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As the division races and wild card races begin to heat up in the N.L., here's my analysis of each team that still has a change at playoff glory.

N.L. East 

New York Mets-The Mets have a 4 1/2 game lead in the East, but the red hot Phillies are pulling closer. I think they can pull it out though and win the East, and still have some time before the end of the season. Magic Number-20

Philadlephia Phillies-The Phillies have pulled into 2nd place of the N.L. East, with the help of a slumping Atlanta team and a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. They trail the Mets by 4 1/2, and the wild card by 3. The Phils have plenty of O, but a less dominant pitching rotation will keep them out of the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves-The Braves, who were once nearly neck and neck with the Mets in the East, have now fallen to just one game above .500. They sit behind 7 teams in the wild card race, and have lost 7 of their last 10. Atlanta will soon fall out of the race.

N. L. Central

Chicago Cubs-The Cubs, after a huge spending offseason, are finally atop the Central, but only one game separates  1st and 3rd in the standings. Milwaukee and St. Louis are breathing down their necks, and having lost 6 of their last 10, the Cubs may soon lose their lead(possibly even tonight)! Not to mention, Carlos Zambrano is having problems on and off the field. Magic number-28

Milwaukee Brewers-The Brewers have fallen greatly since a 25-11 start of the season. Now they are treading water above .500, 5-5 in their last 10. St. Louis is close behind, but Ben Sheets was good in his return from the DL. The rest of the pitching is tiring, and I see the Brewers ending up in third.

St. Louis Cardinals-Yep, the Cardinals, amazingly, are still in the race. After the return of Rick Ankiel after nearly 7 years, he has been a spark plug for the team, causing them to go 17-8, and are one above .500(somewhere they hadn't been since April 16th). Going to a six-man rotation, the added rest will help the pitching carry them to a N.L. Central title. HOMER ALERT!!! HOMER ALERT!!!

N.L. West

San Diego Padres-The West is gonna go down to the wire, with only 4 games separating 1st and 4th. The Padres have arguably the best pitching in baseball, although the offense is weak. The pitching won't be able to handle the pressure(Jake Peavy is pitching on 3 days rest!), and the offense won't be able to carry them. The Padres will lose their division lead, but win the wild card. Magic Number-24

Arizona Diamondbacks-After a brief stint on top of the West, the Diamondbacks now share the lead in the West with the Pads. Brandon Webb is a top 3 pitcher in the league, and the offense is fueled by a lot of young players. The Diamondbacks' youth will lead them to the playoffs and a West title. Magic Number-24

Los Angeles Dodgers-The Dodgers are coming back after an ugly losing streak, winning 7 of their last 10. The offense has been the reason why. The Dodgers will be good, but the D'Backs will be better and win.

Colorado Rockies-It seems as if the Rockies are still hanging in there somehow, in a very competetive west. Matt Holliday could be MVP, but the pitching is still a little shaky. This was a great rebuilding season for the Rocks, and they will be set to make a run at the playoffs next year.

League Breakdown:

N.L. East Champ: New York Mets

N.L. Central Champ: St. Louis Cardinals

N.L. West Champ: Arizona Diamondbacks

N.L. Wild Card: San Diego Padres

Also...A.L. edition coming soon!