THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE - The Tampa Bay Rays keep reaching new milestones, and their latest feat brought them closer to perhaps the most significant accomplishment in an amazing regular season.
The Rays reduced their magic number to win the AL East to two on Tuesday night with another franchise first: a doubleheader sweep.
After James Shields pitched seven effective innings in a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener, Tampa Bay rallied to win the nightcap 7-5.
The sweep, combined with Boston's 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians, left the Rays three games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East. Any combination of Rays wins and Boston losses totaling two will give Tampa Bay its first division title.
"We can taste it," Shields said after the first game.
In the second game, Tampa Bay trailed 5-1 before Evan Longoria homered and pinch hitter Dioner Navarro singled in two runs off Jamie Walker (1-3) in a six-run eighth inning. The Rays had five hits through the first seven innings and six in the eighth.
Jeff Neimann (1-2) pitched 2 1-3 innings and J.P. Howell got five outs for his third save.
The victory enabled the Rays (95-62) to break the record held by the 1991 Atlanta Braves for most wins by a team that owned the worst record in the majors one year earlier.
Baltimore has lost eight straight and 27 of 33. The Orioles have also dropped 11 in a row to Tampa Bay and are 3-14 overall against the Rays.
Beating out Boston is within the Rays' grasp, but manager Joe Maddon is holding out hope that Tampa Bay can edge out the Los Angeles Angels for best record in the AL.
"They have 97. We have 94. I want them to keep that goal in mind, also," he said. "Getting home-field advantage throughout would be very, very special."
