The math is starting to get simple for the Rays - they have to win pretty much every day they play over the next two weeks and hope the teams they are chasing start losing.

With the Rays losing Tuesday for the seventh time in their last eight games - and with the Orioles winning in 18 innings late Tuesday - the Rays start today six back of the second wild card 14 games to play.

In just about any view, their chances are not good - just 3.3 percent according to coolstandings.com.

But the one optimistic way to look at it is this: Since the Rays' last three games of the season are against Baltimore, they only have to be within three of the Orioles to at least have a chance to end up tied. (The Orioles and Yankees are in a virtual tie for first place in the AL East as well as the second wild-card.)

Also of issue, they are behind both the Angels and the Tigers.

While the Rays, after losing the first two games of the series, host the Red Sox again tonight, the Orioles play at Seattle again tonight. The Yankees are playing a doubleheader against the Blue Jays, the Tigers host the A's and the Angels host the Rangers.

The wild-card standings:

A's             84-63     +.5
Yanks        83-63     --
O's            84-64      --
Angels       81-67      3
Tigers        78-69    5.5
RAYS          78-70      6