Rays' All-Star Junior Caminero hits 11th home run in 11 games, first player to do so since 2021

Another game, another home run for Junior Caminero.

The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman — who was announced as a starter for the American League All-Star team on Saturday — hit his 11th home run in his past 11 games in a 10-8 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.

Caminero didn't waste any time with continuing his home run tear, taking Astros starter Hunter Brown deep in his first at-bat of the game. Brown hung a slider in the middle of the strike zone and Caminero launched it deep into the Crawford Boxes for his 26th long ball of the season.

During his past 11 games, Caminero has hit home runs in nine of them. But he hit three homers in a 13-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on June 25, which made up for the two games in which Caminero didn't go deep. That 11-game span included Caminero hitting homers in six consecutive games, the youngest player to do so since 1900.

Caminero is the first player to hit 11 or more home runs in an 11-game span since Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber did so during the 2021 season.

He has hit 11 home runs in his past 11 games dating back to June 23. He is the first player to hit 11 or more homers in 11 games since Kyle Schwarber did it in 2021. The other 10 players on that list:

Nelson Cruz, Twins - 2019
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies - 2010
Barry Bonds, Giants - 2001
Sammy Sosa, Cubs - 1998
Mark McGwire, Cardinals - 1998
Albert Belle, Guardians - 1995
Doug DeCinces, Angels - 1982
Mike Schmidt, Phillies - 1976
Frank Howard, Senators - 1968
Harmon Killebrew, Twins - 1962

Prior to turning 23 on July 5, Caminero became the second-youngest player to hit 10 home runs in 10 games. Only Cody Bellinger, then 21 years old, was younger, achieving the feat in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Caminero was voted to the starting lineup of the AL All-Star team for the second consecutive season, beating out Toronto Blue Jays rookie Kazuma Okamoto. He has a .291/.379/.566 slash line with 26 home runs and 56 RBI in 377 plate appearances for the first-place Rays, who lead the New York Yankees by four games in the AL East.

Yordan Alvarez walks it off for the Astros

However, the Rays lost on Saturday due to an Astros home run. Yordan Alvarez blasted a 2-run shot in the ninth inning that lifted Houston to a walk-off win. That was Alvarez’s second home run of the game, giving him 29 for the season.

Alvarez hit a walk-off homer on a July 4 game for the second time during his career. He also ignited walk-off fireworks in 2022.