The Marlins' Achilles Heel Exposed

Everything went according to literary form in last night's 7-4 loss to the Braves, as if scripted directly from Homer's "Iliad." Let's break down the mythology:

Achilles Heel: The back of the Marlins rotation, namely the unreliable Burke Badenhop. He proved to be the weakness tonight, allowing five runs in the first inning.

Achilles the Warrior: The bullpen, which has obliterated all things in its path since Opening Day. Much like Achilles' triumphant return to the front, the bullpen relieved Badenhop and surrendered just one run. It was a solid enough performance to slay Hector, but the Trojan lead was too great.

Achilles' Friends (Agammemnon, Aias, Odysseus, and co.): The Marlins lineup, which never gave up despite the odds. Special credit must go to Josh Willingham, who powered all four of the team's RBI.

The final result? The Marlins, like Achilles, may have been slain for the night, but the division battle is still looking promising. Nobody saw this Marlins team coming, and that's why they're the Trojan Horse of the National League.