So we arrived at twilight Sunday expecting to see a sedate little opera, and instead we got Tommy.

Nine home runs - a Dodger Stadium record. And using your Dr. Hindsight goggles, you can see how it would happen. The vestiges of a warm, humid week. Odalis Perez pitching like a pyromaniac, Woody Williams flaunting his lead like a lottery-winner tipping with hundreds.

Most of all, you realize that the St. Louis Cardinals are more like Coors Field than Coors Field itself. They're like a high-altitude road show - snowflake pitching backed by an avalanche lineup.

Albert Pujols - forget it. And Scott Rolen - boy, did I underestimate him when the Rolen-to-Dodgers rumors flew last year. Sunday night, Pujols and Rolen scored six runs on three hits.

And Edgar Renteria - their shortstop, batting fifth - I now get Edgar Renteria. He puts up great numbers on offense and backs it by fielding like a dreamboat.

Not that the Dodgers didn't put on a show of their own, but you have to put in context with their opponent. I guarantee that when the Rockies arrive in town today, the offensive fireworks will defuse. I'm so confident, I'm not even going to look up statistics that will support my case and make it more credible to you, the discerning reader :)