They were the worst in the majors last year, but now the Tampa Bay Rays will play for a spot in the World Series.

“It means everything. We’ve been at the bottom of the barrel for so long,” B.J. Upton said Monday after homering twice in a 6-2 win over Chicago that clinched their AL playoff. “I think there was a point in time where people didn’t even know who we were.”

Andy Sonnanstine pitched 5 2/3 solid innings and manager Joe Maddon’s surprising Rays won 3-1 in the best-of-five series — their first trip to the posts eason. Next up, they’ll host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL championship series Friday night.

The Tampa Bay Rays, which never won more than 70 games during its 10 previous seasons, went from 96 losses last year to 97 wins and passed the big-spending Red Sox and New York Yankees in the AL East.

Check out this video of Boston Red Sox Coco Crisp charging the mound in the second inning tonight after he was beaned by Tampa Bay’s James Shields.

This series was already pretty tense already. Yesterday Boston snatched first place in the AL East away from the Rays and Rays manager Joe Maddon accused Coco of “intentionally” trying to injure second baseman Akinori Iwamura during a steal attempt.

I’m disappointed neither guy connected, although both showed excellent dodging skillz.