Cardinals vs. Giants, 2012 NLCS Game 6: Cards fans ready for Game 7

Nothing has been easy for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. That theme continued Sunday night when St. Louis lost Game 6 of the NLCS, forcing a deciding Game 7.

Sunday wasn't the first time St. Louis failed to close a playoff series this season. They lost Game 4 of the NLDS and were forced to a deciding fifth game. Now, leading 3-1 in the NLCS they've lost back-to-back closeout games and now face elimination.

Two straight tough losses might be enough to crush the spirits of some fan bases, but not the Cardinals. Over at SB Nation's Cardinals blog, Viva El Birdos, they are actually excited for the prospect of a deciding game.

Like the 2012 regular season and NLDS, this NLCS has had sky-high peaks and rock-bottom valleys. Entering Game 7, the Cardinals have fallen into a dip with two straight crushing losses to the black caps. As a result, our Birdos stand once again with their season facing a nasty, brutish, and short eliminator. As a baseball fan with 25 years of elimination game experience, I can't wait.

That attitude could be the result of a confident fan base which has seen the team perform well in similar situations. As Viva El Birdos notes, the Cardinals have won six straight elimination games. Those games won't play a factor in the outcome of Game 7, but Cardinals fans have seen St. Louis do this before and now will watch to see if they can do it again.