ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Scott Kazmir yielded five hits in six scoreless innings Saturday and Tampa Bay clinched its first-ever playoff berth with a 7-2 win over Minnesota.
Kazmir (12-7) walked one batter and fanned five before relievers Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell finished.
Carlos Pena knocked in two runs with a third inning double.
One of two hits by DH Cliff Floyd was a seventh inning solo homer.
Fernando Perez hit a solo homer in the sixth.
Dioner Navarro had three hits and was one of five players with one RBI for the Rays, who improved their AL Eastern Division lead over Boston to 2 1/2 games.
Minnesota's Denard Span and Alexi Cassilla knocked one run each in the ninth.
Joe Mauer had two of the six hits for the Twins, whose second straight loss left them three games back of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
Losing pitcher Kevin Slowey (12-11) gave up five earned runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
