Tampa Bay @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2010 ) Tampa Bay 4, Kansas City 0

The division title and home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs are right in front of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees enter the final day of the season tied for first place in the American League East.

The Rays have a definite advantage. If the two teams finish with the same record, Tampa Bay wins the tiebreaker and gets home field, thanks to a 10-8 advantage over New York in the season series.

Tampa Bay moved into the tie for first after shutting out Kansas City 4-0 while the Yankees split a day-night doubleheader in Boston on Saturday night. If the Rays win today, it won't matter what the Yankees do at Fenway Park.

The Rays broke a three-game losing streak with the crucial win Saturday. Tampa Bay had lost five of six going into the game, but jumped out to a quick lead and rode its trademark strong pitching to close out the win.

Tampa Bay used eight pitchers to blank Kansas City on Saturday, including Cy Young Award candidate David Price, who pitched an inning of relief as a tuneup for his first playoff start.

The Rays will be counting on Wade Davis (12-10) to stop the Royals.

Davis is 2-2 in seven starts since returning from the disabled list in August. The right-hander has pitched into the sixth inning five times since coming back from his arm problems and has looked like the pitcher who did so well earlier in the season.

Davis won his only start against Kansas City this season. He allowed only three hits in seven shutout innings on May 2 at Tropicana Field. Davis struck out five and walked three.

Beating the Royals, who haven't been playing out the string, won't be easy. Kansas City has played well in the last week of the season. The Royals took two of three from AL Central champion Minnesota before winning the first two games of this series.

After struggling most of the season, Sean O'Sullivan (4-6) has looked like a different pitcher in his last two starts.

He was 0-6 with the Royals after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels, but he has turned it around. After holding Cleveland to two runs in six innings, the right-hander was even better against the Twins in his last start. O'Sullivan allowed one run in six innings, giving up five hits and walking six.