ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays’ postseason hopes apparently did not crash like Junior Caminero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca down the left field foul line in the ninth inning of the American League Championship Series opener on Monday.
A 7-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 should not be worsened, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash, by an injury to Tampa Bay’s All-Star third baseman.
“He’s OK,” Cash said postgame of Caminero. “I think he got the wind knocked out of him a little bit. I actually didn’t even notice that he went down. I was looking at DeLuca. He popped up pretty quick and (I) didn’t realize that Cammy had fallen down a couple feet behind him.
“But I think he just got the wind knocked out of him, and he seems to be totally fine now.”
Caminero’s left shoulder collided hard with DeLuca after the third baseman nearly made an over-the-shoulder catch of Brayan Rocchio’s foul pop into the Cleveland bullpen. As DeLuca slammed to the ground, Caminero dangled his glove arm and looked back at his teammate before plopping down along the fence. He remained in the game after being attended by trainers.
Caminero finished 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI on Monday.
EX-MATES: Caminero and Yandy Diaz credit the Cleveland organization for seeing something in them as young players and giving them their starts as, presently, extremely productive major-leaguers. The trouble for the Guardians is that their front office didn’t see enough to keep them around for that maturation. And despite taking a series lead on Monday, the Guardians will need to contend with that pair at least three more times in the ALCS.
In what Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti admitted was a “bad trade” in November 2021, Cleveland sent Caminero, then a little-known 18-year-old shortstop with raw tools, to the Rays for right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers, who never pitched in the big leagues for Cleveland.
Caminero, 23, has grown into a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate, hitting 87 homers in his first two full seasons and becoming the cornerstone of a franchise attempting to parlay another shrewd front-office decision into a first World Series championship.
And then there is Diaz, the Tampa Bay designated hitter who, barring injury, will pass Evan Longoria (30) as the franchise leader in postseason appearances in Game 3.
“I think that means one thing, it means I’m getting old,” Diaz quipped before Game 1 on Monday when asked about the significance of the milestone. “But aside from that, I’m really happy. Really happy, and really grateful for this organization and how they’ve treated me. Just to be a part of this history, to have those many games in the postseason with this group is something really special and something I’m very proud of and something I’ll cherish forever.”
Diaz, who has bloomed into a prime offensive contributor in eight seasons with the Rays, couldn’t help but be pleased with how his career path zagged with a December 2018 three-way trade that brought him and minor league pitcher Cole Sulser to Tampa Bay, with Cleveland netting first baseman Jake Bauers from the Rays as well as first baseman Carlos Santana and cash from the Seattle Mariners.
“Look, thank you to Cleveland for making me a professional. I started my career there. I signed my first pro contract there,” Diaz said. “But also I’m happy with the way things worked out. I’m happy that I was traded over here to Tampa Bay, in my opinion, the best organization in the league. I’ve made my career here. So that’s something I’m really proud of. I’m grateful for everything, but happy to be here in Tampa Bay.”
Diaz, 35, led the AL this year with a career-high 180 hits. He batted .291 and logged an .812 on-base-plus-slugging percentage while hitting out of the leadoff spot. Diaz went 2-for-5 with a double and a run on Monday.
SWAPPED: The Rays dropped left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger from their 26-man roster for the ALCS, adding highly touted prospect Brody Hopkins and his 100-plus-mph fastball and breaking pitch arsenal.
Cleavinger did not pitch in the Rays’ sweep of the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. Hopkins, 24, made his major league debut in September logging 5 1/3 innings and permitting three runs. His pitch command in recent intrasquad scrimmages convinced the Rays to include him on the roster, according to MLB.com.
ROUTINE: Game 1 marked the first time the Rays were scheduled to play consecutive games since the end of the regular season on Sept. 26-27. After waiting through its first-round bye, Tampa Bay dispatched the New York Yankees at home in three games during the ALDS, which featured a quirky rest day between Games 1 and 2.
