CLEVELAND -- They’ve become known as the Rays’ “Big Three,” fixtures atop Tampa Bay’s lineup and a huge part of the reason they were playing on a cool October evening at Progressive Field on Saturday. But manager Kevin Cash has another nickname he uses to tease Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero on the rare occasions they’re not producing at the plate.
“Los tres pequeños.” The three little ones.
That might have been the way they felt entering Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. Combined, the Rays’ top three hitters were 5-for-34 (.147) with just one RBI and 13 strikeouts. But they played a huge role individually and collectively in Tampa Bay’s 7-3 win over Cleveland, going 6-for-14 with five RBIs to even the series, regain homefield advantage and guarantee a return to Tropicana Field for Game 6 on Monday night.
Adiós, los tres pequeños. The Big Three just might be back.
“It felt good to see everybody click, and it was just a matter of time, right?” Aranda said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “It was just a matter of time for us three to get going. It's something that we can really use to push us forward here in these next couple games.”
It might have been a matter of when, not if, but the postseason schedule affords little time and the playoff spotlight quickly illuminates glaring flaws. So it was critical for the Rays to get those three going after a frustrating start to the series, and for each of them to see some more positive results now that the series has been reset.
If the Rays are going to get where they want to go, their Big Three will likely lead them.
“It's hard to keep those guys down,” starter Nick Martinez said. “Those guys are always working. They're always fighting.”
Aranda was 0-for-11 in the ALCS when he came to the plate in the third inning with two outs and Díaz at second base, but he came through in a big spot against left-hander Foster Griffin. Aranda swatted a 1-0 sweeper to center field, driving in Díaz and tying the score, 1-1.
Caminero seemed poised for his long-awaited postseason moment in the fourth, when he blasted a 110.7 mph fly ball with a 29-degree launch angle to deep center field. It was the 265th batted ball at 110 mph with a 28- to 30-degree launch angle tracked by Statcast, and the other 264 were home runs. His, somehow, was not.
Instead, Petey Halpin tracked Caminero’s fly ball to the deepest part of center field and slammed into the wall as he reeled it in. But Caminero would not be denied his moment to shine.
In the sixth inning, Caminero laced reliever Daniel Espino’s high fastball to left field for a tiebreaking double, shifting the momentum of the game -- and perhaps the series -- in the Rays’ favor.
After driving in the go-ahead run on a 110.2 mph drive over third baseman José Ramírez, Caminero looked toward the Rays’ dugout and pounded his chest, then put one finger over his closed lips -- silencing the questions after his uncharacteristic 0-for-4, four-strikeout performance in Game 3 -- and roared in celebration.
“I know who I am. Everybody knows who I am,” Caminero said. “Everybody here gave me the support, so I take it like that and say, ‘Silent,’ because we know who I am.”
“Today was a big step in the right direction for him,” Cash added. “I wouldn't be surprised now if he catches fire and does a lot for us.”
The Rays wound up needing one more big hit, and they got it from Aranda in the seventh. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Aranda smacked a grounder through the right side of Cleveland’s drawn-in infield … and the ball kept rolling under the glove of right fielder Chase DeLauter, allowing both runners to score as Aranda wheeled around to third base.
“I just feel really good with what I found myself here in this game,” said Aranda, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Chandler Simpson. “Moving forward, it's something I can build off of.”
Díaz finally made his mark in the ninth, sending a fastball from Matt Festa just over the right-field fence for a two-run homer, only the fourth of his career on an 0-2 pitch. It was also his first longball in the postseason since he went deep twice against the A’s in the 2019 AL Wild Card Game, his first postseason game with Tampa Bay.
“That's a tough three to get through,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “The first three games, [it] felt like we executed really well against those guys, and we just didn't tonight. And they made us pay.”
Business as usual for the “Big Three,” right?
“Los tres pequeños right there. You know what I’m saying?” Caminero said, grinning. “Pretty good job today for the boys. Very happy for this group right now, and we’ve got to continue tomorrow.”