ST. LOUIS -- Through all the ups and down that 2020 brought to the Cardinals, they never lost sight of their goal: Make the playoffs. Even in their most daunting stretch -- six doubleheaders over 14 days earlier this month -- they pushed forward with their postseason chances in mind.

They’ve accomplished that goal, but it was clear Sunday that they don’t want to just have made it. They are heading to San Diego to face the Padres in the best-of-three Wild Card Series, and hoping to move on to the National League Division Series in Arlington, Texas.

“We all know from last year, from years past, once you get in, anything can happen,” center fielder Harrison Bader said. “I think having something to play for, and in reality, we have nothing to lose because of how far we’ve come, I think this group goes to dangerous places. I’m so excited to see how it plays out on the field. I can’t wait.”

How do they advance out of the Wild Card Series?
Here’s how the pitching could line up for the first round: Jack Flaherty for Game 1 and Adam Wainwright -- who owns a career 2.81 postseason ERA -- for Game 2. Kwang Hyun Kim would be ready to take on Game 3, if needed, with Austin Gomber and Daniel Ponce de Leon available to step in whenever they’re needed as spot starters or long-inning relievers. The Cardinals' pitching depth is what will carry them out of the Wild Card Series, even against that mighty Padres lineup. Even if the rotation falters, their bullpen can back it up with high-leverage relievers like Génesis Cabrera, Alex Reyes, Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley and Andrew Miller.

What does the blueprint for a championship run look like?
The Cardinals have the pitching and defense to win a World Series championship, but the third aspect of the game will be their key: offense. With their pitching good enough to win close games, the way to a championship will be through the offense for St. Louis.

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Paul Goldschmidt (.304/.417/.466 with a .883 OPS) has largely carried this team offensively, but he won’t be able to do it alone in the postseason. Hitters like Paul DeJong and Matt Carpenter are crucial to the offense clicking because they can provide Goldschmidt protection when they’re hot. Dylan Carlson can also be a rookie sparkplug to this lineup, and in the past week, he’s looked more comfortable than ever at the batter’s box. The question will be: Can they string enough rallies together to support the pitching?

What is one reason for concern?
You guessed it: The offense. The Cardinals hit .234 this season with six active players hitting .220 or below. They could get runners on base -- their .323 on-base percentage ranked 14th in the Majors -- but they struggled to bring runners home when they got on base. The Cardinals also struggled to do any kind of damage at the plate. Their .371 slugging percentage ranked 27th in the Majors, above the Mariners (.370), Rangers (.364) and Pirates (.357).

There is a case to be made that the offense struggled in part because of fatigue, both mentally and physically, thanks to the Cardinals' schedule. They still managed to win enough games to make the postseason. Now they’re on a “normal” schedule -- in that they don’t have any more doubleheaders to worry about, and they get two days off before the start of the Wild Card Series.

Will it help to reset? The Cardinals hope so.

“I think [the fatigue] was enormous, but it just shows you the strength of this team,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “I think the most remarkable thing is we actually have two days off now. We haven’t had that since we were sick. I think everybody is excited to take a deep breath and ultimately take on our next challenge. I think to reflect on the strength of this team, clearly their mental toughness and ability to adapt and adjust is remarkable.”