ATLANTA — As the strengths that kept them grounded all season shifted beneath their feet and slipped from their grip, the most inconsistent part of the Cardinals’ game, the one they could count on the least all summer, came to their rescue Thursday in the nick of the ninth.

Playoff rookie Marcell Ozuna and Kolten Wong each swatted a two-run double to take and widen the Cardinals’ lead in what became a 7-6 victory over Atlanta in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

When the Cardinals’ defense, the rock on which they built a contender, quaked early at SunTrust Park for a couple of errors, the offense came through late to overcome those mistakes. When closer Carlos Martinez fumed and teetered toward tilt in the ninth, the offense gave him just enough cushion to tempt trouble, twice. The anchor that restrained them all season from sailing away in the division, the lineup kept them steady in the choppiest of games.

“We’ve got what you need,” starter Miles Mikolas said. “We need some runs. We got runs. We need some defense. We got some defense. We need some timely outs, pitching-wise? We need punch-outs. We got punch-outs.

“St. Louis Cardinals,” he added with an adman’s flair. “We have got what you need.”