Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros - Recap - September 14, 2011 - ESPN

The Philadelphia Phillies have already clinched a post-season berth

They scored only one run, but that was all Halladay needed. The complete game shutout raised him to 18-5 with a 2.34 ERA. The Phillies have four starters with ERAs below 3.00 (59-22 W-L), and the fifth starter is Roy Oswalt, who ain't so bad his ownself.

With the Giants and Cards nearly out of it, there's only one thing left to watch in the NL, but it's a hidden race. The Brewers and Diamondbacks are locked in a life-and-death struggle for a better record. Why is that so crucial when they are in separate divisions? First round playoff match-up. The one with the better record plays the Braves at home. The loser plays the Phillies in Philly. That would be intimidating even if the Phillies had to worry about the rest of the regular season, but they don't, so they will be able to rig the regular season rotation to start Halladay, Lee, and Hamels in the post-season.

As of this minute the Brewers and D-Backs have EXACTLY the same records, so they are still playing every single game as if it were the seventh of the World Series, even though they are kicking ass in their own divisions.