MILWAUKEE -- Usually, you’ll see Junior Caminero leading with joy. He’s often the first one out of the dugout, celebrating on the field, when one of his teammates has a big moment. He’s quick to rush to their side to provide consolation. He’s even quicker with a big smile and a gleeful shout.
But he showed a different side of his emerging leadership after the sixth inning in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night at American Family Field. After seeing the uncharacteristically sloppy Rays blow a four-run lead in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Brewers, Caminero was caught by television cameras shouting at his teammates in the dugout.
“Trying to help the team. Trying to help the team and get our heads up, right?” Caminero said afterward through interpreter Kevin Vera. “Just trying to create some energy and get some life back into us.”
Speaking in front of his locker more than half an hour after Yandy Díaz struck out against Aaron Ashby to end the game, Caminero was clearly still frustrated by his team’s overall performance as the Rays fell into a 2-0 hole.
Asked if he had seen something specific that he didn’t like, leading to his emotional display in the dugout, Caminero responded quickly with a reference to the Rays’ multiple uncharacteristic misplays in the field.
“We had to get outs. In that moment, we weren't doing our job, and against Milwaukee, if you give up outs, they're gonna do that,” Caminero said. “They're gonna use that against you, and that's what happens. So I was trying to say the message [that], 'Hey, we've got to get outs.'”
Caminero also credited the Brewers, acknowledging that the National League champions have “played really well.” And he was optimistic that the Rays would get back to their style of play after being thrust into the World Series spotlight in a raucous environment the past two nights.
“Some players haven't played at this stage, and I understand maybe the pressure that they might feel. Me personally, I've played at similar stages at this point in my career, so I feel comfortable in certain ways,” Caminero said. “We've just got to win. We've just got to do our thing to flip the page, have a fresh mind on Monday and win Game 3.”
Caminero played a part in the Rays’ four-run rally in the first inning, smacking a single to left field that gave them a 2-0 lead, then scoring on Liam Hicks’ two-run homer off Brewers starter Logan Henderson. But Milwaukee kept Tampa Bay’s All-Star third baseman off the basepaths the rest of the night, and the Rays didn’t score again after the first.
That opened the door for the Brewers to come back. So did Tampa Bay’s mistakes on the mound, at the plate, on the bases and in the field.
“That’s the game, right? I guarantee you one thing, that nobody in this clubhouse wants to play the baseball that we've played the last couple days. That's not who we are,” Caminero said. “But at the end of the day, we've played the game in the last two days, and this is the type of baseball that's unfolded. So, it's the game. It's unfortunate.
“We can sit on it tonight, but the rest of the way, it's a new day. It's a new game, and yeah, we look forward to Game 3.”
Caminero had already taken it a step further earlier in his postgame interview, saying the Rays can’t afford to lose another game after the series resumes on Monday night at Tropicana Field.
“They were close, but look, we've got to win,” he said. “The rest of the way, they're mandatory that we've got to win.
“Just go on Monday with a fresh mind, fresh start on Monday and see what happens.”
Caminero attempted to exemplify that as the postgame scrum broke up around his locker, saying, “I already forgot about these last two days. The series now, in my mind, starts on Monday.”