Junior Caminero hits 44th homer, but Rays lose to Cubs

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 14, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — Junior Caminero moved within two homers of Carlos Pena’s franchise single-season record, and the Tampa Bay Rays moved closer to formal elimination from the American League playoff race in a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

After Yandy Diaz led off the game with his career-high 24th homer, Caminero followed with his 44th of the season, closing in on Pena’s record 46 set in 2007.

Caminero also picked up his 108th RBI, moving past Aubrey Huff for fourth place on the franchise list; Pena had a record 121 in 2007.

The loss was the Rays’ seventh in their last nine games, dropping them to 73-76. That will leave them at least 7 1/2 games behind the Mariners and Astros, who started the day sharing the third AL wild-card spot, with only 13 games left.

Sunday stated with the Rays grabbing a quick lead.

Diaz homered on Cubs lefty starter Shota Imanaga’s fourth pitch of the sunny afternoon, his fifth leadoff blast of the season. Six pitches later, Caminero did the same. It was the fourth time the Rays hit back-to-back homers.

The Cubs struck quickly against Rays starter Adrian Houser to get one back, as Michael Busch led off with a double and Nico Hoerner followed with a single.

The Rays extended their margin to 3-1 in the third, though they could have had more.

Caminero led off with a single, but Brandon Lowe forced him out at second with a fielder’s-choice grounder. Nick Fortes doubled with two outs, sending Brandon Lowe to third. Josh Lowe dribbled a ball toward the mound that Imanaga couldn’t pick up cleanly, allowing the run to score.

The Cubs again made it a one-run game when Ian Happ homered off Houser with one out in the sixth.

The Rays appeared to add to the lead in the seventh, but a replay reversal took their run off the board.

With Caminero on third and Brandon Lowe on first, Jake Mangum grounded a ball to second. Hoerner fielded it and flipped to shortstop Dansby Swanson for a forceout, with Caminero scoring as Swanson didn’t make a throw to first.

But Brandon Lowe didn’t slide, and the Cubs successfully challenged that him not doing so created interference on Swanson. The call was changed to a double play, and the run didn’t count.

The Cubs immediately seized the momentum and went ahead in the seventh off reliever Edwin Uceta. Willi Castro led off with a single, and after Reese McGuire popped up a bunt, Matt Shaw also singled. After Busch struck out, Hoerner laced a double to left that scored both, giving the Cubs a 4-3 lead.

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