Phillies Hand Marlins Harsh Reality

Prior to the four-game set between the Phillies and the Marlins, there was excitement among the Marlins with an opportunity to gain games in the standings and a chance to measure up against one of the best teams in the National League.

After this weekend, it's clear the Marlins are not in the same league as the Phillies.

The games spoke for themselves, and that's why the Marlins were swept at home in Land Shark Stadium against the defending world champs.

When it comes to hitting and pitching, the Phillies have the edge over the Marlins.

The Phillies make things happen in an inning when they have men on base, and more times than not, those guys arrive at home plate instead of being stranded thanks to a great group of hitters in that lineup.

They demonstrated that in this series whether it's hitting the home run or getting the key hit to give the team the lead, which happened on Friday in the 12th inning.

It happened again yesterday afternoon when the Phillies scored three runs in the second inning.

The Phillies had three men on base with two outs, and one runner advanced home on a hit by pitch to Chase Utley, which was followed by Raul Ibanez doubling two more runners home. That was the game right there.

The Marlins did not generate a big inning in this series. A good example of that was when they had the bases loaded yesterday in the sixth inning with no outs yet they could not get a run thanks to a popout and couple of strikeouts.

It's hard to beat the Phillies let alone anyone if they can't score runs in that situation.

The Phillies have the Marlins beat in starting pitching too. The matchup between Cole Hamels and Ricky Nolasco was even, but Thursday's and yesterday's pitching matchup was not a contest.

As old as Jamie Moyer is, he is better than the starters that the Marlins trot out for their back end of their starting rotation. J.A. Happ has shown he can be an integral part of the Phillies' success in their starting rotation.

Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller may be good one day, but right now, they have a lot to learn when it comes to being a serviceable starter.

Josh Johnson was the only Marlin that stood out this weekend, but his outing on Saturday meant nothing since the game was postponed by rain.

The Marlins are in a bind now. They needed this series to be within striking distance of the division, but instead, they may have gotten the Phillies going with Philly's three-game sweep.

Forget the seven-game deficit for a second. This weekend showed the Marlins do not have what it takes to be a playoff team.

We have chronicled the team's weaknesses in this space in the last several days, and it's hard to think it's going to get any better anytime soon.

Before the Marlins even think about the playoffs, they should learn how to execute the fundamentals especially when it comes to their offense.

It would also be nice if the Marlins can have all five starters pitch quality starts on a consistent basis.

We learned a lot this weekend.

The Phillies are the best team in the division, and the Marlins are not ready to be an elite team.