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Caminero's Three HR Power Rays 13-2 Victory

6/26/2026

Summary

Caminero Triple

Junior Caminero hit three home runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 13-2.
Ian Seymour (4-1) threw 6 2/3 relief innings with seven strikeouts, while Craig Kimbrel surrendered a two-run homer to Carter Jensen in the ninth, ending the no-hit bid.
Tampa Bay logged 15 hits as Seth Lugo (3-5) allowed seven runs on seven hits in five innings for Kansas City.

Summary

Fortes Clutch Single

Series ended 2-2 split between Tampa Bay and Kansas City.
Tampa Bay won two ABS replay challenges, giving Victor Mesa Jr. a walk and awarding Taylor Walls a base after a Royals challenge.
In the eighth inning, pinch-hitter Nick Fortes replaced Yandy Díaz and delivered a run-producing single.
The early-morning start forced teams to adjust routines after Kansas City used three relievers—Matt Strahm, Connor Seabold and Tyler Tolbert—within three innings.

History

Historical Context

In January 2014 MLB approved an expanded instant-replay system, giving managers one challenge per game and allowing crew chiefs to review plays from the seventh inning onward. The first challenge occurred on March 31 2014, and by the All-Star break managers had filed 606 challenges, 52 % of which were overturned. The Rays-Royals game shows how the system now directly shapes outcomes.

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Caminero Triple

Junior Caminero hit three home runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 13-2.
Ian Seymour (4-1) threw 6 2/3 relief innings with seven strikeouts, while Craig Kimbrel surrendered a two-run homer to Carter Jensen in the ninth, ending the no-hit bid.
Tampa Bay logged 15 hits as Seth Lugo (3-5) allowed seven runs on seven hits in five innings for Kansas City.

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