Caminero, Mullins Power Rays
Junior Caminero and Cedric Mullins Homer as Rays Defeat Diamondbacks 6-1
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Junior Caminero hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Cedric Mullins added a solo shot in the seventh, powering the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Thursday night. Associated Press reported the final score came after Nick Martinez held Arizona to one run over 5.2 innings to improve to 7-2 on the season.
The win keeps the Rays at 46-33, sitting just 2.0 games behind the New York Yankees for the AL East lead, according to theScore. Arizona falls to 41-40, putting pressure on their Wild Card chances.
Caminero's 427-Foot Blast Flips the Game Early
Arizona struck first. On just the seventh pitch of the game, Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo crushed a solo home run 421 feet off Martinez. It looked like an early statement for the visitors.
The Rays answered fast. Yandy DÃaz drew a walk and Jonathan Aranda was hit by a pitch. Then Caminero, just 22 years old, drove a 427-foot blast to center field at 110.4 mph exit velocity, per MLB.com. The three-run homer flipped a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. It was Caminero's 20th home run of the season.
Caminero Is on One of the Hottest Streaks in Rays History
Just 24 hours before this game, Caminero hit three home runs in a 13-2 blowout of the Kansas City Royals. His four home runs across two games is one of the most explosive power displays in Rays franchise history, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Fantasy analysts are taking notice. Razzball's Grey Albright called Caminero's current form "nuclear," ranking him the #5 hitter in rest-of-season fantasy projections. The young third baseman said he was "focused on seeing the ball deep" heading into the game, per Razzball.
Mullins and DÃaz Seal It With a Four-Run Seventh Inning
Zac Gallen kept Tampa Bay quiet through the middle innings, retiring 15 straight hitters at one point. But the seventh inning unraveled his night. Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer to right-center. Then Yandy DÃaz added an RBI single and Jonathan Aranda delivered an RBI double, pushing the lead to 6-1, per StatMuse.
Gallen took the loss, finishing with a line of 6.2 innings, 6 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 101 pitches, according to Fox Sports. Craig Kimbrel closed out the ninth for Tampa Bay.
Martinez Pitching Well Above Expectations, But Questions Linger
Nick Martinez has been one of the surprises of the 2026 season. Tampa Bay signed him to a $13 million deal in the offseason, per MLB Trade Rumors. He now owns a 2.66 ERA and a 7-2 record. His line Thursday: 5.2 innings, 6 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts on 85 pitches.
Analysts from Sports Illustrated warn that Martinez may be pitching over his head. His predictive ERA sits at 4.17, well above his actual 2.66. A regression could be coming. But for now, the Rays are winning, and the return to a repaired Tropicana Field — after spending 2025 displaced by Hurricane Milton damage — has the team looking like a genuine AL East contender.
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