Rays Clinch Ultimate Thrifter World Series

For a moment there, it was getting a bit sleepy. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Tampa Bay Rays were up 3-1 on the Cleveland Guardians: a lead, but not an insurmountable one. Each of their three runs came from plinking away at the Guardians' relievers—the Guardians were reduced to a bullpen game to fend off elimination—in the second and third innings. Then, up came Junior Caminero with a runner on. After, it was impossible to drowse off. https://youtu.be/h60gtkCBMBc The numbers on the home run themselves are not very impressive, nor was the timing particularly special. Caminero just dinked the foul pole; Statcast indicates that it would have only been a home run in Houston, New York, and, indeed, Tampa. Speaking purely in homer quality, it paled in comparison to his teammate Yandy Díaz's next-inning dagger. But absent the aesthetic appeal of a no-doubter, or the narrative sway of a game-winner, what made Caminero's home run incredible was Junior Caminero.

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