(My Sportsbook) - Ace left-hander and former first-round draft choice Scott Kazmir takes the ball this afternoon as the Tampa Bay Rays attempt to clinch their first outright playoff berth in game three of a weekend series with the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field.

The Rays, who lead the American League's East Division by 1 1/2 games, assured at least a tie for the AL's wild card spot with an 11-1 defeat of the Twins on Friday night. A Tampa Bay victory today or in Sunday's finale would clinch the Rays' first-ever playoff berth.

The Rays' magic number for clinching the East crown is nine.

Prior to this season, Tampa Bay had never won more than 70 games in a season.

Kazmir, the 15th overall pick in 2002 by the New York Mets, is 7-2 in 13 road starts this year, posting a 3.14 earned run average in 71 2/3 innings.

He tossed 11 1/3 scoreless innings in defeating the visiting Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees at home on August 29 and September 4, but has since gotten a no-decision and a loss to Boston in consecutive starts - allowing 11 hits and 11 runs over nine innings.

He is 1-3 in four lifetime starts against the Twins with a 3.86 ERA in 28 innings.

Second-year Twins right-hander Kevin Slowey looks for a seventh win in his last 11 starts.

The 24-year-old was 6-7 through his initial 15 outings of 2008, but has since gone 6-3 in his last 10 while dropping his ERA from 4.00 to 3.66.

Still, he dropped a 3-1 decision at Cleveland in his most-recent outing September 15, allowing seven hits and three runs in six innings.

He has never faced the Rays.

On Friday, Carlos Pena had a three-run homer thanks to a replay reversal and Edwin Jackson threw into the eighth inning as Tampa Bay routed Minnesota.

Pena's homer, in the fourth inning, was the first reversal handed down after the instant replay system was instituted earlier this season. Pena finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk and four runs batted in.

Jackson (12-11) gave up just one run on seven hits and a walk in 7 2/3 innings.

Evan Longoria doubled and drove in three for the Rays, who have won three of four.

Twins starter Nick Blackburn (10-10) was roughed up for six runs on six hits and three walks in 1 1/3 frames, while Boof Bonser gave up the Pena homer in 3 2/3 innings of relief.

Joe Mauer drove in the lone run for Minnesota, which trails the AL Central- leading White Sox by 2 1/2 games after Chicago defeated Kansas City on Friday.

These teams split a two-game series at the Metrodome from April 16-17. Minnesota is 17-7 against the Rays since the start of the 2005 campaign, which includes a 7-4 mark at Tropicana Field.