Milwaukee, WI (Best E Casino) - Ryan Braun's clutch two-run eighth-inning home run and nine strong innings from CC Sabathia sent Milwaukee over Chicago, 3-1, and the Brewers clinched a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. Craig Counsell knocked in the other run for the Brewers (90-72), who won six of seven to end the year. The club wrapped up a wild-card berth and their first postseason appearance since 1982 with the victory and the Mets' 4-2 loss to the Marlins. Milwaukee heads to Philadelphia on Wednesday for Game 1 of an NL Division series. Sabathia (11-2), coming off three days rest, allowed four hits and an unearned run, striking out seven with one walk to finish a game for the 10th time this season. He has hurled seven complete games with Milwaukee. Aramis Ramirez picked up two hits and scored a run for the Cubs (97-64), who are off until Wednesday when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the other NL Division series at Wrigley Field. Bob Howry (7-5) took the loss, charged with two runs and two hits in one relief inning. Angel Guzman allowed one hit and fanned four over his two-inning start.

Final Score: Florida 4, New York 2

Flushing, NY (Best E Casino) - Back-to-back homers by Wes Helms and Dan Uggla in the eighth inning will haunt the Mets' faithful for the rest of the offseason, as the Florida Marlins once again spoiled New York's playoff chances with a 4-2 conquest in a tragic send-off for Shea Stadium. The Mets dropped their first game at Shea to the Pirates on April 17, 1964, but the loss on the last day of the 2008 regular season cost the Mets a chance at a one-game playoff for the National League wild card. New York and Milwaukee were tied for the last postseason spot in the NL heading into Sunday's contests, but CC Sabathia and the Brewers took care of their business with a 3-1 victory over Chicago. Scott Olsen held the Mets to two runs on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts in a six-inning start, while Joe Nelson (3-1) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief for Florida (84-77), which won three of its final four games, including two in this three- game set. Carlos Beltran accounted for New York's runs with a two-run homer in the sixth, as New York (89-73) registered just four hits in the deflating loss. Scott Schoeneweis (2-6) allowed Helms' go-ahead homer in the eighth and was credited with the loss, while Odalis Perez, starting on three-days rest, allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The Mets, who dropped six of their final nine games, will move to the 45,000- seat capacity Citi Field next season.

Final Score: Philadelphia 8, Washington 3

Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - A day after the Phillies locked up their second straight NL East title, Lou Marson homered to help the Philadelphia reserves close out the regular season with an 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. So Taguchi collected three hits and knocked in three runs for the Phillies (92-70), who rested many of their regulars in preparation for the postseason. Marson, making his major league debut, went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Starter Kyle Kendrick, who fell victim to the dreaded sophomore slump this year, gave up three runs on four hits in four innings of work. The young right-hander finished the 2008 campaign with an 11-9 record and a 5.49 earned run average. Last season, Kendrick went 10-4 and posted a 3.87 ERA. Les Walrond (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings to record his first win in the majors. Philadelphia, which has won six of eight and 13 of its last 16 games, will open postseason play Wednesday at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. Cole Hamels will start Game 1 of the NL division series for the Phillies. Luke Montz hit a solo home run for the Nationals (59-102), who ended the season on a four-game losing streak. Odalis Perez (7-12) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings before leaving the game due to nausea and light-headedness.

Final Score: Houston 3, Atlanta 1

Houston, TX (Best E Casino) - Wandy Rodriguez threw seven strong innings as the Houston Astros closed out the regular season with a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. Rodriguez (9-7) gave up just one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts and added an RBI while Brad Ausmus hit a two-run home run for the Astros (86-75), who won four of their final five games of the season. The team finished in third place in the NL Central. Corky Miller drove in the lone run while Mike Hampton (3-4) was saddled with the loss for giving up three runs on four hits in six innings of work for the Braves (72-90), who finished the season with their worst record since going 65-97 in 1990. The team finished fourth in the NL East. Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who drew a walk on a pinch-hit appearance in the game, finished the season with a .364 average to win the NL batting title.

Final Score: St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 4

St. Louis, MO (Best E Casino) - Ryan Ludwick and Felipe Lopez drove in three runs each as the St. Louis Cardinals swept a season-ending three-game set from the Cincinnati Reds with an 11-4 victory at Busch Stadium. Lopez had four hits and scored twice while Ludwick hit a two-run homer and doubled. Troy Glaus hit his 27th home run for St. Louis (86-76), which will carry a six-game winning streak into next season. Cardinals' scheduled starter Kyle Lohse was a late scratch as the club is reportedly close to signing the right-hander to a contract extension. He is scheduled to meet with doctors on Sunday as a possible prelude to the deal being finalized and announced. Right-hander Brad Thompson (6-3) got the start instead and gave up three runs on four hits and one walk in five innings. Reds' starter Adam Pettyjohn (0-1) was slammed for eight runs on seven hits with a pair of walks in his two-plus innings to lose his lone start of the 2008 season. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and Joey Votto blasted a solo shot, one of two hits with a pair of RBI for Cincinnati (74-88), which lost five straight to close the season.

Final Score: Arizona 2, Colorado 1

Phoenix, AZ (Best E Casino) - Randy Johnson tossed a two-hitter to earn his 295th career victory in what may very well have been his final game in a Diamondbacks uniform, and Arizona completed a three-game sweep with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The 45-year-old Johnson (11-10), whose contract expires at the end of the season, allowed just one unearned run on two singles to Troy Tulowitzki while fanning nine and walking one for his second complete game this season. Chris Young drove in both runs for Arizona (82-80), which ended the season with wins in six of its last nine tilts. Starter Ubaldo Jimenez took a hard-luck no-decision after going seven innings and scattering just three hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks. Luis Vizcaino (1-2) took the loss after walking in the winning run in the ninth. Garrett Atkins drew the walk for Colorado (74-88), which closed out the season by dropping five of its last eight. Clint Barmes scored the lone run in defeat.

Final Score: San Francisco 3, Los Angeles 1

San Francisco, CA (Best E Casino) - Tim Lincecum put the finishing touches on a possible Cy Young campaign by tying a career-high with 13 strikeouts in seven more brilliant innings on the mound, as the San Francisco Giants ended the season with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lincecum (18-5) allowed just a run on four hits and two walks while registering nine strikeouts in the first three innings for the Giants (72-90), who had two wins in the three-game set. Nate Schierholtz was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the victory. Hiroki Kuroda took a no-decision despite allowing a mere two hits in five scoreless innings for the Dodgers (84-78), who dropped three of their last four but already had wrapped up the NL West. Chan Ho Park (4-4) was credited with the loss. Andre Ethier drove in a run and reached base safely in a career-high 23 straight games, as the Dodgers look ahead to a National League Division Series matchup with the Chicago Cubs later this week.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 6, San Diego 1

San Diego, CA (Best E Casino) - Adam LaRoche went 2-for-5 with a homer and drove in a pair of runs as Pittsburgh dominated San Diego, 6-1, in the season finale for both teams. Jason Michaels picked up two RBI and Steve Pearce added a solo homer for the Pirates (67-95), who dropped seven of their 10 games to end the year. Tyler Yates (6-3) hurled a scoreless eighth inning to get credit for the win. Starter Ross Ohlendorf allowed five hits and a run with four walks and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Brian Giles knocked in the lone run for the Padres (63-99), who dropped two of three in the series. Wade LeBlanc (1-3) was charged with two hits and two runs over 2 2/3 innings. Cha-Seung Baek gave up just one hit in his start, but lasted only 2 1/3 frames before leaving with an undisclosed injury.