Starlin Castro's lean-back at home plate could go down as a defining image for this new Cubs-Cardinals rivalry.
These young Cubs are coming after the division and they are not going away anytime soon, just like Castro refused to go away after being benched and losing his post as the team's starting shortstop.
Castro had the game of his life Friday as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 8-3 in front of 40,846 fans at Wrigley Field.
The embattled infielder crushed two homers and drove in six runs as the Cubs moved within six games of the Cardinals in the National League Central.
[MORE: Redemption: Starlin Castro has the game of his life for Cubs]
With only a little over two weeks left in the season, can the Cubs really catch St. Louis?
"Anything's possible," Kris Bryant said. "We went on a run earlier in August and won a lot of games. We gotta control what we can control. That's how we play. We can't really control what they do.
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"It sure would be nice to win the division."
Bryant said the Cubs' confidence is as high as it can be after taking three of four in Pittsburgh and now the series opener against the Cardinals.
The day after Chris Coghlan's slide made national news by taking Pirates rookie of the year shortstop Jung Ho Kang out of the pennant race, the Cubs again showed their edge when Anthony Rizzo started marching out toward the mound after being hit by a pitch for the second time on the afternoon.
After the game, Cubs manager Joe Maddon absolutely laid into the Cardinals and their way of "policing" things like hit-by-pitches.
"I just want them to know this: We're not going to take that. Very simple," Maddon said.
[NBC SHOP: Gear up, Cubs fans!]
The Cubs made a statement down in St. Louis last week by winning the first two games of the series before blowing a lead in the third game.
Now, they're off to a good start with the Cardinals in town for the last showdown of the season between these two teams.
"We're trying to surpass them," Maddon said. "We gotta get Pittsburgh, then we go after [the Cardinals]. I don't want anybody thinking, 'Oh, let's just make the playoffs,' or 'Let's just be a wild card team.'
"I don't want that thought at all. That's the kind of thought that gets you in trouble. You just keep shooting for the top of the ladder. That's what I want our focus to be."