ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manager Kevin Cash has been talking for what seems nearly the entire season about his offensively-challenged Rays needing to have that one big inning to break out.

And in the fourth inning of their 139th game, they did.

The eight runs they scored Wednesday were their most in a single frame in more than a year. And they were enough to lead them to a 9-4 win over the Twins.

In winning back-to-back games for the first time in two weeks, the Rays improved to 69-70 and remained at least within six games of the No. 3 American League wild-card spot, pending later results.

The big inning started somewhat quietly, and included some help from the Twins, with a leadoff single by Brandon Lowe, a walk by Junior Caminero and a flyout by Josh Lowe than moved Brandon Lowe to third. An errant pickoff throw allowed Brandon Lowe to score and Caminero to move to third.

Jonny DeLuca then grounded to short and Brooks Lee couldn’t make the play at the plate, with Caminero scoring to make it 2-0. Dylan Carlson followed with a bunt single.

Jose Caballero delivered the first solid hit, an RBI single. A fielder’s choice grounder by Ben Rortvedt and another errant Twins throw made it 4-0.

Then Taylor Walls delivered the first big hit, a two-run single. And Yandy Diaz followed with a bigger one, a sizzling homer to dead center to make it 8-0.

The Rays used Cole Sulser as the opener, then Kevin Kelly before turning it over to Tyler Alexander, who allowed the Twins back into the game by giving up four in the seventh before Hunter Bigge ended the threat.

The eight-run fourth was the Rays’ highest-scoring inning since Aug. 22, 2023, when they scored nine in the eighth inning against Colorado.

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