(My Sportsbook) - Sixth-year right-hander Edwin Jackson can all but finish off one of history's most unlikely turnarounds when the Tampa Bay Rays host the Minnesota Twins tonight in the second test of a four-game weekend series at Tropicana Field.

The Rays, who lead the American League's East Division by 1 1/2 games over the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, find themselves even closer to securing at least a wild card playoff position by virtue of an eight-game bulge over the Twins and a nine-game edge on the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays with 11 games remaining on their schedule.

Minnesota, New York and Toronto each have just nine games remaining.

Tampa Bay's magic number to clinch no worse than a tie with the Twins is two, which could come with a win in any of the three remaining games of the series. Minnesota won the opener Thursday, 11-8, after scoring five times in the ninth inning.

Meanwhile, the Rays' magic number to forge at least a tie with the Yankees and/or Blue Jays is one.

Their magic number to clinch the East is 10.

New York begins a weekend series tonight in Baltimore, while Toronto opens a series at home against Boston.

Tampa Bay had never won more than 70 games in any season prior to 2008.

Jackson, who turned 25 earlier this month, won six of seven starts between June 25 and Aug. 28, but has dropped three straight since to fall back to .500 on the season.

A five-time winner in 32 games - 31 starts - last season, Jackson has been touched for 24 hits and 15 runs in 12 1/3 innings over the three unsuccessful outings, dropping two verdicts to the Yankees and another to the Red Sox.

He is 0-2 in five career games - two starts - against Minnesota, posting an ugly 18.90 earned run average in 6 2/3 innings while allowing 14 hits and 14 earned runs.

For the Twins, right-hander Nick Blackburn tries to snap a late-season skid that's seen him win just once since early August.

The 26-year-old native of Oklahoma was 9-6 after a 7-3 defeat of the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 6, but is just 1-3 in seven subsequent starts, including a 7-3 loss at Baltimore in his last outing on September 14.

In that game, Blackburn allowed nine hits and six runs in just four innings.

He has never faced the Rays.

On Thursday, Alexi Casilla's two-run homer tied it in the ninth and the Twins tacked on three more runs.

Tampa called on Dan Wheeler to hold an 8-6 lead in the ninth, but Casilla followed Denard Span's infield single with a homer to right to knot the score.

Fernando Perez then had a catchable ball bounce off his glove leading to a Joe Mauer double and Wheeler (5-6) was pulled after intentionally walking Justin Morneau.

Trever Miller entered and allowed a pinch-hit RBI double to Adam Everett, and Chad Bradford surrendered a run-scoring hit to Delmon Young and a sac fly to Matt Tolbert before finally getting out of the frame.

Joe Nathan set down the Rays in order in the ninth for his 37th save, making a winner out of Eddie Guardado (4-4), who pitched a perfect eighth. Starter Glen Perkins recorded a mere two outs in his sub-par start, yielding five runs -- two earned -- on five hits and a walk.

Joe Mauer had three hits and three RBI, while Jason Kubel added a three-run homer for the Twins, who halted a four-game skid and moved within 1 1/2 games behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead.

Evan Longoria's three-homer, four-RBI effort went for naught for the Rays, who have lost four of six. Dioner Navarro and Carlos Pena each added homers in defeat.

James Shields was credited with a no decision, allowing six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings for Tampa, which had its lead in the AL East slimmed down to 1 1/2 games.

These teams split a two-game series at the Metrodome from April 16-17. Minnesota is 17-6 against the Rays since the start of the 2005 campaign, which includes a 7-3 mark at Tropicana Field.