After Ben Sheets left his Labor Day start at the end of the fifth inning and 54 pitches, Milwaukee fans were certainly worried about the health of their fragile co-ace. They probably shouldn't be worried any more, because last night he threw a complete game five-hit shutout at the Padres, throwing 120 pitches without any groin problems and giving the Brewers their second win in a row after four straight losses.

The win was Sheets' 13th, which is a career high. It's hard to believe that a pitcher as talented as Ben Sheets has never won more than 12 games in a year before this year, but it gives you an idea of just how injury-prone the guy has been over the past four years. His 188 innings this year are the most since he threw 215+ in three straight years between 2002-2004, which probably helps explain his injury problems from 2005-2007.

This is an obvious statement, but Sheets' health is a big deal for the Brewers because they need him to match the 1-2 pitching punch that other NL contenders like the Cubs and Diamondbacks bring to the table. With the way Sheets and CC Sabathia have pitched of late, it's hard to imagine any combination in the NL, even Haren and Webb (who might miss the playoffs) matching up with them in a short playoff series.