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Tampa Bay Rays clinch MLB playoff spot on Junior Caminero walk-off homer

sportsSep 11, 202626452

Junior Caminero hit a two-run, walk-off home run, his AL-leading 40th of the season, off Houston reliever Bryan Abreu to lift the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 victory Friday, Sept. 11 at Tropicana Field and clinch the Rays' berth in the 2026 MLB playoffs. Caminero drilled an Abreu first-pitch fastball 417 feet over the left-field wall after Jonathan Aranda doubled to right center, then celebrated by pounding his chest and rallying teammates in the dugout. Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen allowed one run over seven innings, and Bryan Baker worked a scoreless ninth as the Rays improved to 88-59. The club returns to the postseason for the first time since 2023 and holds a three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East; entering Friday FanGraphs gave Tampa Bay an 81 percent chance to win the division. The Rays still have two games remaining against the Astros, a three-game homestand with the Athletics, then a pivotal three-game series at Yankee Stadium Sept. 22-24 that will go a long way toward deciding the AL East title. If Tampa Bay wins the division, the Rays would host Game 1 of the five-game American League Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Andrew Lawrence
@ndrew.bsky.social

tampa bay rays first team to clinch a playoff spot LFGGGGGGGGG

A screenshot of a news broadcast showing the underside of a stingray as it swims, its mouth looks like a smile The chyron reads “BREAKING NEWS LOCAL STINGRAY IN GREAT MOOD The water is nice and warm and his flappy parts are very flappy indeed”
1943h ago
Andrew Lawrence23

in these uniforms too, its do beautiful bsky.app/profile/mlbb...

Dimlan1

They can take it easy now. No need to get themselves worked up for the Yankees series

pamnapo.bsky.social1

I hate Florida but this is cute.

anUnrelatedThing1

They also rank first in absolute worst stadium in U.S. sports, but hey, that's St Pete for ya.

Antifa H.R. Manager on Blueskee1

I've been following you for a while, and I just realized that you're in Florida 🤪

Joe Posnanski
@joeposnanski.com

I know that for so many only October matters … but the fact that Tampa Bay and Milwaukee will be the first two teams to clinch postseason spots does point away from the whole “small market teams have no chance” narrative.

953h ago
DRaysBay11

It's also funny that coming out on top after 162 games,as opposed to the post season small sample size, is not considered the noteworthy achievement

Aaron Parrish5

It's not necessarily that they have no chance. They just have to be essentially perfect. Like, if the Cubs sign a player that doesn't pan out or gets hurt, they can likely replace him with someone on a similar level. If the Reds swing and miss in a guy, the budget is shot and there goes the year.

Nicholas Murray3

Tampa-St. Petersburg is the 11th-biggest market in America, and the largest in Florida. It's not a small market, prior ownership just treated it that way.

Mike2

The terrible Angels are going to sell for $3.6B and the Rays and Brewers have the best records in the league, and then as soon as the season ends the owners are going to lock out the players and claim the teams lose too much money and there’s no competitive balance because the big markets always win

Sarah Langs
@slangsonsports.bsky.social

2026 POSTSEASON FIELD Teams to clinch a postseason spot: 1. Rays, 9/11 2. Brewers, 9/11 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

542h ago
Brent Maguire
@bmags94.bsky.social

Junior Caminero's 40th homer of a season is a walk-off to clinch a postseason berth for the Rays

293h ago
Quoting this
Luke Knox5

Junior is so damn cool

Ben DuBose4

Only runner that matters is on 2B, first base is wide open, so sure... why not throw a first-pitch fastball, in the zone, to a guy with 40 HRs

Molly Knight
@mollyknight.bsky.social

From @craigtminami.bsky.social: Dodgers magic number is five to clinch the NL West and 13 to clinch a bye. Dodgers next 10 games are against the Marlins, Reds and Giants. Braves play the Rays, Phillies, Cubs and Astros

332d ago
Sam Miller
@sammillerbb.bsky.social

Here's one that got me: Bryce Eldridge has a higher OPS+ this year than Junior Caminero did last year. Both age-21 seasons.

17Yesterday
Chandler Rome
@chandlerrome.bsky.social

The Astros lost 3-1. They are 75-73. Junior Caminero walked it off with his 40th home run of the season to send the Rays to the playoffs.

93h ago
Ben DuBose7

If only they had the option to pitch to someone else

mannym99.bsky.social5

Pitching to a 40 home run hitter with the winning run on second base. The manager of your local softball league knows to walk him to try to set up a double play 100% of the time. Absolutely inexcusable. 

Heyrube2

And they pitched to him why? Absolutely brain dead decision, set up the dp. WOW

bearmoosefox.bsky.social2

Played well all things considered. Really encouraged about Pecko.

DingerTV
@dinger.tv

WALK OFF HOME RUN Junior Caminero (40) 417 ft (29°, 107.2 mph) 96.6 mph 4-seam, 2351 rpm HOU 1-TB 3 (B9, 0-0, 1 out) https://www.mlb.com/video/junior-caminero-s-walk-off-home-run-40

33h ago
Steve Ferra
@abpow.bsky.social

thanks to a thrilling walk-off win over Houston, the Rays lowered their magic number to clinch the AL East to 13, which just happens to be the number of the guy who hit the walk-off homer

Junior caminero
13h ago
ellen teapot 🇨🇦🏳️‍⚧️
@ellenteapot.ca

Junior Caminero just walked off the Devil Rays into the playoffs with his 40th home run of the season! How can you not be romantic about baseball?

53h ago
MLB Playoff Hope
@mlbplayoffhope.bsky.social

After a 1-3 loss today in Tampa Bay, the #Astros are now 75-73. Their playoff odds have declined to 89.87% (-2.9160%). See more at mlbplayoffhope.com/#astros.

13h ago
EmilyWatchesTV
@emilywatchestv.bsky.social

Junior Caminero hitting his 40th homer of the season for his first career walkoff hit to clinch a spot in the post season for the Rays for the first time since 2023 - how can you not be romantic about baseball. This group is magical.

33h ago
The Rocky Horror Picture Shōgun
@mgobl.eu

The Tampa Bay Rays are a playoff team for the 10th time in franchise history.

23h ago
Willie Lopez
@willielopezshow.bsky.social

Junior Caminero has just propelled the Tampa Bay Rays to the postseason with a monstrous walkoff blast vs. the Astros. It was his 40th home run of the season making him the 1st Rays player in history to hit 40 homers in back-to-back seasons! They are the 1st team to clinch! LET'S FUCKING GO RAYS! 💛🩵

3h ago
MLB Steals Tracker
@pitcherlistsbs.pitcherlist.com

Victor Mesa Jr. - Tampa Bay Rays: Stolen Base (9)

4h ago
2 sources
usatoday.comTampa Bay Rays first to clinch MLB playoff berth on Junior Caminero walk-off homersports.yahoo.comTampa Bay Rays first to clinch MLB playoff berth on Junior Caminero walk-off homer

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