The Dominican player hit a 455-foot home run and led Tampa Bay’s offense in the 7-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Freddy Peralta also stood out on the mound.

Santo Domingo, September 8, 2026. — Junior Caminero continues to leave his mark on Major League Baseball. The Dominican third baseman hit his 39th home run of the season this Tuesday, an impressive 455-foot blast that allowed him to take sole possession of the American League home run lead.

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The blast came in the first inning against Braves starter A.J. Smith-Shawver and traveled to the left-field stands to give Tampa Bay the lead and mark the start of a powerful offensive night for the Rays.

Caminero finished the game 3-for-2, drew a walk, was hit by a pitch, and scored two runs. With his 39 home runs, he moved into the lead in the American League, ahead of Cuban Yordan Álvarez, who has 38.

Tampa Bay’s production was not limited to Caminero’s hit. Liam Hicks extended the lead in the third inning with a two-run home run, while Yandy Díaz and Richie Palacios contributed solo homers in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

In total, the Rays hit four home runs to support a solid pitching performance and complete the 7-1 victory over Atlanta.

Freddy Peralta adds another victory

From the mound, Freddy Peralta once again delivered an effective performance. The right-hander worked for six innings and allowed just one run to earn the victory and bring his record to 8-11.

The triumph also represented his third consecutive victory as a starter. Since his arrival in Tampa Bay from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta has a 3-2 record and has allowed only two runs in his last 18 innings of work.

Atlanta scored its only run in the first inning, when Drake Baldwin drove in Ronald Acuña Jr. From that moment on, Peralta and the rest of the Tampa Bay pitching staff limited the Braves’ offense.

Smith-Shawver, for his part, took the loss and dropped his record to 0-2 after allowing four runs in just over three innings. In his five starts this season, he has conceded 18 runs in 21 innings.

Other notable performances

Víctor Mesa Jr. also had a productive day as he celebrated his 25th birthday with a 2-for-5 performance, one RBI, and a stolen base.

Chandler Simpson, born in Atlanta, also experienced a special day in his first appearance at Truist Park. The youngster hit a single, scored a run, and reached 40 stolen bases on the season.

According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Simpson became the first player since Chad Curtis, in 1992 and 1993, to record at least 40 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons.

With the power of Caminero, the contribution of Peralta, and an offense that responded from start to finish, Tampa Bay secured a resounding victory against Atlanta, while the Dominican player climbed to the top of the American League home run leaderboard with 39 homers.