While some teams are dropping like flies, the Marlins are still in the hunt.

Holding court in the Marlins' dugout a couple of hours before Tuesday's doubleheader, Fredi Gonzalez couldn't hide his satisfaction in the fact that his club hadn't yet been branded with the fatal letter.

The reference is to the front page of the stats package that gets dropped on Gonzalez's desk, recapping the major-league standings after the previous night's games. The listings come with added notation in September, when an ``X'' marks teams eliminated from playoff contention.

``As long as we've got games left and they haven't put one of those Xs next to us, it's good,'' Gonzalez said.

 It is the September 23 and 152 games into the season and we are still here.  Yes, it looks bleak for the playoffs, but nonetheless, we are still in this.