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Rays can clinch with win, Red Sox loss

Sep 24, 2008 - 10:09 AM Tampa Bay (95-62) at Baltimore (67-90), 7:05 pm EDT

BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Rays have the opportunity to soak their clubhouse with champagne for the second time this week.

Some help from the Cleveland Indians and a win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday can give the Rays their first division title.

A sweep of a doubleheader on Tuesday gave Tampa Bay a three-game lead over the Boston Red Sox (92-65) in the American League East and reduced its magic number to two. If the Rays win and the Red Sox lose to the Indians, it would give the Rays a division crown after they finished with the worst record in the majors last season.

Tampa Bay clinched a playoff berth on Saturday.

"I want us to win the division," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Getting home-field advantage throughout (the playoffs) would be very, very special."

The victory in the nightcap of the twinbill enabled the Rays to break the record held by the 1991 Atlanta Braves for most wins by a team that owned the worst record in the majors one year earlier.

Edwin Jackson (12-11, 4.19 ERA) takes the mound for Tampa Bay with hopes of building on his last outing, when he held the Minnesota Twins to one run and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings on Friday. Prior to that, though, the righthander was 0-3 with a 10.95 ERA in three September starts.

Baltimore counters with Radhames Liz (6-6, 6.69), who was pounded for four runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings of a 17-2 loss at Tampa Bay in his lone start against the Rays on September 5, 2007.

Over his last two starts, the 25-year-old righthander is 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA, which spans over 14 1/3 frames.