Much like the Cardinals, the Giants win games when they get contributions up and down the lineup, as they did Wednesday. San Francisco got six straight hits in the four-run second, all with two out. In fact, eight of the Giants' runs scored with two out, something they struggled to do many times during the regular season.

Every position player except for Reggie Sanders, recorded at least one hit, and that made it easier to absorb Kirk Rueter's high-wire act. The lefty rebounded from his awful start in the Division Series, but he did allow five runs in five innings and was one big hit away from disaster throughout the night.

Still, that's how the far-from-overpowering Rueter has won a lot of games throughout his career, and he pitched just well enough to retain his perfect record in St. Louis. His next start would likely be Game 5 in San Francisco, where he went 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA this season.

The Cardinals, like just about everyone in baseball, have no clue how to handle Barry Bonds. Walk him, and Benito Santiago has proven he can make you pay, as he did twice Wednesday with an RBI single and a two-run homer. Allow Bonds to hit, and he can obviously do the kind of damage he did with a two-run triple in the second.

The teams also added a splash of bad blood with the bench-clearing pushing match following Kenny Lofton's umbrage at an inside pitch, adding another intriguing subplot to the series.

Taking Game 1 obviously is a boost for the Giants, but the way both teams played Wednesday, this series likely will be a long, hard-fought battle.

Chris Shuttlesworth is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.