League: MLB Sport: Baseball Country: United States Category: Scores & Results

Junior Caminero hits walk-off home run as Rays defeat Astros 3-1

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 12, 2026, 6:04 AM

Last updated Sep 12, 2026

Junior Caminero hits walk-off home run as Rays defeat Astros 3-1

Summary

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Houston Astros 3-1 on Friday night at Tropicana Field, with Junior Caminero securing the win with a walk-off home run in the ninth inning. The victory clinched a postseason spot for the Rays, ending a two-year playoff drought. Houston maintained a three-game lead in the American League West despite the loss, helped by the Texas Rangers losing in Arizona. The Astros managed only nine hits and one run during the contest, continuing a trend of offensive inconsistency that has seen the team average 3.9 runs per game since August 3. Houston remains in the hunt for a postseason berth with 14 games left on their schedule.

Source Links

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Status Watch

•Junior Caminero hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game.
•The win secured a postseason berth for the Tampa Bay Rays.
•Houston remains first in the American League West with a 75-73 record.
•The teams meet for two more games in their current series at Tropicana Field.
•Houston went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position during the game.

Latest Updates

6:04 AMYahoo Sports — Houston Astros see what a playoff team looks like in loss to Rays and face their own shortcomings

What they're saying

"
If a meeting with the owners of the AL's best record is a barometer, the 3-1 loss to the Rays perhaps distilled the Astros current state.
— Yahoo Sports

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Houston Astros Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays MLB Baseball