No one saw this coming. The Miami Marlins sit comfortably above .500 coming into the end of June. At 40-38, Clayton McCullough’s ballclub sits just a half game back of a wild card spot in the National League.The Marlins are set to have a three-game home series against the Texas Rangers starting Monday evening. This could be a chance to move up in the wild card standings and further their surprise season.The Pitching Matchups vs. RangersMonday: Tyler Alexander vs Tyler PhillipsIt will be a battle of the Tylers on Monday evening in loanDepot Park. Alexander comes into the series at 1-1 with a 2.97 ERA for the Rangers. Phillips will answer with a 1-2 record and a 3.10 ERA for Miami. Digging into the games, both of these pitchers are better than their win-loss record reflects. This should be a near-even matchup and could turn into a low-scoring defensive battle for the two teams.Tuesday: TBD vs Sandy AlcantaraNo matter who the Rangers ultimately decide to put on the mound on Tuesday, the Marlins should hold the clear advantage. Alcantara has been the leader of the team with a 7-4 record while posting a 4.18 ERA. He leads the staff in wins and strikeouts with 77. The Marlins ace will be ready and waiting for Texas to make the final decision on who will face him.Wednesday: Jacob deGrom vs. TBDThe final game of the series will send Texas’ dominant man deGrom to the mound. He is 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA over the campaign. He has also gathered 98 strikeouts over the season. While Miami hasn’t made up its mind as to who it will send to the mound, given the recent injuries and pitching changes, Texas could hold the leverage in this game.Looking ForwardMiami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara | Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesThe Marlins sitting with two games above .500 has been a pleasant surprise for fans. Miami has often been written off as a rebuild and a team with a very thin payroll. So, taking them seriously has been difficult. McCullough now has this team competing on a budget. A series win over the Rangers would certainly keep them relevant in all conversations, but the noise could get louder in the NL Wild Card.After the Marlins finish up this series with the Rangers, they will head to St. Louis to face the 41-34 Cardinals starting Friday evening. This Marlins schedule isn’t lending any room for mistakes, but so far, this team has proven it doesn’t need an easy route.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow