The Tampa Bay Rays did something Thursday that no MLB team has ever done before. They carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning while one of their guys hit three home runs. It happened in a 13-2 win over the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field, and it’s the kind of statistical oddity that might never happen again.
Junior Caminero was the guy doing the damage at the plate. The 22-year-old third baseman went deep off Seth Lugo in the first, again in the fifth, and added a three-run shot in the eighth. That’s 19 homers on the season now, with a .285 average and an .896 OPS. He’s headed to his second straight All-Star Game, and it’s not because the Trop is a hitter’s park. He’s just that good.
On the mound, left-hander Ian Seymour was outstanding. He went 6 2/3 innings, struck out seven, and lowered his ERA by more than half a run. The Royals barely touched him. He gave up a couple hits early but nothing dangerous. After a rough stretch for the Rays, Seymour finally looked like the guy they thought they were getting.
The no-hitter died in the ninth. Craig Kimbrel came in to close it out, and it didn’t go well. Carter Jensen crushed a 425-foot homer with one out, and that was that. Kimbrel’s been struggling for a while now. He’s a future Hall of Famer but he’s not the same guy he used to be. The Rays still won by 11, so it’s not like the game was in doubt.
This win gave Tampa Bay back-to-back victories for the first time in two weeks. They’re 45-33 and sitting in a decent spot, but they’ve been uneven. The offense showed up in a big way Thursday. Caminero got help from the rest of the lineup too, but let’s be real — he was the show.
The Royals, meanwhile, are in a rough place at 34-48. They’ll get another crack at the Rays next week at Kauffman Stadium. But for now, Tampa gets to enjoy a weird little piece of history that nobody saw coming.
Leave a Comment