On the heels of an emotional, gutty come-from-behind Game 5 victory over the Washington Nationals, the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals find themselves back in the National League Championship Series.
Waiting for them are the 2010 World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants. On paper, this appears to be a pretty even matchup, with both teams filled with players from their respective title teams. The regular-season bore that out as the teams split their six games with three wins apiece.
Ultimately though, I have pinpointed five keys to this series for St. Louis to repeat as National League champions and defend its title in the Fall Classic. Here they are, starting with No. 5.