As we go deeper into the second half of the season, streaks and slumps will start to have a greater impact on postseason hopes, so let's take a look at the key points from Friday's action.

Miami clinging to a Wild Card

The Miami Marlins were one of the biggest stories of the first half of the season, but have suddenly started to struggle. 

They have now lost seven games in a row, with the most recent defeat coming to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night by a score of 6-1. 

Catching the Atlanta Braves in the National East division is starting to become less and less likely, as the Marlins now trail the Braves by 11.5 games. 

The silver lining is that they still are well within the playoff race and are currently tied with both the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds for the final Wild-Card position. 

Speaking on the losing streak of the Marlins, their lack of offense has been a prime reason for their struggles. 

They are averaging 3.1 runs per game during this stretch, having scored more than four runs just once. 

Their pitching has been just as poor, allowing 5.6 runs per game during their losing streak. 

The majority of the losses during this stretch have come against the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies, teams they need to be beating if they want to find themselves in the postseason. 

Due to this losing streak, the odds for the Marlins have shifted dramatically and they are now listed at +5000 to win the World Series.

The Marlins are +2500 for National League glory, +3300 to take the NL East while they are +100 to make the playoffs.

Angels trying to make a push

The Los Angeles Angels probably have the best player in the league right now, with Shohei Ohtani. 

He leads the league in home runs with 35 and is a solid pitcher on the mound. 

Friday night Ohtani was on the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates and even though he allowed five earned runs, the Angels managed to win the game by a score of 8-5. 

This win was the fourth in a row for the Angels to move to 50-48 on the season, and as a result, they have managed to claw their way back into the playoff picture. 

Not so much in the American League West division, as they trail the Texas Rangers by eight games, but more so the Wild Card. 

The Angels are just four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card. 

With other chasing teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox having been inconsistent this season, the Angels still have a legitimate shot of chasing down the Blue Jays over the next few months.  

During this four-game win streak, the Angels’ offense has caught fire. 

They are averaging six runs per game, while allowing just three runs per game. 

Simply put, this trend must continue if the Angels want any chance to make a postseason appearance come the end of the season.

The Angels are +7000 to win the World Series, +3500 to win the American League, +2800 to win the AL West division and +525 to make the playoffs.

Dodgers starting to show their dominance

Up to this point in the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers had shown they are a top caliber team, but they certainly still had their issues. 

Recently, the Dodgers have started to take control of the division. 

They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, most recently beating the Texas Rangers on Friday night by a score of 11-5. 

With the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants both losing on Friday night, the Dodgers are now leading the National League West by three games and look poised to take complete control of the division very soon. 

The Dodgers are +425 to win the World Series, +210 to win the National League, -450 for NL West glory and -3500 to secure a playoff place.