Now we’re talkin’! 55 runs in four days. That’s a playoff-quality offense. Yanking Cole Hamels when he starts getting barreled is playoff managing. A fifth consecutive winning season is nice, too. Sure, this is taxing— but would you really have it any other way?
And of course Rt 55 connects Chicago and St. Louis, and the playoffs live at that intersection. Right now BBRef has the Cardinals at 91% playoff certainty and the Cubs at 67.5% playoff certainty. Fangraphs says 89.