09/24/2008 3:05 AM ET Mets' victory keeps NL races tight Santana pitches club to within 1 1/2 of Phillies in NL East By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com NEW YORK -- Murkiness abounds. Uncertainty reigns. An evening that was supposed to bring clarity to the National League's playoff picture provided no such benefit, ensuring only that the NL East will remain a work in progress for the foreseeable future. The Mets won Tuesday; the Phillies lost. And so on a night when the Yankees officially ended their 13-year postseason run, New York's other team righted itself at precisely the right time. Clambering upon Johan Santana's back, the Mets beat the Cubs to push to within 1 1/2 games of the Phillies -- and only one in the loss column. Even if the Brewers make a remarkable run to win the Wild Card, the Mets have now put themselves in a position to upend their divisional rivals for the NL East crown. "I think we are going to be fine," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "I really do." One day earlier, that much seemed quite in doubt. But doubt seems to hold little weight this September. Consider the Brewers, who appeared on their way out of serious contention before Prince Fielder bulldozed their path back into relevance, hitting a walk-off, two-run homer in the ninth inning to keep the Brewers just one game back of the Mets for the Wild Card. "This is right back where we wanted to be," Brewers starter Dave Bush said. The math is now such: Thanks to their win, the Mets reduced their magic number -- the number of wins or Brewers losses they need to clinch the playoffs -- from six to five. And because of their loss, the Phillies remained static with a magic number of four. Not that anyone's counting. "Magic numbers don't mean anything if you don't win," Phillies lefty Cole Hamels said. "That's something that every one of us understands." So these teams will press forward, with the Mets hosting the Cubs Wednesday night and the Phillies at home against the Braves. The latter assignment, at first, seems tamer. But as with most aspects of this bizarre pennant race, there are caveats. Because the Cubs clinched the National League's home-field advantage Monday, they are liable to continue resting their starters. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, shortstop Ryan Theriot and catcher Geovany Soto all received vacation days Tuesday, stealing a bit of clout from an otherwise cyclical lineup. But don't read too much into that. The Mets still must face twin aces Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden during the final two games of the series -- and even if manager Lou Piniella pulls them early to prepare them for October, that's still no easy task. Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez, each erratic in their own way, will start Wednesday and Thursday for the Mets. The Brewers, meanwhile, made waves Tuesday by announcing that they would use CC Sabathia on three days' rest for Wednesday's game against the Pirates. That move gives them the option of also pitching Sabathia on Sunday, which would mark his third straight outing on short rest. "I'm doing this to get in the playoffs, and I really don't care what other teams say or are worried about," Sabathia said. "I'm worried about this locker room, trying to get us in the playoffs." If the Brewers do still boast playoff possibilities come Sunday, it means that the potential for tiebreakers would likely still exist -- though perhaps not with their current complexity. Should the Mets and Brewers tie for the Wild Card, they would play a one-game playoff at Shea Stadium on Monday to snap the tie. More unlikely, but still possible, the Phillies would play a one-game playoff at Citizens Bank Park if they tied for the Wild Card lead with the Brewers. If Milwaukee wins the Wild Card but the Mets and Phillies tie for the NL East lead, then the latter two would play a one-game playoff in Philadelphia. And if the Mets and Phillies each clinch playoff spots and tie atop the division, the Mets would be crowned division champions by virtue of their 11-7 record against the Phillies, who would win the Wild Card. Making the situation a bit less muddled, the Marlins lost Tuesday, officially knocking them out of playoff contention. The Astros also lost and, though technically still alive, they can now be eliminated with a loss and a Mets victory on Wednesday. Other than the Mets, Brewers and the three division leaders, only the Astros and D-backs still retain playoff possibilities -- but both would need a minor miracle to advance. One other note to consider: heavy rains are expected to hit the Northeast this weekend, passing through Philadelphia on Friday night and Saturday morning and New York from Saturday morning through the afternoon. It's possible that both the Mets and Phillies could be in line for Sunday doubleheaders, with their seasons fully at stake. For the Mets, bad weather could provide a substantial benefit. Currently, they face the prospect of choosing between a spot starter for Saturday -- either rookie Jonathon Niese, or veterans Brandon Knight or Nelson Figueroa -- or Santana on short rest. But a rainout would allow them to pitch a fully rested Santana on Sunday. If they haven't clinched the playoffs by the start of Game 2, they could then use Perez on three days' rest. --

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