And when a late push for a postseason appearance comes under an interim manager who is trying to extend an "extended interview" into the permanent gig, the ups and downs will be scrutinized even more thoroughly.
He's 19-9 and has steered the Cardinals back into the race for a National League wild-card spot.
The red-hot Cardinals have won eight consecutive games and can make it nine against the Nationals on Thursday.
Wednesday's win marked Shildt's one-month mark as manager. That seems like a reasonable milestone to take a snapshot of what has been working for the Cardinals since Shildt replaced former manager Mike Matheny and welcomed hitting coaches Mark Budaska and George Greer, along with bench coach Ron "Pop" Warner to the major league staff.