ST. PETERSBURG -- What was the biggest play of the Rays’ two-out, eighth-inning rally to steal victory from the jaws of defeat on Monday night?

Manager Kevin Cash and his players were in agreement following their 4-3 victory over the Mariners at Tropicana Field: It was José Caballero’s walk to load the bases and keep the line moving.

“I think we won because of him,” Yandy Díaz said via team interpreter Manny Navarro.

Well, the box score will show that Tampa Bay actually won because of Díaz, who slapped Andrés Muñoz’s 100.1 mph fastball past first baseman Ty France for a two-run single to cap the Rays’ game-changing three-run frame.

But that at-bat wouldn’t have been possible without Caballero employing supreme discipline -- and maybe some mind games -- against one of the nastiest closers in baseball.

Caballero fought off a 96 mph sinker and a 99 mph fastball. He watched biting sliders dive into the dirt. Finally, on the eighth pitch of the battle, Caballero held back as Muñoz spiked an 89 mph slider for ball four.

Caballero also called for time during the at-bat hoping it would keep Muñoz out of rhythm. It worked.

“I was trying to mess with the pitch clock,” Caballero said. “I know [the pitchers] don't like it. … I was just trying to make him think about something else instead of just throwing strikes.”

Caballero knew how to get under Muñoz’s skin because the two were teammates in Seattle last year. Caballero began his MLB career last year with the Mariners before being shipped to the Rays for outfielder Luke Raley during the offseason. He has compiled a .650 OPS, an AL-best 24 stolen bases and three outs above average while spending most of his time at shortstop for Tampa Bay.

“It's one thing if you're going up against your former team,” Cash said, “but to hang in there against 95-99 mph fastballs, wipeout sliders, being able to lay off and get to 3-2. … I'm just really impressed with Cabby’s at-bat.”

The Rays’ offense had a handful of good at-bats through seven innings but was unable to come up with any timely hitting. The only run the club had scored to that point occurred in the fourth via a Richie Palacios single followed by an errant pickoff throw and a wild pitch from left-hander Tayler Saucedo, who entered in the fourth inning once Seattle starter Bryan Woo departed with right hamstring tightness.

The eighth inning looked like it would be another fruitless one for a lineup that had shown signs of heating up during its recent road trip, highlighted by a season-high 17 hits Friday.

But a Taylor Walls single and a Jose Siri walk against Austin Voth gave the club some life. Catcher Ben Rortvedt then sliced a pitch to left field that would have tied the game if not for the ball hopping over the short wall outside of the foul line. Even though, in Rortvedt’s words, “Jose was flying,” Siri had to hold up at third base on the ground-rule double.

Tough luck? Sure. But with Caballero and Díaz to follow, it turned out to be a non-factor as the Rays secured their sixth win in their past eight games. It was also the team’s 16th victory in a one-run game this year. Tampa Bay’s .696 winning percentage in such contests is the best in the Majors.

“We had to have some good at-bats to get some guys on base and find that big hit that Yandy ended up getting with the bases loaded,” Cash said.

Díaz recorded opposite-field hits in the third and eighth innings to push his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games. He has slashed .368/.385/.487 during the stretch, which began on June 7.

The Rays have also seen the best of right-handed pitcher Taj Bradley during the same period. He put forth another strong effort, allowing one run on only two hits and four walks while striking out eight over 5 1/3 innings.

Six of Bradley’s eight strikeouts came on his splitter, a pitch he has been leaning on more this season. Over a four-start span since June 8, Bradley has tallied 29 K’s, 17 of which have come on his split. That span includes only four earned runs allowed over 23 1/3 frames.

“Watching the hitters’ reaction, it doesn't look like a very fun pitch to try to cover,” Cash said of Bradley’s split-finger, “especially when you're talking about the fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s that’s kind of carrying through the top of the zone.”