Take the plus money with the Marlins over the Phillies.

Obviously, the last couple of days have been tough on Florida, which saw its playoff hopes end thanks to an inconsistent three-week stretch in which the team went 8-9. Still, despite getting eliminated on Monday with a 4-0 loss to the Braves, the Marlins showed fight by helping to squash Atlanta’s playoff dreams with a pair of 5-4 wins on Tuesday and Wednesday (beating Tim Hudson and Javy Vazquez in the process).

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Now the Marlins are in Philadelphia to wrap up what has been, by any measure, a successful season. Florida, which was picked by most prognosticators to finish fourth in the N.L. East – with only the crappy Nationals keeping them out of last place – has a solid 85-74 record and this young team on the rise should head into the offseason with a lot of confidence.

One of Florida’s key young components will be on the mound tonight, and that’s Rick VandenHurk, who pitched very well in September, posting a 3.43 ERA in four starts, all of which the Marlins won as an underdog (including a 7-6 victory over the Phillies in his most recent start on Sept. 23). While this game is otherwise meaningless to both teams, it’s very important to VandenHurk as he tries to make a positive impression on the Marlins’ front office, which is evaluating pitchers like VandenHurk as it begins preparations for the 2010 campaign. A strong start in Philly tonight will go a long way to helping VandenHurk earn a spot in Florida’s rotation next year.

The Marlins have a had a lot of success against Philadelphia recently, winning five of six meetings since early August, including a three-game sweep in Philly from Aug. 7-9. In fact, Florida is 5-1 at Citizens Bank Park this year. On top of that, the Marlins are on runs of 9-4 on the road, 7-1 as an underdog and 8-3 when playing on Friday. Throw in the fact that the Phillies are just going through the motions right now and are likely to sit several of their key offensive players, and VandenHurk and the Fish are live ‘dogs here.

3♦ FLORIDA

(based on a 1♦ to a 10♦ Rating)

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