2015) among home-run or interrupted trots.

The release also detailed that Caminero ran from home plate to first base in 13.23 seconds and punctuated his trot by reacting toward Tampa Bay’s dugout, then pointing to the stands and shrugging in an emulation of former Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena’s signature celebration, with Arozarena present in attendance.

The central question, whether Caminero would ever add that first postseason long ball, was answered in Game 6: his first playoff home run arrived on a pitch from the Guardians’ closer, and it came at the exact time the Rays were able to turn momentum into separation.

Why It Matters

Caminero’s first postseason homer provided a needed offensive jolt in the Rays’ pennant-clinching win, turning a late-game situation into a cushion.
The timing matters for a title picture, because Game 6 of a league championship series is often where small margins swing quickly.
The moment also reframed a season-long profile for Tampa Bay: a player with 42 regular-season home runs finally put a playoff long ball on the board when it counted.
The celebration themes reinforced the Rays’ clubhouse identity, linking this highlight to recent postseason culture from the franchise’s past.
With the AL pennant decided, Tampa Bay’s offense gained a major postseason payoff from its star power right before the World Series round begins.

Sources

Key Facts

Junior Caminero entered Game 6 of the 2026 ALCS without a postseason home run and with a 34-at-bat postseason long-ball drought dating back to 2023.
In the seventh inning, Caminero hit his first career postseason home run off a first-pitch splitter thrown by Guardians closer Cade Smith.
The homer struck the left-field foul pole and was a two-run shot that pushed the Rays’ lead to 5-1.
Tampa Bay won Game 6, 7-3, to clinch the AL pennant.
Caminero’s home run trot took 38.66 seconds, described as the second-slowest Statcast time for an undisputed or interrupted home-run trot since 2015.
The publication noted Caminero’s 13.23-second run from home plate to first base and described his post-homer gestures and celebration.