More on Marlins Schedule

If you missed it, please take a look at Jay Warman's stirring account of the Marlins' upcoming schedule. According to Warman, the Marlins have beaten weaker competition all year long, and thus will continue to clobber the likes of the Reds and Royals. I like his thinking.

With that in mind, I want to stress the importance of these next few games. The Marlins sit at a respectable 17-14, but a couple losses can put them right with the .500 teams. If this were the Mets, I'd hardly mention it, but the Marlins need to ride every bit of momentum they can muster.

Why are the Marlins different? Because their winning start needs to mean something. They weren't supposed to be any good, and their torrid run has electrified the Dolphin Stadium seats (filled or unfilled) with astonishing symbolism. A fall to 19-19 and the magic is gone. A surge to 22-16? Then it's all part of a season-long trend, which the team desperately requires to keep belief alive.