| SEASON | CAREER |
| W8 | 8 |
| L4 | 4 |
| G17 | 17 |
| IP99.0 | 99.0 |
| BB33 | 33 |
| SO70 | 70 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W15 | 87 |
| L9 | 72 |
| G32 | 217 |
| IP218.2 | 1445.0 |
| BB58 | 340 |
| SO208 | 1235 |
With the exact nature of their postseason fate still undetermined, the Baltimore Orioles at least know they'll be participating.
The same can't be said for the Tampa Bay Rays - the hottest team in baseball.
One day after their chances for the AL East title took a major hit, the Orioles continue their push for the top wild-card spot Tuesday night against the recently eliminated Rays.
Baltimore (92-68) officially clinched a wild-card berth Sunday but entered this three-game series with its sights set on its first division crown since 1997. However, a 5-3 loss Monday coupled with the Yankees' 10-2 rout of Boston made that goal much more difficult as it fell one game behind New York with two to play.
"We didn't take care of our business," center fielder Adam Jones said. "We lost. When it comes to the Yankees, we can't control them. We can't control if they win or lose."
Matt Wieters hit a solo homer and Chris Davis continued his power surge with a two-run shot in the ninth, but the Orioles had their four-game win streak snapped. They dropped into a tie with Oakland for the top wild card, which would include home-field advantage for that one-game playoff.
Although the Rays (89-71) staved off elimination for a few hours with their 11th win in 12 games, they were ousted from contention when the Athletics beat Texas.
"Honestly, it just is what it is," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We had opportunities early in the year to win more games, and we did not. But so did everybody else."
Maddon said he's thought about lineup changes for the final two games now that his team has been eliminated.
Third baseman Evan Longoria , still dealing with a partially torn left hamstring, may have played his final game of the year.
"I've thought about talking to certain guys that are banged up," he told the team's official website. "That's my only thought."
Davis has homered in a career-best five straight games, with six total and 12 RBIs during that span. He's 3 for 9 with one home run against scheduled starter James Shields .
The last player to homer in six consecutive games was Rays first baseman Carlos Pena from June 6-12, 2010, and the last Orioles player to do it was Reggie Jackson in 1976.
Miguel Gonzalez (8-4, 3.45 ERA) wouldn't mind if Davis matches Jackson as he tries to win three consecutive starts for the first time.
The rookie right-hander was sharp again Wednesday in a 12-2 victory over Toronto, allowing two runs and five hits over seven innings. He is 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA in his past three starts and has completed at least six innings in five straight outings.
After struggling in his first start this season against the Rays, Gonzalez has a 1.38 ERA in the past two meetings without recording a decision.
With the playoffs no longer an option, Shields (15-9, 3.62) can focus on matching his career high in wins set last season.
Despite walking four and hitting two batters, the right-hander was able to limit the damage against the White Sox on Thursday. He gave up two runs over 6 1-3 innings before the Rays scored a run in the ninth for a 3-2 win.
That was Shields' 10th quality start in his past 11 outings, with his team winning nine of those games.
He is, however, 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in two starts this season against the Orioles, both at Baltimore.
Adam Jones is 13 for 36 (.351) with a homer and five doubles off Shields, while Jim Thome is 9 for 27 with one home run.
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@
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Robert Andino | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .393 | .143 |
| Wilson Betemit | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .000 |
| Endy Chavez | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .222 | .444 | .222 |
| Chris Davis | 3 | .333 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .333 | 1.666 | 1.333 |
| J.J. Hardy | 4 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .000 |
| Nick Johnson | 7 | .429 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .444 | .873 | .429 |
| Adam Jones | 31 | .387 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .387 | 1.097 | .710 |
| Nick Markakis | 59 | .288 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | .382 | .840 | .458 |
| Ronny Paulino | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 1.000 |
| Nolan Reimold | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Mark Reynolds | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .333 | .533 | .200 |
| Matt Wieters | 16 | .188 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .235 | .673 | .438 |
 Baltimore Orioles |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 29, 2012 | Oliver Drake | 60-Day DL | Right shoulder tendinitis |
| September 23, 2012 | Randy Wolf | 60-Day DL | Torn UCL, left elbow - out for season |
| September 11, 2012 | Jason Hammel | Day-to-Day | Left game - right knee injury |
| September 09, 2012 | Nick Markakis | Day-to-Day | Broken left thumb |
| September 02, 2012 | Chris Tillman | Day-to-Day | Left game - stiff right elbow |
| August 22, 2012 | Matt Wieters | Day-to-Day | Left game - right shoulder contusion |
 Tampa Bay Rays |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 25, 2012 | Jose Molina | Day-to-Day | Strained right quad |
| September 11, 2012 | Ryan Roberts | Day-to-Day | Left game - strained left forearm |
| September 08, 2012 | Desmond Jennings | Day-to-Day | Lower back stiffness |
| September 07, 2012 | David Price | Day-to-Day | Left shoulder soreness |
| August 31, 2012 | Sean Rodriguez | 15-Day DL | Fractured right hand |
| August 31, 2012 | Sean Rodriguez | 15-Day DL | Fractured right hand |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Another one-run victory by the Baltimore Orioles pushed the AL East race to the final day of the season.
Chris Davis homered for the sixth straight game and the Orioles overcame a club-record 15 strikeouts by Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields to beat the Rays 1-0 Tuesday night.
Baltimore remained one game behind the first-place New York Yankees , who rallied late to beat Boston 4-3 in 12 innings. The Orioles, already assured a playoff spot, need a victory Wednesday and a Yankees loss to force a one-game tiebreaker for the division title Thursday at Camden Yards.
"We're not supposed to be here. So just go out and have fun and see what happens," closer Jim Johnson said after the Orioles improved to 29-9 in one-run games.
"You have to win those games," he added. "If you're able to keep it close, you just try to find a way."
Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez (9-4) limited the Rays to two singles over 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out seven before manager Buck Showalter turned the game over to the bullpen.
Davis joined Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson as the only Baltimore players to homer in six consecutive games, connecting off Shields (15-10) in the fourth. The Orioles managed only one other hit - Nate McLouth 's sixth-inning single - in Shields' 19th career complete game and third this season.
"He made one mistake, and fortunately Chris was on it," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.
The Rays have lost 1-0 five times since Aug. 5 - twice to the Orioles.
"I hung a changeup. He's a pretty good hitter. I think that was probably the farthest home run I've ever given up in my career," Shields said. "I sent the bat boy over and told him to tell him, `Can you hit it any farther?' Just joking around a little bit. He said something like, `I'm sorry. I'll go and try and hit it 480 feet next time.' I thought that was pretty funny."
The Orioles, guaranteed at least a wild-card spot, clinched their first playoff berth in 15 years late Sunday.
The Rays won the opener of the three-game series Monday night to extend a late surge that kept them in contention for the second AL wild card, but they were eliminated from postseason contention when the Oakland Athletics beat Texas a few hours later to assure themselves at least a wild card.
Brian Matusz replaced Gonzalez after the starter struck out Jeff Keppinger to begin the seventh. Darren O'Day worked the eighth for the Orioles, and Johnson finished the two-hitter for his major league-leading 51st save.
Gonzalez pitched seven scoreless innings in his only previous start at Tropicana Field on Aug. 5, but was not involved in the decision in a game the Orioles won 1-0 in 10 innings. He limited the Rays to two hits and four walks in that outing and was even tougher on them this time.
Evan Longoria singled leading off the second against the right-hander. B.J. Upton drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and was stranded at second when Longoria flied out and Keppinger struck out. Chris Gimenez opened the sixth with Tampa Bay's second hit, and Gonzalez walked Ben Zobrist with two outs before fanning Longoria to end the threat.
Shields was just as impressive, retiring 11 in a row before giving up Davis' 33rd homer. The right-hander whiffed seven of the last nine batters he faced to finish with a flourish.
"I knew this was my last game and I wanted to let it all hang out. I wanted to end on a good note, end on a bang," Shields said. "That was probably the best game of my career."
Davis homered over the center-field wall on a 1-1 changeup with two outs in the fourth. Jackson homered in six straight games for the Orioles in July 1976.
"It kind of blows my mind to even be mentioned in the same breath as Reggie, but it's more about the win than anything else," Davis said. "I'm kind of glad to be the guy that's coming through in this situation, but as long as we get the win I don't care."
NOTES: All-Star closer Fernando Rodney was selected as the Rays' team MVP in a vote of local baseball writers covering the team. If the right-hander doesn't give up an earned run in Wednesday night's season finale, he will set a major league record for the lowest ERA by a relief pitcher working a minimum of 50 innings. Rodney got his 47th save Monday, lowering his ERA to 0.6053 in 74 1-3 innings. Dennis Eckersley set the record of 0.6136 for Oakland in 1990. ... Rays pitchers have struck out 10 or more batters in a game 60 times this season. ... Orioles RHP Jason Hammel , who threw a bullpen session Monday, is no longer restricted by his knee injury and is an option for the Orioles in the postseason, Showalter said. ... RHP Kevin Gausman, Baltimore's first-round draft pick out of LSU, visited the team and said he hopes to pitch in the big leagues next year. "That's one of my goals, but it's not up to me," the 21-year-old said.
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Baltimore Orioles