The heavy lifting is over for the SF Giants as they won the NL West last night. Not an unexpected event, they have had the West sewn up ever since they knocked the Diamondbacks around in August to open a double digit lead.

Now the party starts for Felipe Alou’s team, “a party” that is exactly what the postseason is. MLB takes over the show, they plan the event. Your team plays a short series with other champs to figure out who will be the survivor of the cutthroat tournament.

A postseason series can change like the weather, daily or hourly. One bad inning can doom a game, two bad games can doom a series.

The real test is getting there over the course of 162 games, the best team most often prevails, even if by only one game because you have to play them all, and the winner after 162 games in a division or a wild card race is the best in my book.

So, the Giants are in, the best in the West, the Braves will follow any minute, but the remaining two spots are still up for grabs in the NL.

Houston lost in Colorado last night, while the Cubs moved to 1/2 game in the Central as Kerry Wood served notice that he can do what Mark Prior has done recently, and that is throw a power game in the heat of the pennant race.

Jeff Conine, one of the original Miami Marlins led his team with a clutch first inning single driving in two important runs, made a great catch in the field, and then threw out Jimmy Rollins who was foolishly trying to score from third with none out on a short fly to Conine in left.

The result was a big win for the Marlins over the Phillies. The Marlins are now in position to take the series today with Dontrelle Willis facing Kevin Millwood in a game being played earlier than scheduled in an attempt to avoid the possible effects of Hurricane Isabel.

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Im not sure there is a tougher place to play in September or October than the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Last night, for the first time in 2003 the fans and the homer hankies were out in full force. The game had the feel of a playoff game and you know how those games turn out in Minnesota.

Kenny Rogers changed his approach last night and pitched the game of his life (other than his perfect game years ago). Rogers, a notorious nibbler, decided to challenge the White Sox power hitters with inside fastballs. It worked time after time during the his six plus innings on the hill. I thought his game last night was the best I have ever seen him pitch.

Eddie Guardado came into the contest in the ninth after LaTroy Hawkins blew the Sox away in the eighth and proceeded to walk the leadoff hitter, not coming close to the strike zone. After going 2-0 on the next hitter, the tension was rising as pitching coach Rick Anderson came out to the mound to talk to “Everyday Eddie”. Whatever he said worked as Guardado threw a high strike, then on the next pitch got the double play ball that 40,000 fans were hoping for, to basically end the threat (a final fly ball on the next pitch ended the game) and the Twins extended their lead to 2 1/2 games over the White Sox.

Today, Kyle Lohse faces Bartolo Colon in a repeat situation in this respect. In Chicago last week, the Sox won the first two games of the series to push the Twins 2 1/2 back. Minnesota won the last two games of that series (behind Santana and Radke) and haven’t been slowed down only losing Friday night to CC Sabathia in Cleveland.

Minnesota has seven games on the horizon with Detroit, while Chicago faces the Royals and Yankees, the pressure is on the Sox today and their ace to close the gap.

I for one, know better than to say it is over with ten to play, but if Chicago loses today the Twins will be virtually impossible to catch for two reasons: One the fans are now a factor at home, they can feel it happening, and two the Tigers are going downhill so fast that the ’62 Mets are starting to look like a good team.

Houston has to face Jose Jimenez in Coors Field in a noon time game. Wade Miller is throwing 95 MPH again regularly and the Astros can slug with the best, but this is Coors Field, so they better be careful and plan on scoring seven or more if they want to win today.

The Cubs are off today, getting ready to play two tomorrow against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. It is never easy to win two and Friday will be a huge test for the boys from the Windy City.

Piitsburgh has played well. Julian Taverez is a lights out closer right now, Jason Kendall is playing his butt off trying to show some team he is worth the ten million he is being paid. Matt Stairs is hitting close to .300 and the Pirates are getting some pitching from Josh Foog and a couple of others. Carlos Zambrano and Juan Cruz better be ready for two tough games, which could sink the Cubs season if they aren’t careful.

The A’s got the game they were looking for from Barry Zito Wednesday, almost a no hitter for the lefty (he is flirting with one almost every start so watch out it may happen soon).

Seattle is four back in the loss column going into its game today with Texas. A loss today and the pressure is off the A’s. A win today and a win over Tim Hudson on Friday by the Mariners and things will get nervous around the A’s, who hope closer Keith Foulke will be back on Friday night. Have you seen enough of Jim Mecir in the closer’s role?

With six games between the A’s and Mariners coming up, all the A’s have to do is win two this weekend and the title should be theirs. Easier said than done because this series is the playoff for the Mariners, they will be ready to play.

Seattle is throwing Freddy Garcia in Texas against Joaquin Benoit this afternoon, so who knows what will happen in this game?

A word of caution to the A’s nation. This is the time of year where life can dramatically change over the course of a game or two. Hudson will pitch the biggest game of the season for the A’s on Friday night. If Seattle somehow wins today, then beats Hudson on Friday, remember these are only baseball games and anything can happen, then the Mariners will face Justin Duchscherer on Saturday and Rich Harden on Sunday. Think the tension will be thick around the Coliseum if Sunday’s game means something for the A’s?

By skipping Ted Lilly and not having Zito available either this weekend, the spotlight turns to the A’s top pitcher, Tim Hudson to win the opener.

Boston lost last night to Tampa Bay, not unusual because the Devil Rays win at least one game per series. The Sox were without Johnny Damon (pulled stomach muscle), Kevin Millar (food poisoning) and Trot Nixon (calf pull) last night. They had their chances against Victor Zambrano but couldn’t knock him out.

Amazing, but after watching the way the A’s approach each at bat, I couldn’t believe Nomar and Manny first pitch swinging following multiple walks by Zambrano who leads the AL in free passes. The A’s would have made him throw a strike or two before swinging.

Any way, a loss is a loss and now Tim Wakefield has to pitch a good game today against Rob Bell who is hittable, but no pushover especially against a depleted Red Sox lineup.

Once you are past Pedro and Lowe anything can happen when the Red Sox play and it usually does. As every Sox fan knows, this thing ain’t in the bag just yet.

Wilson Alvarez is pitching his best ball in years and now with the Dodgers on life support in the wild card, they will need him to come up with a low run game to keep pace in the race.

Edwin Jackson a righty wearing Brooklyn great Don Newcombe’s number 36, looks like he can pitch, the only thing he did wrong last night was to give up two homers to Luis Gonzalez which was enough to beat LA.

Adrian Beltre tried to stretch a single into a double with one out in the ninth and was thrown out by Steve Finley with the Dodgers down 2-0. A mental mistake which is unbelievable in the heat of a pennant race.

I’m waiting for Javy Lopez to knock Todd Hundley out of the record books for the season record for homers by a catcher. Two more will give Javy 42 and eclipse Hundley’s mark. I never liked the fact that Hundley broke Roy Campanella’s record, never thought he was worthy of that honor. Lopez doing it doesn’t bother me since he is one helluva hitter and catches some of the best pitchers of all the time in Atlanta.

How about Brooks Kieshnick, pinch hit homer to tie the Cards in the ninth, plus he pitches in relief too (although not last night). Two way player ala Willie Smith with the Angels in ’62 and Hal Jeffcoat with the Reds in ’56.

Big games today for the Marlins and Phils, White Sox and Twins, Red Sox and Tampa, Houston in Colorado and the Mariners in Texas.

Now it is day by day, just like the playoffs. I feel the pressure. It feels like October already.