Rays clinch first postseason berth

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays took a great leap forward.

The AL East leaders clinched the first postseason berth in franchise history Saturday, beating the Minnesota Twins, 7-2, and making Scott Kazmir look like a genius for boldly proclaiming during spring training that the perennial last-place team was good enough to play in October.

“I knew we had something here. I knew we had the depth. I knew we had the pitching,” said Kazmir, drenched in champagne and beer. “I knew we had everything. We just had to put it together, and we did.”

Carlos Pena hit a two-run double and Kazmir rebounded from the worst start of his career to pitch six scoreless innings as the Rays, who never won more than 70 games in a season before this year, wrapped up at least a wild-card spot.

From the Associated Press