Even with Albert Pujols enjoying another phenomenal season, the St. Louis Cardinals are on the fringes of playoff contention. It's hard to imagine where they'd be without Pujols.
With little margin for error if they wish to reach the postseason, Pujols and the Cardinals try to win consecutive games for the first time in more than two weeks when they conclude their three-game series against the Florida Marlins on Sunday at Busch Stadium.
After dropping Friday night's series opener 4-1 -- their sixth loss in seven games -- the Cardinals bounced back Saturday with a 5-3 victory. Pujols' two-run homer in the first inning -- his 31st of 2008 -- gave St. Louis an early lead, and he also scored a go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.
The win kept the Cardinals (76-66) within six games of the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL wild card lead with 20 games remaining for both clubs. To reach the postseason, St. Louis would also need to pass Philadelphia, which trails Milwaukee by 4½ games.
Pujols, who has batted .314 or higher with at least 30 home runs in each of his eight seasons, kept his major league-leading average at .360 with a 1-for-3 performance. The first baseman has been especially phenomenal in recent weeks, batting .464 (32-for-69) in his last 18 games while erupting for seven homers, 10 doubles, 18 RBIs and a .913 slugging percentage.
"The last two months of this season has been the best that I've swung the bat since 2006," Pujols said. "Last year was a little up and down. I couldn't find myself at the plate, where I feel right now.
"The last six weeks, I'm driving the ball the other way. I feel great at the plate, seeing the ball better."
The Cardinals are 34-18 this season when Pujols drives in at least one run, and 36-40 in all other games.
"If you love this game, you love excellence," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "You love to watch him play. Don't take him for granted. It really is a treat."
Pujols has never faced Josh Johnson (4-0, 3.25 ERA), who seeks to remain unbeaten Sunday when he faces St. Louis for the first time in his career.
Johnson did not pitch in the majors until July 10 after undergoing right elbow surgery. He's been excellent since his return, yielding three runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts.
The right-hander did not factor in the decision of Monday's 4-3 victory over Atlanta, although he turned in his sixth consecutive quality start. Johnson allowed three runs and nine hits over six innings while striking out eight for the second consecutive outing.
He'll try to help the Marlins (72-70) bounce back after they failed in a bid for their first three-game winning streak since the All-Star break. Florida is in third place in the NL East, 7½ games behind the front-running New York Mets and 5½ games back of the second-place Phillies.
Like Johnson, the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright (8-3, 2.97) is undefeated since coming off the disabled list. Wainwright, who spent more than two months on the DL with a sprained middle finger on his pitching hand, is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts since his return.
The right-hander got credit for a 8-2 win at Arizona on Tuesday, when he limited the Diamondbacks to one run and three hits over 5 1-3 innings.
Wainwright has no decisions and a 2.00 ERA in three career appearances versus Florida, including one start.