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Rays go for baseball's best record

Aug 19, 2008 - 12:30 PM LA ANGELS (76-47) at TAMPA BAY (76-48), 7:10pm EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Rays aren't just fighting for supremacy in the American League East anymore. Now the team is bidding for the best record in all of baseball.

With the first game of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels under their belts already, the Rays just might get there. The Rays enter game two just a half-game behind the Angels for the top mark in the major leagues, which would secure them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Despite losing Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria to injuries during the last two weeks, the Rays continue to be the hottest team in the league, having won 15 of their last 19 games.

The Angels, thought to be the odds-on favorite to represent the American League in the World Series since acquiring Mark Teixeira in July, have dropped four of five and are just 8-7 in August.

To put a stop to their mini-skid, the Angels will send Ervin Santana (13-5, 3.49) to the mound on Tuesday. Despite mediocre showings in three of his last four outings, Santana remains one of the top starters in the AL.

The righthander is in the top-10 in the league in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched, and ranks 12th in earned-run average. He faces off on Tuesday against James Shields (10-7, 3.75), who has won six of his last eight decisions.

Journeymen Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd each hit two-run homers and Willy Aybar had three hits and a pair of runs scored as the Rays held off the Angels, 6-4, in Monday's opener.

With tropical storm Fay making its way into Florida, there remains the possibility that Tuesday's game will be postponed.