Lance Lynn has struck some St. Louis Cardinals fans—the kind of fans who make psychological determinations based on a player's baseball stats—as a bit of a flake, particularly in the first inning. But through three in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, with a World Series berth on the line, Lynn has been nearly perfect, allowing just one baserunner through three and striking out five.
Lynn made his first postseason start against the Giants in Game 1, where—after an excellent start—he allowed four runs in the fourth inning of an eventual 6-4 Cardinals win. That, of course, is the Cardinals' concern, but manager Mike Matheny has shown a significantly longer leash for his starting pitchers than Tony La Russa did in 2011's bullpen-driven World Series run.
Of course, he has made one mistake: Lynn grounded into a double play to end the Cardinals' bases-loaded attempt at breaking things open against Barry Zito in the second inning. Zito and the Giants will be able to tell their grandchildren about the time they intentionally walked Pete Kozma.