Marlins Get Crucial Win

I know it's a little early to call this a must-win game but it certainly felt that way. It's early June, but the Phillies are white hot. They've won 12 of 14 and 15 of their last 19 games. Meanwhile, the Marlins have been tailing, going 4-9 over their last 13 games. The Fish have fallen to 5 over .500 (34-29) after having been in 1st place with a record of 30-20 not too long ago...and they are suddenly 4 whole games behind those fighten' Phils. With Nolasco on the Mound against a struggling Brett Myers, you figure the Marlins should take it.

And they did...as I watched from my 3rd-base seats. It was a thrilling 5-4 game filled with home runs, errors, and strikeouts. There were 5 shots hit by the two powerful clubs. For the Marlins it was Hanley, Cantu, and Jacobs, and for the Phillies, Rollins, and Burrel. Then, Kevin Gregg entered in the 8th and earned a 4-out save, stranding a runner on 2nd in the 9th.

What to take from this game?

Three things jumped out at me.

Firstly, it would appear that everyone's favorite Ramirez is back on track. Hanley hit another HR and is batting .304 now on the year. He must be at full potential if the Marlins are to make a legitimate run at the playoffs this season.

Secondly, I am absolutely delighted with the play of Jorge Cantu. The guy is really on a tear. He's making out to be a very sufficient #3 hitter. Today he went 2-4 and pushed his average up to .289. That's pretty good...atleast for what was expected of him prior to the season. Contrast that with Miguel Cabrera's .278 batting average. Some loss, huh?

Lastly, Ricky Nolasco was stellar. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs, none of them having been earned. He allowed two bombs to Phillies hitters, but only after getting rattled by horrendous errors by Hanley and Luis Gonzalez.

So here are the NL East standings up to date:

Philadelphia 39-27
Florida 35-29
Atlanta 32-33
NY Mets 30-33
Washington 26-40

Let's not underestimate the Mets and Braves. Just because they may have fallen now, doesn't at all mean that they won't come back. It's important that these teams continue to climb into a bigger hole. If you're are Marlins fan, do not hesitate to root against them.

NL East: Inside Look

I think we've made our readers well aware that the Marlins are in first place right now, but can they really win this division? Below, I'll list the current standings and then make a case for each team...beginning of course with the present-day champion.

1. Florida 27-19
2. Atlanta 26-21
3. Philadelphia 27-22
4. NY Mets 22-23
5. Washington 20-28

Combined record: 122-113 (+9)

Florida: At the beginning of the year, they weren't even worthy of being called a "dark horse," at least according to most pundits. Projected almost unanimously for fifth place, the experts are singing a different tune these days. To sustain their dominance, the Marlins will need more consistent outings from the bottom of the rotation, maintain the lights-out bullpen, and manufacture more runs. This team definitely has more upside, but a lot can go wrong.

Atlanta: I'm beginning to see the Braves as the biggest threat. Early bullpen struggles hampered them through April, but they're really coming on right now. Perhaps the most telling statistic is their unearthly run differential (232-172), which fits a 30-17 record. The 2-12 record in 1-run games has killed them, but fortunes can turn quickly.

Philadelphia: A difficult team to judge. Where would this squad be if Ryan Howard had played anything like his 2006 MVP year? Who knows what to expect from such a crestfallen, star-crossed city long overdue for a fortuitous bounce? With Cole Hamels and Chase Utley leading the way, this team is certain to be in the mix through the end. There's a lot of room to go up.

NY Mets: Do NOT sleep on the Mets. They're loaded with talent, they can make a number of cash-dropping deadline moves, and Willie Randolph's near-end could spark a whole new atmosphere. As far as I'm concerned, they're just as much in the thick of things. And let's face it...99% of the country would bet on them to finish ahead of the Marlins.

Washington: The stiffness of the competition, combined with a lack of talent, does not bode well for the Nats. HOWEVER, the same was remarked about a certain 19-29 team in 2003, which went on to win the World Series. The Nats have played much better ball of late, and they could sneak into the division race with a couple good winning streaks. I'm not counting them out.

I'm not going to predict final records, but I'll give each team's probability of winning the division:

Marlins: 25%
Braves: 30%
Phillies: 25%
Mets: 18%
Nationals: 2%

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