NEW YORK (AP) - How's this for a wild final weekend? With three games to go before last night's round, seven teams were fighting for the National League's four play-off spots.

Philadelphia tied the New York Mets for the NL East lead for the first time since the season began, the Chicago Cubs held a two-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central and Arizona were one game in front of San Diego and two ahead of Colorado in the NL West.

The East and West teams also were in play for the wild-card, which the Padres led by one game over the Mets, Phillies and Rockies.

"It's exciting, but we still have work to do," Kyle Kendrick said after pitching the Phillies over Atlanta 6-4 on Thursday night for Philadelphia's 11th win in 14 games.

The plummeting Mets lost 3-0 at home to the St. Louis Cardinals, the 10th defeat in New York's last 14 games. New York were ahead by seven games with 17 remaining — a lead no major league team has failed to hold.

"There's two choices: Roll over and start making vacation plans for the offseason, or battle like hell and win this thing," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "We still feel like this is our division."

Chicago lost their third straight, 6-4 at the Florida Marlins, but maintained its margin because Milwaukee made five errors and dropped their second in a row, 9-5 to the Padres. As always, thoughts of imminent disaster are in the minds of many Cubs' fans.

"You can look in their dugout, and it's just like panic mode," Florida's Cody Ross said. "They're pacing up and down. We would be in the same boat if the situation were reversed."

Colorado extended their team-record winning streak to 11 games, winning 10-4 at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We didn't set out to win 11 in a row," said Garrett Atkins, who had four hits including a home run. "We've had good pitching, good hitting, good defence and good luck."

Given an ominous weather forecast, Arizona manager Bob Melvin decided less than an hour before game time to hold back ace Brandon Webb (17-10) at Pittsburgh. Micah Owings pitched six and ⅓ innings and went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs in an 8-0 victory. He became the first pitcher to have two four-hit games in a season since the Yankees' Whitey Ford in 1953.

"I was eating breakfast when they told me, and a lot started running through my mind," Owings said. "It got back to the fact I've got to go out and do the best I can, try to help my team and not try to do too much."

In the only NL game with no play-off implications, Houston beat Cincinnati 4-3.

At Philadelphia, Ryan Howard hit his 44th homer, Pat Burrell also connected and the Phillies roughed up John Smoltz (14-8).

Kendrick (10-4) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, and Brett Myers allowed a leadoff homer to Jeff Francoeur in the ninth before getting three outs for his 21st save.

Philadelphia closes at home with three games against Washington.

"It's a good feeling," Howard said. "But, really, we haven't done anything. We have three games left. This is what it's all about."

Atlanta was eliminated from postseason contention for the second straight year after winning 14 straight division titles.

"Everybody here can improve on their year and I'm looking forward to it," Smoltz said.