Currently: The Tampa Bay Rays are on the verge of clinching their first playoff berth in club history. The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, were finally able to take a step closer at trying to achieve another spot in the postseason.
After a thrilling opener to their four-game set, the two postseason hopefuls meet again on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Alexi Casilla hit a game-tying two-run homer, and Adam Everett added the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit double to highlight a five-run ninth inning for Minnesota (83-70) in its 11-8 victory on Thursday.
The win, which overshadowed a three-homer game from Rays rookie Evan Longoria, snapped a four-game losing streak for the Twins, who moved within 1 1/2 games of AL Central-leading Chicago, which lost to the New York Yankees on Thursday.
Minnesota’s recent skid prevented it from taking advantage as the White Sox dropped three of four to the Yankees, but the Twins finally made good after overcoming five Tampa Bay home runs.
“It’s huge. There’s no question,” Everett said of the Twins, who are 6-10 this month. “We’ve had games snatched from us from the ninth inning on. For us to snatch a game away from a team like Tampa Bay and their pitching staff, that’s huge for us.”
The Rays (90-61), meanwhile, lost for the fourth time in six games and own a 1 1/2-game lead over Boston in the AL East. Tampa Bay can clinch at least a wild-card playoff berth as early as Friday if they beat the Twins, and Chicago, Toronto and the Yankees all lose.
The Rays can also ensure a berth by winning two of the remaining three in this series.
“I still like our position, absolutely,” reliever Dan Wheeler said. “It’s just a difficult one to swallow. That’s all you can say.”
If Tampa Bay wins the East, Minnesota claims the Central title and Boston earns the wild card, the Rays and Twins would meet again in the AL division series.
Longoria, hitting .320 with seven RBIs in seven games since returning from a broken wrist, joined Jonny Gomes as the only Rays to hit three home runs in a game in the club’s 11-season history.
“Obviously, I’m pretty happy about my performance, but not the outcome,” said Longoria, who is 5-for-13 against the Twins. “I expect us to bounce back. We’ve been doing it all along.”
Joe Mauer had three hits for Minnesota, which is 3-4 on its final road trip that spans 11 games. Mauer is batting .375 (12-for-32) during an eight-game hitting streak and is 7-for-12 against Tampa Bay in 2008.
The Twins look for another successful night at the plate while facing Tampa Bay’s Edwin Jackson (11-11, 4.33 ERA), who’ll look to avoid a fourth consecutive loss. Jackson allowed six runs and six hits in two innings of an 8-4 loss to the Yankees on Sunday.
“I got some balls up,” said Jackson, who is 0-3 with a 10.95 ERA in September. “It just wasn’t my day.”
The right-hander has been even worse against Minnesota in two career starts, going 0-2 with a 16.62 ERA while lasting a combined 4 1-3 innings.
The Twins counter with rookie Nick Blackburn (10-9, 3.89), who also hopes to bounce back from a rough start in which he allowed six runs and nine hits - including four homers - in four innings of a 7-3 loss on Sunday at Baltimore.
The right-hander will make his first start against Tampa Bay.
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