The NL East could stop the Marlins' roll to the playoffs

It seems inconceivable that the Miami Marlins, so recently the laughingstock of MLB, could actually make the playoffs in 2016. They’re 6.5 games back in the NL East, but they currently hold one of the two NL Wild Card spots. But their path to the postseason has four big obstacles: the teams of the NL East.

The last five weeks of the 2016 baseball season features 26 games between the Marlins and their four NL East foes: the Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves. That’s a tall order for the Marlins, who have played 50 games against those four teams this season, and come out with a 22-28 record. That’s not great, especially considering that half of those teams will probably finish with a record below .500.

You can watch the Marlins when they try to win their series against the San Francisco Giants, and you can watch for free because it’s Yahoo Sports’ MLB Free Game of the Day. You can stream the game on the Yahoo Sports app, Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index, video home and this very post. First pitch is at 12:10 p.m. ET. Local blackouts apply, per MLB rules.

The Marlins have a close record with every NL East team besides the Atlanta Braves, which is baffling since the Braves could actually lose 100 games this season. In 12 games, they have a 4-8 record against the Braves, and haven’t managed to win a series against them. They were swept in April, lost two of three in May, and won just two of five against them in June. The Marlins have seven more games to play against the Braves, and they need to win six of them to close with a winning record. Hopefully the Marlins remember during those games that they’re playing the Braves.

The Marlins have fared better against the Phillies, who won’t lose 100 games, but aren’t setting the world on fire, either. They have a 7-6 record with six games left to play, and with the Phillies’ pitching rotation starting to disappear to the disabled list, those games are looking more and more winnable.

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It’s possible that the Marlins could actually catch the Nationals, who have a 6.5 game lead on the Marlins at the top of the NL East. There are 49 games left to play overall, but the Marlins face the Nats six more times. Their 6-7 record against the Nats would be helped by winning many of those head-to-head matchups, as would their hopes of overtaking the Nats in the standings. (Of course, Washington losing some of their remaining games would also help.)

But the Mets are by far the most important team they’ll face. They’re right behind the Marlins in the NL East race, and trailing them by 2.5 games in the Wild Card. The Marlins have a 5-7 season record against New York, and there seven more games between them. Winning even four of those games would hold off the Mets and maybe even keep them out of the Wild Card.

Trying to scrape out wins against these teams is important if they want to try and claim the NL East crown, but it’s also vital if they want to keep pace in the Wild Card. In the current Wild Card standings, the Marlins are closely trailed by the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Down the home stretch, those NL East wins are necessary if they want to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.