(Sports Network) - Andy 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 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 games.

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

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.

He's given up three earned runs or less in eight of his last nine starts, including one or less five times.

Liriano has started and won once against the Rays in his career, allowing three hits and an unearned run in 8 2/3 innings.

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.

Denard Span and Alexi Casilla knocked in runs for the Twins, who have lost six of seven but remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox in the AL Central after Chicago fell to Kansas City, 5-2, Saturday.

Starter Kevin Slowey (12-11) took the loss, charged with nine hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three in defeat.

These teams 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.