They began major league life together in 1993, both have tasted post-season experience and on Tuesday of this week the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins found themselves leading their respective divisions on the same day for the first time in their joint histories.

Elias Sports Bureau found that it had never happened this late in the season. The Marlins and the Rockies, of course, would be more impressed with themselves if they were in first place at the end of the season.

Despite their post-season appearances, neither the Rockies nor the Marlins have finished a season in first place as division champions.

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and again in 2003, reaching the playoffs both times as the wild card. The Rockies played in the World Series in 2007 and reached the post-season two other times, always as the wild card.

No one expects the Rockies or the Marlins to win the National League pennant this year. The pitching-rich Phillies and Giants are the teams that are expected to compete for the National League pennant. But no one has a guarantee, even if their names are Halladay, Lee and Oswalt or Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez.

That, as it so popularly said, is why they play the games.

The Marlins are one of the most intriguing teams in the majors. Their owner, Jeffrey Loria, is not among the best liked or most trusted owners, but he has built a good organization.

Last year the Marlins were singled out by the commissioner’s office and the union in a highly unusual public admonishment that they were not spending their considerable revenue-sharing funds appropriately.

However, perennially among the teams with the lowest player payrolls, the Marlins nevertheless compete with the wealthier clubs.

Two-thirds of the way through last season, for example, the Marlins were still in the division race, standing only six and a half games behind first-place Atlanta and three games back of Philadelphia.

A year earlier the Marlins went even later in the season in contention. With three weeks left in the season, they were five games from first. The Marlins, however, didn’t have enough to go all the way.

If Loria spends the increased revenue the Marlins expect from their new park which is scheduled to open next season, they could become downright dangerous.

The Marlins might not eventually fare any better this season than they have in recent seasons, but they won 15 of their first 22 games despite injuries to key players. Right fielder Mike Stanton, whose spring training was limited by a leg ailment, had to leave the season opener with a hamstring injury that didn’t send him to the disabled list but limited his availability somewhat.

Left fielder Logan Morrison sprained his left arch and went on the disabled list April 21. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez hasn’t been injured, but his batting average (.197) is hurting.

“We’ve been banged up,” said Larry Beinfest, president of baseball operations. “Stanton missed all of spring training and has been playing catch up.”

The Marlins’ relief corps, however, was not banged up until Wednesday’s 23rd game. Brian Sanches, for example, had not allowed a run in his eight relief appearances, becoming the winning pitcher in three of them. But on Wednesday, in his ninth appearance, he gave up a 10th-inning home run to Andre Ethier that knocked the Marlins back into second place behind the Phillies.

“There’s no secret to what we’ve done,” Beinfest said. “It’s the pitching. It’s been great.”

Josh Johnson, the 27-year-old right-hander, is the staff leader and has demonstrated his leadership with a 3-0 record and 1.06 e.r.a.

The Rockies’ No. 1 starter last season was Ubaldo Jimenez, who by this time had pitched a no-hitter on his way to a 19-8 record and 2.88 e.r.a. This season, though, he had a 0-1 record and 6.76 e.r.a. in his first three starts.

“He struggled with a finger problem in spring training,” Dan O’Dowd, the Rockies’ general manager, said. “I thought his last outing he started going back to what he did last year. The next few starts we hope we’ll see what we saw for the first four innings we saw Sunday.”

Despite the slow start by Jimenez and an equally slow start by Carlos Gonzalez (.214, 1 home run), the Rockies compiled a 16-7 record, the league’s best, entering Thursday’s games.

“We do have a good ball club, but it’s a long season,” O’Dowd said. “The potential is there. We have a nice mix of young players and veteran players, both in the lineup and in the rotation. With the younger guys come the ups and downs of younger players. But they’re playing the game better than in the past.”

Nevertheless, he added, “There are areas where we can get better.”

O’Dowd, however, said he was encouraged by the way the Rockies have played, winning games “that last year we would have found a way to lose.”

“It builds confidence,” he added.

Troy Tulowitzki creates confidence, too. The 26-year-old shortstop only seems to get better. He singlehandedly destroyed the Mets in a four-game sweep in New York in the second week of the season, slugging a home run in each game.

“Gonzalez is struggling to find his swing,” O’Dowd said of Tulowitzki’s partner in crushing opposing pitchers. “It reminds me of what Tulowitzki went through in 2009 in the first two months of the season. He struggled. Car-go is struggling.

“But he’s a really, really good player. He’s won two or three games with his defense in left field.”

When Car-Go joins Tulo in winning games with his bat, the Rockies just might become the first 1993 expansion team to finish in first.