ST. PETERSBURG -- Standing in front of his locker Friday afternoon, Junior Caminero went out of his way to implore Rays fans to show their support in this critical stretch leading into the All-Star break.
“It gives us a lot of energy. It gives us a lot of [desire] to continue to be great ballplayers,” Caminero said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “Because that's what we've done so far this year. We've played really good baseball.”
Caminero brought plenty of his own energy to the Rays’ 6-1 win over the D-backs on Friday night at Tropicana Field. Fresh off the first three-homer performance of his Major League career, Caminero delivered a three-run homer and a couple highlight-reel plays at third base to spark Tampa Bay’s third straight victory.
“I think the confidence is definitely flowing in him, just continuing to make him play better,” center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “And we're feeding off his energy.”
Caminero’s first-inning blast off Arizona starter Zac Gallen would have been more than enough support for fellow All-Star candidate Nick Martinez, who worked his way out of a couple tight spots as he held the D-backs to just one run -- on a first-inning homer by Geraldo Perdomo -- over 5 2/3 innings.
After Yandy Díaz walked and Jonathan Aranda was hit by a pitch, Caminero clobbered a high, 2-2 fastball from Gallen off the batter’s eye in center field. His Statcast-projected 437-foot, 111.3 mph shot on Friday was his 20th of the season, putting him on pace for a second straight 40-homer campaign.
A day after being voted a finalist to start the All-Star Game at third base for the American League, Caminero once again showed his incredible power at the plate.
“Perdomo absolutely hammered that ball off me, and [Caminero] made that home run not look like a home run,” Martinez said, smiling. “He's obviously very special at the plate and hits the ball hard every time, and man, it's electric.”
Gallen kept the Rays quiet after that, retiring 15 straight hitters and not allowing another run until Mullins went deep to right-center in the seventh despite Tampa Bay not striking out in a game for only the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since June 15, 2013.
But Martinez kept putting up zeroes, displaying the kind of poise and pitchability that’s put him on pace to join Caminero at the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia next month.
In addition to being one of the Majors’ most beloved teammates, Martinez has put up top-of-the-rotation numbers. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in 15 of his 16 starts, and his 2.66 ERA is the third-lowest mark among qualified starters in the AL, trailing only the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler (1.62) and teammate Drew Rasmussen (2.62).
Martinez didn’t get off to a great start, allowing a triple to Corbin Carroll after Perdomo’s homer. But he stranded Carroll at third by retiring the next two batters, breezed through the second and third then worked his way out of another jam in the fourth.
“I don't think he ever gets out of the zone in his mind. It doesn't matter who's hitting, what the situation is,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Traffic gets on base, and he does maybe some of his best work.”
With runners on the corners and nobody out in the fourth, Martinez calmly retired Nolan Arenado. Max Kepler then slapped a soft liner the other way that looked like it might land for an RBI single. Caminero thought otherwise.
The third baseman took a few steps to his right, left his feet and extended his left hand to snag the ball. Three pitches later, Martinez was out of the inning unscathed.
“I thought I'd, right there, play basketball,” Caminero quipped.
Martinez was clearly appreciative of the defensive work behind him, pumping his fists and pointing to his teammates every time they made a big play.
“As soon as I let go of the ball, I become a fan. So when they make sick plays, I get jacked up for them,” Martinez said. “They certainly made a bunch of those for me today.”
The Rays broke the game open in the seventh thanks to Mullins’ Statcast-projected 433-foot shot off Gallen, and big hits from the rest of their lineup’s “Big Three” -- an RBI single by Díaz, who broke a tie with B.J. Upton for sixth-most (448) in franchise history, and an RBI double by Aranda.
Tampa Bay’s defense took care of the rest, as Mullins got an incredible jump to make a diving catch to rob Carroll of a hit in the eighth. Caminero followed suit, quickly starting an inning-ending double play.
“He made some really nice plays,” Cash said. “But Cami works hard on his defense every single day.”