Since we’re not putting any money on these predictions, all we have to lose is a little face if they’re way off. So without any further delay, here goes:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST

1 – Philadelphia Phillies – They have been the class of the Senior Circuit and may even take a step up with the acquisition of Roy Halladay. Rightfielder Jason Werth is already a stud and is on the cusp of superstardom. Even in an improved division, the Phils should keep the top spot filled with cheesesteaks.

2 – Florida Marlins - The pesky bunch always finds a way to sneak into contention, even though they go through a complete makeover every few years. Starting pitchers Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco’s success will determine if the Fish can finish in second place or below that. Dan Uggla sets the pace for the offense.

3 – Washington Nationals - This team will be one of the biggest surprises this summer and you heard it here first. Figure on number one overall pick Stephen Strasburg to be called up by May and be added to an already improved and competitive starting rotation. John Lannan and Jason Marquis are more than capable and if lefty Scott Olsen can return from shoulder surgery, they can be four deep. And don’t forget about Chien-Ming Wang, who was the ace of the Yankees staff not too long ago. Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn supply the power.

4 – Atlanta Braves - The ashes that remain from a once dominant team have blown away and all that remains are Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox, who will be managing his last season. Their pitching staff has some talent and may be able to carry them for a while but the depth is not there. Centerfielder Nate McClouth is multi-talented.

5 – New York Mets - This team has more excuses than a cemetery has maggots. Both Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya are on the hot seat and deserve to be. They has been hanging on to the fact that they were one win away from the 2006 World Series for too long and have been trying to patch it up ever since. They are headed north with a team void of power hitters except for Jason Bay, who they overpaid because the other free agents they were looking at were off the market. Their starting rotation? Unless you can clone Johan Santana, they don’t have one. With the rash of injuries that have become commonplace in Flushing, the Mets need to take a long and hard look at their conditioning and training staff. The cellar is awaitin.’

CENTRAL

1 – St. Louis Cardinals - Pitching is the name of the game and the Redbirds have added Brad Penny to an already strong rotation. They need to settle their third base situation and have youngster David Freese penciled in there now. Don’t take the addition of hitting coach Mark McGwire too lightly. This may be the only city that will forgive the former slugger and welcome him with open arms back into the fold and his teaching could go a long way.

2 – Milwaukee Brewers - The Brew Crew has a decent rotation that can keep them in contention for a playoff berth. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are capable of huge numbers.

3 – Chicago Cubs – With Lou Pinella’s contract expiring, one would figure that he needs to secure at least a Wild Card berth to retain his job. That will not be easy, especially with a strong bunch out west. This group may have seen their window of opportunity close and a minor rebuilding effort will not hurt them. Just getting Milton Bradley out of town is a plus.

4 – Cincinnati Reds - They may start off okay but will probably trade away their useful veterans by the trading deadline. Names such as Bronson Arroyo, Scott Rolen and Ramon Hernandez will find themselves in another uniform by August 1.

5 – Houston Astros - Brad Mills was brought in as manager and will have a tough go of it. What he does have going for him besides a weak division are good corner outfielders and infielders.

6 – Pittsburgh Pirates - What seems like a never ending rebuilding stage continues foe the Bucs. They do have a decent top three in their rotation, but will probably trade two of them away before too long.

WEST

1 – San Francisco Giants – Pitching will carry them all the way to October. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Barry Zito make up a tough staff and while the position players lack a legit superstar, all of them are more than serviceable players who can handle the stick.

2 – Los Angeles Dodgers - Joe Torre is simply a winner, regardless of what coast his electric bill is sent to. The Dodgers will just fall short of the division but make it as the Wild card entrant. They need to pick up a quality starter before the deadline and can overtake the Giants if that arm proves to be a major improvement.

3 – Colorado Rockies - This club has made a habit of slow starts and fast finishes. That will run out on them this year. Even the heart of Troy Tulowitzki isn;t enough this time around.

4 – Arizona Diamondbacks - The D-Backs’ season hinges on if Brandon Webb can come back and even be close to what he had been before shoulder surgery. Dan Haren is a good replacement but cannot be the same ace as Webb. Justin Upton is a superstar already at 22 and was awarded with a six-year, $51.25 million deal.

5 – San Diego Padres – They will be more competitive than in ’09 and may even have a shot at avoiding the basement. Bringing in Jon Garland to lead a young staff was a good move.

Division Winners: Phillies, Cardinals, Giants

Wild Card: Dodgers

National League Champion: Cardinals

Photo by Bill Menzel

Although the Phils are in first place in their division, it is mostly by default. Lidge came crashing back down to earth with an 0-3, 7.86 ERA with 13 saves in 29 games before going on the disabled list. Ryan Madson stepped into the stopper’s role and had nearly as many blown saves (three) as saves (four). With Lidge making his first appearance in nearly three weeks, the fans at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark can only hope that the 2008 version is the one coming back.

Philadelphia leads the Mets – another team decimated by injuries –  by one full game in the National League East with a very paltry 38-34 mark, by far the weakest division leader in Major League Baseball. Considering that we are not even at the half way point in the season yet, it may come down to who can keep the most warm bodies on the field.

Photo by Bill Menzel

When you look back at the regular season, there are games that jump off the page that stand out as the ones that either killed or salvaged the campaign. After one of the most wild and wacky two-game sets all year, the Mets and Phillies played to a stalemate.

The Mets answered an 8-7 extra-inning loss with a 6-3 victory on Wednesday night. An unlikely come-from-behind win was made possible by Carlos Delgado’s two home run performance, including the tying solo shot to the opposite field in the eighth inning.

How enormous the win was cannot be measured when you think of what could have been. Turn-about is fair play, and the usually reliable Philadelphia relievers – including closer Brad Lidge – allowed a 3-2 lead to disappear. Rookie Daniel Murphy and light hitting, but hot of late Brian Schneider had key hits to break the tie. The bullpen that opened the floodgates 24 hours earlier slammed the door and a split was the result.

“You know that one game could determine who wins and loses (referring to the division),” Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters. “Every game is important – it’s a must-win.”

Heading into Citizen’s Bank Ballpark clinging on to the slimmest of leads in the National League East in Game One, the Mets seemed to be coasting with a 7-0 lead in the fourth inning. They had their former ace, Pedro Martinez, on the hill cruising and had knocked around the ancient Phillies southpaw, Jamie Moyer.

These are the type of games that championship clubs put away, even in a bandbox stadium. But the Phillies chipped away at Martinez and a porous Met bullpen, coming all the way back to tie the game with two out in the ninth inning and finally winning it in the 13th.

What could have been a one and a half game lead for the Mets ended up being them trailing the Phillies by one half game and the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card hunt. That is how close the race for the postseason is in the senior circuit.

With the Mets’ win, the roles were reversed and the Mets occupied the penthouse and the Fightin’ Phils were on the outside looking in. It would behoove either team to ensure their place in the October dance by winning the division outright. The Brewers are playing well and had 77 wins heading into Wednesday night, compared to the Mets’ and Phillies’ 73. With a pitching staff consisting of a pair of aces in C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brew Crew look poised to break their playoff drought. The former American League franchise has not enjoyed the extra cash since 1982, when they lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to three.

Perhaps Martinez had a vision after the first game. “Today, they won,” he said to reporters in the locker room. “Tomorrow, maybe we’ll return the favor, and everything will be back to normal.”

In a topsy-turvy season such as this, abnormal is normal.