NL Playoff Scenarios Could Be Amazing

The Phillies are still waiting to find out who they'll play in the National League Division Series starting Wednesday. Only the Phils (NL East) and Cincinnati Reds (NL Central) have clinched. The San Francisco Giants lead the San Diego Padres by 1 game in the NL West and the Padres and Atlanta Braves are tied for the NL Wild Card. Tomorrow, in their final regular season games, the Phils play Atlanta and the Padres and Giants play. So what happens tomorrow?

Here are the possibilities, from the Philly.com Phillies' blog, High Cheese:

1) If the Phillies lose and the Padres lose, it's Phillies-Reds and Giants-Braves in the playoffs.

2) If the Phillies win and the Padres win, it's Phils-Giants and Padres-Reds.
3) If the Phillies win and the Padres lose, the Padres and Braves play a one-game playoff in Atlanta Monday for the Wild Card. If the Padres win, it's Phils-Padres and Reds-Giants. If the Braves win, see 1 above.
4) If the Phillies lose and the Padres win, it gets really good. The Padres and Giants play a one-game playoff on Monday for the NL West. The loser of that game flies across the country to play the Braves on Tuesday for the Wild Card. If the Braves win, the Phils play the Reds. If the Braves lose, the Phils play the NL Wild Card, either Giants or Padres.

It's this complicated in part because a Wild Card team can't play the division winner from their own division in the NLDS so the Phillies can't play the Braves in the first round, even though the Phils (because they clinched the best NL record) would normally play the Wild Card team.