The Florida Marlins have become the talk of the town of late. On shows such as “Around the Horn” on ESPN, they have talked about the Marlins as the eventual NL Wild Card. They are three back now with a few teams ahead of them. The recent stint against St. Louis proved to be a losing one. Still, they are right there in the hunt. The Brewers are 6.5 games out in the NL Wild Card and almost left for dead. It’s not just the games behind, but the fact that there are 9 teams ahead of them. That’s close to insurmountable no matter how many games out you are.

Today marks the start of a crucial three game series in Milwaukee between these two playoff hopefuls. The last three meetings between these two clubs were in Florida and the Brewers the series—4-3 for the Marlins win, and 4-3 and 4-2 for the Brewers win. The Brewers have lost 7 straight and are doing south. While the Marlins have lost their last 2 straight, they have won 8 of their last 10 games. They appear to be the better team at this point.

The Marlins have Anibal Sanchez making the start. He’s 5-2 with a 3.41 ERA. His last outing was against these same Brewers. He’s pitching better lately and will probably do so against the Brewers. For Milwaukee, Chris Capuano takes the mound. He has a 3.53 ERA and is 11-8 this season. This pitching matchup is a rematch from Sunday’s contest in which the Marlins won 4-3. This could be a tight game.

The Brewers are a -135 favorite and the Marlins a +120 dog. The line has moved some. The public is taking the Brewers in this one. The Brewers need a win to stop the bleeding. The Marlins and their young club is trying to keep the momentum rolling.