Junior Caminero says he'll play Game 5 'if my foot is broken' after the Rays escape

Junior Caminero started the 12th-inning rally that saved the Tampa Bay Rays' season on Tuesday night, and he finished it limping. The All-Star third baseman hurt his left foot running the bases, then said he will play in Game 5 of the World Series no matter what.

"If my foot is broken," Caminero said, according to the Associated Press, "I'll play tomorrow."

Kevin Cash went further. "He'll play tomorrow on one leg," the Rays manager said. "I'll make sure of it."

The Rays won 4-3 after trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the 12th, which cut Milwaukee's Series lead to 3-1. Caminero reached on a throwing error by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz to lead off the inning and began limping after that, the AP said. He went from first to third on Liam Hicks' single and was replaced by pinch runner Cedric Mullins, who scored the tying run on Jonny DeLuca's single. Pinch hitter Ben Williamson won it with a bases-loaded single to right.

The reason Tampa Bay wants Caminero on the field, even hurt, is in the numbers. He hit 42 home runs with 101 RBIs and played all 162 games this season, according to the AP. He has one homer and five RBIs in 13 postseason games, and the Rays are hitting .195 with one home run as a team in this Series. Caminero was 1 for 5 in Game 4.

The bigger problem is the hole the Rays are still in. They are the fifth of 26 teams to trail 3-0 in a World Series and win Game 4, and the first four all lost Game 5, according to the AP. Of 43 teams to fall behind 3-0 in any best-of-seven postseason series, only the 2004 Red Sox came back to win.

Tampa Bay also spent a lot to get here. Nick Martinez, who would have started Game 5, pitched two innings in relief, and Cash said after the game he had not decided on a starter, the AP reported. Milwaukee will start Jacob Misiorowski, who gave up one run in five innings in Game 1, according to ESPN.

Game 5 is Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. The questions now are how well Caminero can move on that foot and who the Rays can start after using seven pitchers to get through 12 innings.