Halladay became just the fifth pitcher to win the CY Young in both leagues. He won the award in 2003 while with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Phillies ace received all 32 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, for a total of 224 points. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals ended up with 122 points and Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies had 90 points.

Halladay led the NL with 21 wins and led Major League Baseball in innings, shutouts and complete games. He was acquired by the Phillies from the Blue Jays last December and immediately given a $60 million, three-year contract extension,

In May of this past season, he threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins, and threw another perfect game against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series last month.

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum, who won the past two NL Cy Youngs, finished 11th.

Halladay went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and 219 strikeouts in his first season in the NL. The 33-year-old right-hander pitched 250 2/3 innings, nine complete games and four shutouts, living up to his billing for excellence and durability.

Both teams could be accused, and forgiven, for just being happy to be in the MLB Playoffs. Both the Giants and Braves needed the final day of a 162-game schedule to secure their postseason positions.

San Francisco was in a wild, three-team race for top spot on the NL West division with the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies over the final few weeks of the regular season. In the last week, it came down to the Giants and Padres, with the Giants winning a pivotal series with the Padres on the last weekend of the regular season.

This is the Giants’ seventh division title in franchise history and first postseason berth since 2003.

The Braves are in the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2005, and battled through the entire schedule to get there, exchanging NL East leads with the division-champion Philadelphia Phillies throughout the season.

Atlanta won four of seven matchups with San Francisco this season. The Giants took two of three at home from the Braves in April.

Atlanta will start righthander Derek Lowe, who is 16-12 with a 4.00 ERA. San Francisco wilol counter with righthander Tim Lincecum, who is 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA.

After leading the NL West division for most of the season the San Diego Padres now trail the San Francisco Giants by 2 games. At the beginning of the week it looked like the Colorado Rockies still had a chance to win the division, but they were eliminated last night with their loss and the Giants’ win, making the division race officially a two team race.

Even with the Padres trailing the Giants by 2 games in the division standings they do not have to win this weekend series to make the playoffs. The Padres are still alive in the wild card race with the Atlanta Braves as well.

Currently the Padres trail the Braves by 1.5 games in the wild card standings, so there are two possible ways for the Padres to make the playoffs. The Braves will face the Phillies this weekend, which could be a good thing for San Diego as the Phillies will try their hardest to keep the Braves from making the playoffs.

The tentative pitching match ups look to be outstanding for this weekend’s series between the Padres and Giants. While these pitching match ups could change as both managers will use every pitcher possible to ensure a series win, here are the scheduled starters for this weekend:

Friday – Richard vs Zito
Saturday – Stauffer vs Cain
Sunday – Latos vs Sanchez

On Wednesday night, the Rockies hope to continue their offensive surge. In losing, two of three at Cincinnati, Colorado (51-42) totaled four runs. By scoring six times in the third inning, the Rockies evened the series. as Colorado won for the second time in six contests, Melvin Mora homered for one of his three hits and had five RBIs, while snapping Florida’s three-game winning streak.

Todd Helton, who had lower-back stiffness, could return after missing more than two weeks. Against Nolasco (9-7, 4.66 ERA), Helton is 4 for 10. As a starter against the Rockies, Nolasco is 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA. On Friday, against phenom Stephen Strasburg and Washington, in the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss, Nolasco was 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA.

Going 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA as a starter, Jason Hammel (7-4, 4.07) has not been very good against Florida. In his last nine starts, the right-hander was 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA. In seven innings, Hammel allowed three runs and struck out a season-high 10. With a homer against Hammel, All-Star Hanley Ramirez is 5 for 6. Although in the Marlins‘ most lopsided loss of the season, Ramirez is 2 for 17 in his last four games after going 0 for 4 on Tuesday. In Monday’s opening victory, nine of the 14 runs Marlins scored, came in that stretch, even though the Marlins (45-48) have won four of six.

For the first time in more than a year, Edinson Volquez is scheduled to take the mound after his comeback from elbow surgery. beating Colorado 3-2 to snap a four-game overall losing streak and a nine-game slide to the Rockies (49-40), Cincinnati (50-41) returned from the All-Star break Friday. Since undergoing Tommy John surgery last August, the right-hander will make his first start. Since getting hurt in a win at St. Louis on June 1, 2009, he has not appeared for the Reds. In two starts against Colorado, Volquez is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA.

The Rockies have dropped consecutive games following a six-game winning streak, although they opened a season-high 11-game road trip Friday. Returning from a torn tendon in the left middle finger is Jorge De La Rosa (3-1, 4.94), who will make his second start. With an 8.36 ERA in eight career games, De La Rosa is 1-2 along with two starts against the Reds.

Colorado’s Brad Hawpe will make his first career start at first base in place of Todd Helton and he is expected to move from right field, as he played the position sparingly in spring training. Hawpe is 1 for 6 off Volquez, but the hit was a homer.

Jimenez gave up one run in eight innings in Colorado’s 5-1 victory at Minnesota. He won win 13 of his first 14 starts and became the second pitcher in the last 80 years to achieve the same.

Despite Jimenez’s dominance, Colorado (34-32) is only two games above .500, but it may have found a solid No. 2 pitcher behind the ace. Hammel (4-3, 4.53 ERA) in his last four starts is 3-0 with a 0.99 ERA and by holding Toronto to three hits over eight innings in Saturday’s 1-0 victory, he has extended his scoreless streak to 18.

In two starts against the Brewers (28-28), he has 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA. Against a team like the Brewers lineup that thrives away from home, he will have to be careful. Milwaukee’s 44 homers and .268 average, on the road are both NL bests.

In Anaheim, the Brewers’ bats were hot Monday and Tuesday. In a pair of routs against the Los Angeles Angels, Brewers piled up 19 runs and 24 hits. In Wednesday’s finale against Joel Pineiro, they could not get anything going, however, managing three hits in a 5-1 defeat.

Since joining the rotation late last month, Milwaukee hands the ball to Manny Parra (1-4, 4.04), who is coming off arguably his best performance. Lasting six innings Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Texas, Parra gave up two first-inning runs but only allowed one more.

Against Colorado, Parra has made one disastrous start. In a 9-2 loss at Coors Field on Oct. 1, the left-hander allowed six hits, five walks and five runs over 2 2/3 innings.

Although Parra may not have to worry about facing the Rockies shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki had two hits off Parra that day after Tulowitzki left Thursday’s game in the eighth inning after being hit in the left wrist. Tulowitzki will be re-examined Friday, even though a preliminary X-ray revealed no break.

The (27-23) had totaled 28 runs, after struggling to score throughout the month of May although they won four straight entering Monday’s series opener against Colorado (27-24). Ubaldo Jimenez with a 0.78 ERA by pitching a complete game, improved to 10-1. In Colorado’s 4-0 victory, he also beat two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

Jason Hammel in four starts against the Giants as a rookie last year, posted a 3.52 ERA even though he went 0-2 in those outings. On May 3, 2009, he pitched six innings in a 1-0, 10-inning loss at San Francisco. Barry Zito (6-2, 2.94) outlasted Hammel and he will be the one who will oppose Hammel again on Tuesday. Against the Rockies, Zito’s 2.00 career ERA is his best against any opponent. Since the start of last year, he has a 1.24 ERA against them in five outings. With eight strong innings in a 5-2 win April 30, he beat Colorado for the third straight time, at home.

“He’s always tough against us. I can’t hit him, I’ve never been able to hit him. Hopefully one day I’ll figure him out,” said Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. against Zito , Tulowitzki is 5 for 33 (.152).

Zito in his first six starts, has a 5.40 ERA in his last four outings after going 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA.

The Giants hope Pablo Sandoval will help and can stay hot to avoid that fate. in the final four games of May, Sandoval went 3 for 4 to improve to 8 for 17 with a home run and five RBIs. in the month’s first 23 contests, the third baseman hit .191 with no homers.

Jimenez (9-1) extended his current scoreless streak to 16 1/3 innings and dropping his ERA to 0.88, thereby continuing his dominant start to the season. For the Rockies, Miguel Olivo had three hits and Carlos Gonzalez homered. This was Rockies season-high four straight win. In the second and third innings, Arizona had runners but Jimenez kept the Diamondbacks off the board. To give the Rockies a 1-0 lead, in the first, Smith homered with one out.

“At the beginning of the game they were hacking every first-pitch fastball and they were hitting it good, after the third inning I got better. I was using a couple of breaking balls because they were looking for the fastball”, said Jimenez.

For the Diamondbacks, Gerardo Parra had two hits and Mark Reynolds hit his 12th home run. The Diamondbacks have lost three in a row. With a double, Kelly Johnson led off the game. Stephen Drew was retired by center fielder Carlos Gonzalez had to make a running catch at the wall.

“I thought I had it. At least a double, but Gonzalez made the play; you never know what happens after that. He ran the perfect route”, said Drew said.

With a walk, Gonzalez led off the third and stole second. To make it 3-0, Troy Tulowitzki walked and Brad Hawpe followed with a triple to right-centerfield, after Lopez retired. In Rodrigo Lopez’s last inning, the Rockies added another run in the sixth when Tulowitzki led off with a double and scored on Olivo’s single to right. Lopez (2-3) struck out three, walked four and gave up four runs and five hits.

With back-to-back homers, reliever Juan Gutierrez was greeted by Gonzalez and Smith and led off the seventh and made it 6-0. This year the duo has hit consecutive homers for the second time. Ian Stewart’s RBI single with two outs scored Tulowitzki from second got the score to a match winning 7-0.

When Reynolds hit a three-run homer off Rafael Betancourt in the ninth, the Diamondbacks broke through.

Colorado Rockies need a greater sense of urgency in their lineup although, the game in which Ubaldo Jimenez starts, and Rockies do not need much production at the plate in games. Against the Kansas City Royals, the Rockies look to give Hammel some support as they open interleague play. With a 4-0 win over Houston on Thursday night, ended a three-game losing streak.

Lowering his major league-leading ERA to 0.99, Jimenez pitched seven innings. For a Rockies team that scored three runs or fewer in each of its previous four contests, Jimenez’s effort was a big boost for a Rockies team. Hammel, due to a strained right groin has been limited to five starts. Rockies versus the Royals (17-25), posting a 4.32 ERA, Hammel has not received a decision in one start and three relief appearances.

With Brian Bannister, Kansas City will try to counter the Rockies. Including a win in his last outing, he has -1 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts at home. On Sunday, over Chicago, the right-hander yielded three runs in six innings of a 5-3 victory. Against the Rockies, Bannister is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts.

In winning six of their last eight, the Royals have a 3.24 ERA. Scoring 17 runs over its last two games, Kansas City has been hitting well and reaching double figures in hits each of the past five contests. In 26 interleague games, Callaspo, is batting .200 with one homer. Last year, going 11-4, The Rockies were the NL’s best team in interleague.

The Washington Nationals have started a success story and are definitely looking to continue their early success against the Rockies. The Nationals, in 2010 are 8-7 on the road although at Coors field they have a record of 3-11.

“I think the greatest thing about this team is we don’t get too high or too low, that’s a great attitude for us to have. We have been playing well.” third baseman Ryan Zimmerman told the Nationals’ official website “. Outfielder Roger Bernadina’s first two major league homers have put Nationals on a high including the win over the Mets. Adam Dunn in his last twenty games is batting .311 with 15 RBIs. Washington will get its first look at Chacin (2-0, 0.00); the 22-year-old right-hander who gave up six hits and struck out seven in 7 1/3 innings of an 8-0 win at Los Angeles on Saturday.

In the Rockies’ 10-ininng victory over Philadelphia, Miguel Olivo went five for five. After missing the previous two games, Carlos Gonzalez had three hits. Gonzalez has .353 with two homers, five RBIs in nine games and .330 this season. Because of elbow discomfort and after missing the last start, John Lannan (1-2, 6.34) returned to the team.

“We want him to pitch pain free, throw his pitches and keep the ball down, that first performance will be more how he feels and how he recovers from that more so than just the results of the game.” said National’s manager Jim Riggleman.