Baltimore @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2012 ) Baltimore 1, Tampa Bay 0

The Baltimore Orioles have been a team of destiny, but they have no control of their own Wednesday in a bid to wrest the American League East title from the New York Yankees. The Orioles trail the Yankees by one game and must defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in Wednesday's regular-season finale and hope for Boston to beat New York to force a one-game playoff for the division crown on Thursday. A win guarantees Baltimore will at least host the wild card game.

Chris Davis continued his home run spree Tuesday, with his solo blast providing the only run in the Orioles' 1-0 win. Davis has gone deep seven times during his six-game homer streak and took over the team lead from Adam Jones with 33. He tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with a homer held by Reggie Jackson (1976) and Ken Williams (1922). Tampa Bay can reach 90 wins for the third straight season.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (9-2, 2.78 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (9-11, 3.20)

Tillman won his fourth consecutive decision with a brilliant performance last time out, holding the Boston Red Sox to one run on one hit in eight innings. Since sitting out just over two weeks with inflammation in his right elbow, Tillman has allowed three runs and 10 hits in 20 innings over his last three starts. He is 1-2 in six career starts against the Rays, but beat them with six innings of two-run ball on July 26.

Hellickson has won only once in his last seven starts and has not pitched beyond six innings in any of them. One of his no-decisions came at Baltimore on Sept. 13, when he tossed five scoreless innings of four-hit ball. He will be making his sixth start against the Orioles this season, going 1-2 and allowing 10 runs. He gave up three runs and a season high-tying nine hits in a loss to the Chicago White Sox last time out.

WALK-OFFS

1. Baltimore improved to 29-9 in one-run games, the highest winning percentage in one-run games since 1890.

2. Tampa Bay's James Shields joined Dwight Gooden (1984) as the only pitchers in the live-ball era to lose when allowing one run with 15 strikeouts and no walks.

3. A victory by Hellickson would give Tampa Bay five 10-game winners for the second straight season.