It's incredible how quickly the status quo can swallow things that were absurd a few weeks ago. Pete Kozma was 2-4 with an RBI, but this feels like one of the St. Louis Cardinals' more textbook victories of the postseason. Adam Wainwright threw seven strong innings and everybody—crucially an everybody led by Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, Allen Craig, and the guy batting second—pushed runs across the plate at a pace somewhere between "manufacturing" and "rally-killing."

With the middle infield hitting, however it's hitting, this is not a team that makes outs. And no matter how much of your team identity is built around squandering opportunities, reaching base 15 times is the best possible way to ensure you score eight runs.

The Cardinals are now a win away from winning their second National League pennant—and so many improbable things had to happen for that to be the case that I think it's nearly impossible to jinx that, to take it for granted. Lance Lynn's a good first inning tomorrow away from being a garden-variety 18-game-winner with absolutely no caveats on his record in 2013. Right now I'm trying not to think further ahead than that.