The Atlanta Braves, who hold a one-game lead over the St. wholesale jerseys China . Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, are in the drivers seat as they open the final series of the regular season, but they face a large task in the form of the Philadelphia Phillies. Meanwhile, the Cardinals begin their final set of the year against the Houston Astros. Philadelphia vs. Atlanta The Atlanta Braves should consider themselves fortunate to still be in postseason contention given how poorly they have played the past few weeks. Still clinging to a marginal lead atop the National League Wild Card standings, the Braves will begin their final series of the regular season tonight in the opener of a three-game set versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field. The Braves are a game ahead of St. Louis for the final playoff berth in the NL and have lost five of seven and 10 of the past 15 games. In Sundays 3-0 loss at Washington in the finale of a three-game series from Nationals Park, David Ross had two of his teams four hits and starter Mike Minor was saddled with the loss even though he allowed one run on six hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. "All the pressure is on St. Louis, because if they dont win, they cant go anywhere," Minor said postgame. "Even if we do lose, they have to win." The Cardinals kept the pressure on with Sundays win over the Cubs and will finish the regular season in Houston. Atlanta, which once owned an 8 1/2-game lead atop the Wild Card standings, will send rookie right-hander Randall Delgado to the mound this evening and hes coming off his first major league victory. Delgado threw five shutout innings in a 4-0 win at Florida last Tuesday and is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts. He has never faced the Phillies and is 0-1 in four home starts. Philadelphia has struggled since clinching its fifth straight NL East crown and was able to snap a season-worst eight-game losing streak with Sundays 9-4 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Hunter Pence fell a double shy for the cycle and went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Carlos Ruiz tallied four hits and drove in two runs for the Phillies, who pounded out 19 hits and are a major league-best 47-31 on the road this season. Phils ace Roy Halladay tossed six scoreless innings and gave up only four hits in a winning effort. "Its nice to go in [to the playoffs] on a strong finish, even though that doesnt always determine how things are going to work out, but to be able to go in and feel good, Im happy with that," Halladay said. The Phillies are one win away from recording 100 in a season for only the third time in franchise history. They went 101-61 in both the 1976 and 1977 seasons. Cliff Lee hopes to get back on track when he toes the rubber for Philly tonight. Lee was dealt the loss in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Nationals last Tuesday and allowed three runs -- two earned -- and 11 hits in seven innings for his first loss since July 25 versus San Diego. Lee had been 7-0 in nine starts before his latest appearance. The left-hander is 16-8 in 31 starts to go along with a 2.38 ERA, and is 2-3 in seven career starts against the Braves. He posted the sixth shutout of the season and 11th of his career versus Atlanta on Sept. 5 at Citizens Bank Park. Lee is 5-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 13 road starts. Philadelphia leads the season series with Atlanta by a 9-6 count and has won the last four meetings between the two clubs. St. Louis vs. Houston With a few more wins and some help from the Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals can wrap up their eighth playoff appearance since the turn of the century. The Cardinals must take care of their own business, however, starting with tonights opener of a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. They are only one game behind Atlanta for the top spot in the NL Wild Card standings and hope the Phillies can wipe the Braves out at Turner Field in their three-game series. St. Louis has won two straight and 14 of its last 18 games, and put the heat on Atlanta with Sundays 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in the finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium. Rafael Furcal and Yadier Molina both homered and finished with two hits, while Edwin Jackson threw seven innings of two-run ball in the no-decision. Octavio Dotel got the final two outs in the eighth for the win and Jason Motte struck out two in the ninth for his ninth save to keep the Cards in contention. "Thats the fun of it," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of scoreboard watching. "They just cant get distracted. We all were, thats part of the fun." Jaime Garcia draws the start for La Russas club tonight and he sports a 13-7 mark with a 3.45 earned run average in 31 starts. Garcia is 3-0 in his previous four starts and gave up four unearned runs over 7 2/3 innings in Wednesdays 6-5 win over the Mets. Garcia, a left-hander, hasnt had much success against the Astros in his career, going 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA in four starts. Houston beat Garcia on July 28 in a 5-3 triumph at Busch Stadium and reached him for five runs -- four earned -- in six innings. Houston is only three games away from closing out one of the worst seasons in team history and has dropped seven of its last 11 games. It recorded a split of a four-game series versus Colorado and suffered an embarrassing 19-3 loss to the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. Lucas Harrell was dealt the loss and allowed five runs, three of which were earned, and seven hits in three innings. Aneury Rodriguez gave up four runs in two innings of relief and both Lance Pendleton and Xavier Cedeno were touched for five runs. "Luke got himself in trouble in that second inning when he didnt get an out on that comebacker. I think it really wasnt a double-play ball, but he tried to make it a double-play ball and the ball got away and we didnt get an out," Astros manager Brad Mills said when he commented on the Harrell error in the second inning. The Rockies had a 25-7 advantage in hits, while Chris Johnson finished with two hits and an RBI to highlight Houstons dreadful offense. Wandy Rodriguez gets the start for the Stros Monday night and he is 11-11 with a 3.51 ERA in 29 starts this season. He lost his most recent outing on Wednesday in a 2-0 loss at Cincinnati, as he yielded a pair of runs in seven innings of work. The lefty had won four of his past six decisions. Rodriguez has faced the Cardinals 19 times in his career (18 starts), going 6-11 with a 3.85 ERA in that stretch. He defeated the Cardinals the only time he faced them this season on July 28 in the Gateway City. St. Louis has won eight of 12 matchups with Houston this season. Cheap Jerseys free shipping . Joe Devin, David Marshall, Bracken Kearns and Michal Repik each scored for San Antonio (4-5-0). Joe Colborne provided the lone goal for Toronto (5-4-2) on the power play with just 13 seconds left in the game. Cheap Jerseys from china . Hamelin, from Ste-Julie, Que., played catch-up after starting from the outside position and nearly caught J.R. Celski of the United States for second place with a strong last-lap push.MILWAUKEE -- Norichika Aoki got a taste of a traditional big league game-winning home run celebration -- a shaving cream pie in the face during his postgame television interview. His translator got one, too. The former Japanese batting champion hit a pair of home runs, including one to lead off the 10th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Thursday. "They dont do the shaving cream to the face in Japan," Aoki said through his translator, who still had globs of shaving cream on his shirt. "You get dirty, but its a good feeling." Aoki also hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. "I still cant believe that I was able to hit two today, and Im really happy that it was in an important situation," Aoki said. Aoki was mobbed by his teammates at home plate after hitting the game winner. "It was fun to see," Brewers closer John Axford said. "I personally just enjoyed the smile on his face when he was coming in from third. He was definitely ecstatic, and so were all we." Aoki won three Japanese Central League batting championships before signing with the Brewers this off-season, but he hasnt been known for his power. Aoki entered the game with just one home run this season, an inside-the-park homer on April 20. But Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said Aoki has good bat speed and makes solid contact, so the two home runs werent a complete shock. "He squares up the ball, and it takes off," Roenicke said. "Its not soft liners. So yeah, I can see him doing this. As much as he squares up the ball, I can see him doing this." Roenicke acknowledged that Aoki is making a strong case for more playing time -- and may get it in the Brewers outfield if they continue to use Corey Hart at first base. "Hes seeing the ball well," Roenicke said. "Hes confident, playing good defence. Hes fun to watch." Hart hit a game-tying RBI double in the eighth for the Brewers, who took two out of three games from their NL Central rivals. "We need to start winning a lot of (series)," Roenicke said. "It was important, but its also important, I think, that we played a good game." Bryan LaHair temporarily gave Chicago the lead with a pinch-hit home run in the eighth and Koyie Hill added an RBI double for the Cubs. Casey CColeman (0-1) took the loss. wholesale jerseys. "Hed been locked-in this game, this series and really swinging the bat well," Coleman said. "When you leave one up to a professional hitter especially in a tight situation like that, theyre going to make you pay. Thats what happened. Ill take the same approach if I face the guy again, just hopefully better execution." Axford (1-2) earned the win, pitching the ninth and 10th. Brewers starter Randy Wolf gave up four hits and two walks, striking out six, rebounding after getting roughed up in his last outing. "Hes frustrated," Roenicke said. "He wants to get this thing going, and get locked in like he was." Cubs starter Matt Garza went six innings, giving up four hits and two runs with a walk and six strikeouts. "You just keep going forward, keep getting ready and just keep playing," Garza said. "We knew coming in that this was going to be tough. It is what it is. Just keep going, keep playing and keep getting ready." Garza gave up the first homer of the game to Aoki. "You just tip your cap and the next time you face him, you go right back in there and shove it down his throat," Garza said. With the Cubs trailing 2-1 and two outs in the eighth, Alfonso Soriano singled. LaHair then pinch hit for Jeff Baker, and pounded a pitch from Francisco Rodriguez deep to right-centre field to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. It was LaHairs second career pinch-hit home run. Aoki legged out an infield hit to start the bottom of the eighth, then went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Gomez. Ryan Braun flew out, but Hart doubled to tie the game. Aramis Ramirez, who has been out since Saturday with a left quadriceps strain, appeared as a pinch hitter but was walked intentionally. Pitcher Zack Greinke pinch ran for Ramirez but didnt go anywhere, as Rickie Weeks struck out to end the inning. Notes: Ryan Braun had a rare moment of frustration at the plate in the first inning. After lunging at a pitch to strike out and end the inning, Braun tossed his bat high in the air and slammed his helmet on the ground. ... A play originally ruled an error on Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart was changed to a base hit by Braun. ... Ransoms error broke a nine-game errorless streak for the Brewers. ' ' '