Giants vs. Cardinals, 2012 NLCS Game 4: 'Textbook' win for St. Louis on Thursday

With an 8-3 win on Thursday night, the St. Louis Cardinals took a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series and need just one more win on Friday night to clinch their trip to play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.

The best way to get that Game 5 win would be for the Cardinals to provide Lance Lynn with the same type of offensive support they gave Adam Wainwright in Game 4.

In his Game 4 recap for Cardinals blog, Viva El Birdos, Dan Moore wrote that Thursday's win felt like one of the more "textbook" wins of the season and he gave most of the credit to the offensive production.

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 got out in front early with two runs in the bottom of the first before adding two runs in each the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Of the 15 batters to get on base, nine came against Giants starter Tim Lincecum as he gave up six hits and three walks before leaving the game in the fifth inning.