The Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a wild comeback last night, May 13, 2025, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 11-9 at Rogers Centre in a game that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very last out. The star of the night? Rookie third baseman Junior Caminero, whose go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning flipped the script and gave the Rays the lead in a game that turned into a slugfest by the end.
The Rays were trailing 2-1 heading into the ninth, struggling to get much going against Blue Jays starter José Berríos, who went 5.1 innings, allowing 5 runs. Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz kept them in the game, giving up just 2 runs over 5 innings, but the offense couldn’t break through early. That all changed in the ninth when Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman came in to seal the deal. With two outs and the bases loaded after a walk to Randy Arozarena, Caminero stepped up to the plate. The 21-year-old didn’t flinch, crushing a 2-2 fastball deep to left for a grand slam that put the Rays up 5-2. The moment was electric—
@RaysTheRoofTB captured the chaos on X, posting, “OH MY GOD JUNIOR GO-AHEAD GRAND SLAM IN THE NINTH WTF.”
But the game was far from over. The Rays tacked on more runs in that inning, pushing their lead to 11-7, thanks to hits from Brandon Lowe (2-for-4 with 2 RBIs) and Jonathan Aranda, who also homered earlier. The Blue Jays fought back hard in the bottom of the ninth, plating 2 more runs with homers from Daulton Varsho (his second of the night) and Ernie Clement, but Rays reliever Edwin Uceta shut the door, earning the win despite the late scare. Toronto’s offense was powered by Varsho’s 4 RBIs and a Bo Bichette homer, but Hoffman took the loss after giving up 5 runs in just a third of an inning.
Caminero’s grand slam was the headline, boosting his season stats to a .242 average with 8 homers and 20 RBIs. For a rookie, he’s showing a knack for big moments—his 4 RBIs in this game alone were a career high. The Rays, now 19-22 and third in the AL East, desperately needed this win after a 2-4 homestand where their offense struggled, scoring just 150 runs through 40 games (23rd in MLB). The Blue Jays, dropping to 20-21, had been on a hot streak, scoring 29 runs over a four-game win streak, but their bullpen faltered at the worst possible time.
This game was a rollercoaster, but for Rays fans, it’s the kind of win that can spark a turnaround. With Caminero stepping up and the offense finally showing some life, Tampa Bay might just have found the jolt they needed. They’ll look to carry this momentum into Game 2 tonight against the Blue Jays, and you can bet Caminero’s grand slam will be on every highlight reel in the meantime.
