The final weekend of the baseball season begins tonight with all four National League races still up for grabs.
Here's a look at the series involving the contenders.
Nationals at Phillies. After beating the Mets five of six times down the stretch, the Nats will look to spoil the Phillies' season. The Phils will try to cool off the Nationals with ace Cole Hamels on the mound tonight.
Marlins at Mets. The gasping Mets are 10-5 against Florida this season.
Cubs at Reds. The Cubs will have ace Carlos Zambrano on the mound tonight as they look to wrap up the NL Central. But Zambrano is 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA against the Reds this season.
Padres at Brewers. This series, which began last night, could affect three races - the NL Central, the West and the wild card. The Padres swept Milwaukee at home in May, but the Brewers are tough at home, 21 games over .500 entering last night.
Diamondbacks at Rockies. This series has implications in the NL West and the wild-card race. The Rockies are hot, and they have to like tonight's pitching matchup. Jeff Francis has beaten Arizona twice this season. Arizona starter Brandon Webb is 0-3 with a 6.47 ERA against the Rockies.
- Jim Salisbury
