MLB teamAndy Sonnanstine begins the next era in Tampa Bay Rays baseball today when the playoff-bound Rays host the Minnesota Twins in the finale of a four-game series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay clinched at least a wild card berth in the American League's postseason with a defeat of the Twins MLB team in game three on Saturday, while also seeing its magic number for the AL East Division title trimmed to seven when the second-place Boston Red Sox lost in Toronto.

The Rays have the second-best record in the major leagues in 2008 after having entered the year having never won more than 70 games in any single season.

Sonnanstine, a 25-year-old right-hander, won three straight decisions to get to 13-6 by August 18, but is winless in five starts since while allowing 28 hits and 13 earned runs in 28 2/3 innings.

He's pitched well while getting no-decisions in the last two games -- both against the Red Sox -- while giving up just seven hits and two unearned runs. Tampa Bay won both MLB team games.

He has never faced the Twins in 52 career major-league starts.

All team sports information reports that former phenom Francisco Liriano will try to continue a recent run of success for Minnesota.

The 24-year-old, who won 12 of 15 decisions in 2006 before an elbow problem sidelined him for all of 2007, has won six straight decisions this year since early August.

On Saturday, Carlos Pena drove in two runs and Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings as Tampa Bay earned a 7-2 win.

Fernando Perez and Cliff Floyd each homered for the Rays.

Kazmir (12-7) scattered five hits, fanned five and walked one en route to his first win since September 4.

These MLB team split a two-game series at the Metrodome from April 16-17. Minnesota is 17-8 against the Rays since the start of the 2005 campaign, which includes a 7-5 mark at Tropicana Field.