Playoffs Starts Now for Marlins

The Marlins should consider themselves fortunate to be four games out of the Wild-Card race thanks to the Rockies completing a bad week by losing two of three to the Dodgers at home on Wednesday and getting swept by the Giants yesterday afternoon.

The way the Marlins have played in the last couple of weeks, they should be 10 games out by now instead of four games out, but they received help at the right time.

It's not a good position to be in when a baseball team is asking for another other team to help them out by defeating either a Wild-Card leader or a division leader at the moment.

Often times than not, it becomes fruitless with the other team not coming through.

The Marlins can't expect other teams to bail them out so the onus is on them to help themselves by winning almost every game at this time of the year.

The Marlins averted a sweep yesterday, but the damage was done. They had no business losing two of three to an awful Padres team.

Now, they need to take three of four against the Braves, their wild-card competitor. A split won't do this time with the Marlins needing to climb over many teams in this wild-card race.

Consider this week and beyond as a playoff run for the Marlins, and one more bad series will eliminate the Marlins from contention.

Josh Johnson takes the ball tonight against the Braves, and he needs to set the tone like he has done all season. In his last start against Atlanta, the Braves couldn't do much against him, and Johnson put the game away by hitting a home run that gave the team a big lead.

What he did in his last start is what he has to do tonight.

If the Braves manage to have success against him and defeat him, this four-game set could be a long series when one looks at the question marks in Florida's back end of the rotation.

The first game is always the key to having a successful series, and Johnson is the right guy to start for that game.

The Marlins should win this one tonight. It's the other three games that should cause a reason for concern.

Who knows what to expect out of Anibal Sanchez, Wednesday's night unknown starter and Ricky Nolasco?

Sanchez got by in his first start out of adrenaline more than anything, but he was horrible in his last start against the Mets. Who knows if Sanchez can be reliable?

Why are the Marlins hesitating to call up Rick VandenHurk? He is not great, but he is not as bad as Chris Volstad. If he starts, who knows how effective he can be with?

Nolasco has done okay lately, but they need to get sterling performances out of him like he did prior to his last two starts.

The Braves are trotting out their best starters in this series, and the concern is how the rest of the Marlins starters will match up with them. What the Marlins starters do will dictate how this series goes.

The Marlins hitters played well this month, but hits will come at a premium so the onus is on their starters to find a way to perform well.

This could be the Marlins' last stand for making a playoff run.

They completed a bad road trip couple of weeks ago, and now, their homestand has been mediocre at best after failing to sweep the Mets and losing two of three over the weekend.

If the Marlins split or lose three of four to the Braves, they might as well call up Andrew Miller, Chris Volstad and Cameron Maybin up and let them get ready for next season by playing everyday no matter bad it gets for those three.

It's hard to believe they will recover after losing three of four or get a split. Teams can't be losing series at this time of the year and make the playoffs.

From now on, every week is a referendum for the Marlins to do well or risk the consequences of playing out the year.

This team has been resilient all season, and Larry Beinfest told Marlins beat writers on Tuesday that his team should not be counted out after the rough stretch.

More than ever, the Marlins need to prove it at this moment.