Playoff Hunt '08: NL in Focus

We have now hit September 1st which means one month left in the 2008 MLB regular season. The National League playoff races are far from over and here is a look in at all the races.
Starting in the tightest of them all, the East. The Mets hold a one game lead over the Phillies coming into the day despite their bullpen issues. Neither teams seems to want to take control of this division. The Mets' bullpen has been abysmal, but somehow they are still a game up. The Phillies can hit we know that, but inconsistent starting pitching is killing them. If the Mets get any kind of relief from their bullpen they should win this division. Santana, Perez, Pedro, and Pelfrey will have to continue to pitch well.
The NL Central and wildcard are probably the two decided spots. There is no doubt in my mind Chicago wins the Central and Milwaukee wins the wildcard. These are the two best teams in the National League.
The NL West is the worst division in baseball, but who! ever wins that division could be a scary team in October. The Diamonbacks have Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Randy Johnson as a 1-2-3 punch that could knock out any team in the NL. But, first they have to hold onto their slim 2 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers. I do not think they will. I like this Dodgers team with Manny Ramirez. He gave them that legitamite bat in the middle of the lineup which has made Jeff Kent, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier all better. They just need their pitchers to be solid. LA took two out of three against Arizona this weekend and Derek Lowe who pitched 6 shutout innings last night looks in October form. I think LA takes the West.
Plenty more baseball as we hit the stretch run.