Junior Caminero delivered his first postseason home run off Guardians closer Cade Smith in the seventh inning Monday, powering the Rays to an AL pennant clincher. Tampa Bay advanced to the World Series to face the Brewers.
Caminero's blast was the punctuation mark on a dominant postseason run. The 38.7-second home run trot underscored how decisively the Rays put away Cleveland in what became a clinching victory. Smith, the All-Star closer, couldn't escape the inning, leaving the Guardians' season in tatters.
This result sends Tampa Bay to October's biggest stage after dispatching a division rival that came into the postseason as favorites. The Rays' lineup has produced timely power when it mattered most. Caminero's emergence as a postseason contributor adds another weapon to their arsenal heading into the World Series matchup with Milwaukee.
The Brewers will face a Rays team riding momentum and confidence from a convincing pennant-clinching performance.