ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The young, resilient Rays are one win from breezing into the American League championship series.

All-Star Scott Kazmir settled down after a shaky start, Akinori Iwamura hit a go-ahead, two-run homer and the AL East champions beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 Friday for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

“This is just awesome,” said Rocco Baldelli, who singled in a run.

Giving many fans a close-up look of the formula that transformed Tampa Bay from a last-place team to a power, the Rays rallied for the second straight day and remained undefeated in their young postseason history.

The Rays go for a sweep when the series resumes Sunday in Chicago. Tampa Bay's Matt Garza (11-9) faces John Danks (12-9), trying to seal a matchup against World Series champion Boston or the Los Angeles Angels in the next round.

“We're a relaxed bunch,” Baldelli said. “We chill out in the clubhouse. We have fun. That's what got us here.”

Of the 35 teams to fall behind 2-0 in the division series before this year, just five have come back to advance, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

It's been a bleak October for both Chicago teams. The Cubs lost their first two NL playoff games at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“We're against the wall,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We've got to fight like a cat, and now it's a must-win game.”

Chicago started quickly, scoring twice in the first on Jim Thome's RBI single and Alexei Ramirez's sacrifice fly, but Kazmir struck out Juan Uribe with the bases loaded after three straight foul balls.

Dioner Navarro's run-scoring single off Mark Buehrle in the second began the comeback