Miami Marlins Mad For Interleague Play

The Miami Marlins have been riding high in the month of May, leading the majors with a 13-4 record this month. Especially timely since they struggled through April with a 8-14 mark, losing eight of their last nine games.

Though it is only an initial taste of a three-game series this weekend, the Marlins hope this is only the beginning of continuing inter league success. Started in 1997, the year of the first Marlins World Series championship, interleague play has been popular with many fans, and been a boost to South Florida’s baseball team.

The Marlins have the best inter league record of all NL teams, now 136-117 through Friday night’s victory over the Cleveland Indians. Miami ranks 8th in MLB, as the AL has dominated the NL in inter league play the last seven years. Division rivals, the Atlanta Braves, are second in the NL in inter league play with a 129-112 record.

The fact that the Marlins are tops in the NL is made all the more remarkable by the fact that they have otherwise had a .477 winning percentage over that same stretch vs NL teams. If they can follow the same path this weekend, and in the rest of the inter league schedule, the Marlins could gain a leg up on their division rivals in the standings.

Gaining any ground against the other NL East teams will be important, as every team in the division has a winning record, and only four games separate all five teams. Additionally, Miami has struggled against division opponents, with a 4-9 record.

Following this weekend’s series with the Indians, Miami next round of inter league opponents will come in the form of Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, beginning the second weekend of June.