Junior Caminero homers as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Junior Caminero hit a three-run homer, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 8–3 on Sunday in front of a sellout crowd of 10,046 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Yandy Díaz also went deep for Tampa Bay, which won two of three in the weekend series. Joe Boyle (1-0) struck out seven while pitching no-hit ball into the sixth inning.
Caminero committed a costly error in Atlanta’s three-run sixth. But he responded with a drive to right in the bottom half for his third homer of the season. He also connected on Saturday.
Atlanta finished with four hits while dropping to 1-9 on the road this season.
Braves ace Chris Sale permitted four runs — three earned — and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner struck out seven and walked three.
Christopher Morel’s RBI single lifted the Rays to a 4-0 lead in the fifth.
Boyle made a spot start for the Rays, who wanted to push Shane Baz back to Monday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox. He was charged with two unearned runs.
Key moment
After retiring 15 of his first 18 batters, Boyle hit a batter and walked another in the sixth, prompting manager Kevin Cash to pull him. The Braves capitalized, scoring three runs on an error and two hits.
Key stat
It was the highest scoring game for Tampa Bay so far this season.
Up next
Baz (1–0, 1.38 ERA) starts on Monday against the Red Sox. Grant Holmes (0–1, 4.00 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves at Toronto on Monday night.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
By KRISTIE ACKERT
Associated Press
