MINNEAPOLIS -- Randy Arozarena has developed a popularity for excelling in huge moments in his 4 years with the Rays. Add the sequence finale in Minnesota to the listing, with an essential ultimate stretch of the season nonetheless to come back.

Arozarena hit a tiebreaking house run within the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay beat the Twins, 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field to take two of three video games between doubtless playoff groups. After caring for enterprise in Minnesota, the Rays now face an enormous showdown this week with the American League East-leading Orioles.

“I’m always ready,” Arozarena stated via interpreter Manny Navarro. “It brings up the focus level a little bit more, especially to help out my teammates as much as I can. We know that we’ve got some big games coming up, and we’ve got to just be ready for them and just stay positive.”

Kevin Kelly earned the win with two scoreless innings of aid. Robert Stephenson earned his first save for Tampa Bay, getting the ultimate out and stranding the tying run at second base. Taj Bradley struck out seven, however he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.

The Rays’ four-game sequence in opposition to the Orioles begins Thursday evening at Camden Yards.

“It’s going to be a good series,” Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Díaz stated earlier than the sport via interpreter Manny Navarro. “I think it’s going to make or break the season. But we’re going to go out there, and hopefully go with the mentality to win all four games.”

Tampa Bay has stayed inside vary of Baltimore by successful of seven of its previous 9 video games, together with two on the highway in opposition to the Twins, the AL Central leaders.

Colin Poche began the ninth inning Wednesday and bought the primary two outs round a stroll to Jordan Luplow and a stolen base by pinch-runner Andrew Stevenson. With right-handed pinch-hitter Christian Vázquez on the plate, supervisor Kevin Cash -- displaying the significance of the second -- opted to go to Stephenson, who struck out Vázquez on three pitches to finish the sport.

“Generally speaking, Colin stays in that game,” Cash stated. “But with the magnitude of it, where we’re at in the season, we’re going to prioritize getting whatever we think is the right matchup. It might not always work, but that’s what we’re going to try and do.”

Arozarena hit his twenty second house run of the season off reliever Griffin Jax, sending a 3-2 sweeper a Statcast-projected 448 ft into the third deck in left-center subject.

“He got every bit of that ball,” Cash stated. “That ball went a long way, picked our dugout up. We were, at that stage after they tied it up, pretty frustrated in the dugout the way the game had unfolded. But Randy came up with a big hit.”

Arozarena -- who was the AL Championship Series MVP in 2020 in opposition to the Astros and added a 1.235 OPS within the Rays’ World Series loss to the Dodgers -- has made a reputation for himself by coming via in clutch conditions.

“We all know he rises up in big games and big moments,” Cash stated. “So [we’ve] probably come to expect nothing less, and today was a big moment. Hopefully that provides him a little bit of a jolt, and it continues now the rest of the way.”

It was Arozarena’s first house run since Aug. 29. He went 2-for-5 after hitting .205 in his earlier 12 video games.

Now, with Arozarena feeling assured and the Twins sequence behind them, the Rays can look solely upon the following sequence and an opportunity to catch the Orioles.

“We know this series has kind of been earmarked for probably a month now, our opportunity to gain some ground,” Cash stated. “But I think we just need to go in there, appreciate what we just did. This has been a tough ballpark for us to find success in and win series. So enjoy it and get ready to play Baltimore tomorrow.”

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