Sitting in the dugout before the Cardinals won for the 10th time in their last 12 games, manager Mike Matheny praised his team for reaching this point, considering where it's been.
The Cardinals have ignored their naysayers. They've scoffed at grim predictions. They say they're not done yet.
"We've got a long way to go," Matheny said Tuesday afternoon. "We have a lot of things we still have to do. Plenty of room for improvement. Keep the throttle down."
Matheny is an eternal optimist. And if his club manages to find its way into the postseason, you better believe he will relish in reminding those who wrote off the Cardinals that they were wrong.