Survival of the fittest

Two National League teams went for four-game sweeps on Thursday, looking for a season-defining kind of victory against a division rival. The Phillies got it, stunning the Mets 11-10 in an incredible game, to turn the NL East into a free-for-all. The Phillies beat up the Mets' best at the start (Orlando Hernandez) and end (Billy Wagner), and had the kind of series which could produce major reverberations in the weeks to come. The Phillies did everything right -- at bat, on the mound and in the field -- and are definitely on the right track toward a postseason berth.

INSIDE THE SERIES: PHILLIES SWEEP METS (4-0)

• Phillies offense: 27 runs, 54 hits, 11 home runs, six stolen bases.

• Phillies have gained five games on Mets in last five days.

• Pat Burrell hit four home runs in four games, and his 41 homers vs. Mets are most of any active player.

• Mets lose two games via walk-off (only one walk-off loss all season entering series).

• Mets lose finale despite scoring 10 runs (36th time scoring 10-plus runs vs. Phillies, first loss).

Meanwhile, the Padres couldn't quite complete the sweep, but they still had to feel pretty good after taking three of four from the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. The Padres got great pitching (not a surprise, considering the series was played at Petco Park) and won the first three games despite mustering only a little bit of offense. Arizona retained a little bit of pride with a must-win in the series finale, and the Diamondbacks can take heart in knowing the schedule will provide ample opportunities to make up for missed chances this week.

INSIDE THE SERIES: PADRES WIN (3-1)

• Diamondbacks cling to one-game lead in NL West.

• Padres hit .233 in first three games of series, but won all three.

• Padres starters had 2.25 ERA in first three games of series. Chris Young's ERA jumps from 2.12 to 2.38 after allowing five runs in series finale.

• Diamondbacks score more runs in series finale than first three games of series.

• Orlando Hudson went 2-for-17 with two runs scored in series.

• Mets at Braves, 7:35 p.m. ET: New York has lost its grip on the NL East and needs John Maine (13-8, 3.68) to play stopper and generate some positive momentum. Maine has pitched well on the road, going 8-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 starts away from Shea. Tim Hudson (15-6, 3.23) looks to add to his NL-leading win total after taking his first loss of the second half in his last outing.

• Tigers at A's, 10:05 p.m. ET: It's been a tale of two seasons for Oakland righty Joe Blanton (11-9, 3.72). After going 8-5 with a 3.28 ERA in the first half, he's 3-4 with a 5.46 ERA since the break. Chad Durbin (8-6, 4.79) takes Jair Jurrjens spot in Detroit's rotation. Durbin has allowed 19 home runs in 32 games (17 starts), second-most on the Tigers' staff.

• Dodgers at Padres, 10:05 p.m. ET: These are the kind of series that separate playoff contenders from October golfers. David Wells (6-8, 5.46) faces his old team in his second start for L.A. He showed he still has big-game stuff Aug. 26 against the Mets, and the Dodgers haven't lost since. Rookie Jack Cassell (0-0, 6.00) makes his first career start. He went 7-14 with a 3.91 ERA at Triple-A Portland.

• Friday's complete list of probable starters

• Tigers pitcher Andrew Miller was optioned to Class A Lakeland but could be back with Detroit in September. The Tigers recalled right-hander Virgil Vasquez from Triple-A Toledo to start Friday night at Oakland. In addition, Detroit acquired left-hander Clay Rapada from the Cubs as the player to be named in the trade that sent outfielder Craig Monroe to Chicago. Rapada will be assigned to Triple-A Toledo.

• Astros interim manager Cecil Cooper has one important vote in favor of making his job permanent -- commissioner Bud Selig. In a telephone interview with Houston television station KRIV, Selig said that retaining Cooper as manager after this season is important for a sport that has received considerable criticism in recent years for its lack of black players and managers. "Nobody's pulling for him harder than me," Selig told KRIV. "I think it's very important."

• The Rangers exercised their 2009 option on rookie manager Ron Washington's contract. GM Jon Daniels said the extension was an "easy decision" that he had been planning for some time. "Look what we've done the last three months after an obviously rocky start," Daniels said. "The constant and one of the biggest reasons we turned this thing around and played well in the face of adversity and some changes is [Washington]."