(My Sportsbook) - With August already upon us, every game from here on out is vital for the playoff-hungry St. Louis Cardinals.

The club is battered and bruised right now and sits tied with the Milwaukee Brewers at five games behind the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the National League Central division. St. Louis and Milwaukee are also even for the NL wild card lead, but it could have been a lot different had the Cardinals not been recently swept in four games by the Brewers from July 21-24 at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis, though, rebounded by going 4-3 on a seven-game road trip against the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. The Cards just missed sweeping the Braves in a four-game road series for the first time since the 1946 season and had their three-game win streak come to an end in Thursday's series finale.

But now the Cardinals return home to face the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies and the revamped Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez before the MLB trade deadline. So the next few days will be tough ones for St. Louis and its faithful fans because Philly is in the midst of a three-team battle for division supremacy, while the Dodgers are just two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West lead.

The Cardinals have a solid rotation and are grateful for the return of Chris Carpenter. They are still waiting for fellow starter Adam Wainwright to get better from an injured finger, however, and will send Kyle Lohse, Braden Looper and Todd Wellemeyer to the mound this weekend versus the Phils. Carpenter gave the Cardinals hope for a playoff push when he tossed four innings of one-run ball in a 7-2 win over the Braves Wednesday evening.

Carpenter, the NL Cy Young Award winner in 2005, made his first start since Opening Day of last season after recovering from ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow. The seasoned Carpenter and the inevitable return of Wainwright will give the Cardinals a significant boost in their quest for a fourth Central division title in five years. Carpenter is expected to start again Tuesday against Ramirez and the Dodgers.

While the Cardinals were not able to pull any strings before the trade deadline, the return of Wainwright will feel almost like a recent acquisition. Wainwright has been on the disabled list since early June with a sprained middle finger on his right hand and tossed a bullben session at Turner Field on Thursday. He is expected to make another bullpen stint before taking part in a simulated game at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. He has been throwing a lot of breaking balls to test the strength of his finger.

The former first-round pick of the Braves in 2000 had won three of four starts before being shelved, and is 6-3 with a 3.14 earned run average in 13 starts this season. Wainwright could be back in the rotation in a few weeks, just in time for a playoff push.

NEWS NOT GOOD FOR DUNCAN

Cardinals outfielder/first baseman Chris Duncan is still sidelined with a pinched nerve in his neck, and landed on the disabled list July 22 with the problem.

According to a St. Louis news website, sources have classified Duncan's injury as a herniated disc which will most likely require surgery. Duncan has been receiving injections for the pain and may opt for a corrective procedure.

Duncan is batting .248 with six homers and 27 RBI this season.

In other injury news, outfielder Rick Ankiel has not started the past five games because of a lower abdominal strain. Ankiel is having difficulty running and has been used only as a pinch-hitter of late. He is currently listed as questionable for the upcoming series against Philly.

Ankiel has a .282 batting average, six homers and 27 runs batted in this season.

Also, outfielder Skip Schumaker left Wednesday's game with a hamstring cramp and did not play on Thursday. Schumaker is hitting .302 with six home runs and 33 RBI in 2008.

WHO'S HOT

Future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols is riding a six-game hitting streak in which he owns three homers and 11 RBI.

Pujols finished 5-for-13 during the four-game series against the Braves, and batted .400 on the recent seven-game road trip.

WHO'S NOT

Starting pitcher Joel Pineiro is just 1-3 over his last 14 starts, and has given up 10 hits in four consecutive games. The righty has allowed 10 or more hits in six of his previous seven trips to the mound.

Pineiro has also permitted three or more runs in four straight appearances.

ON DECK

The last time St. Louis played at Busch Stadium it was picking up the pieces of a four-game sweep at the hands of the rival Brewers. Now the Cardinals will try for redemption when they welcome Philadelphia and Los Angeles to the Gateway City.

Manager Tony La Russa's ballclub is 30-25 as the host this season. After the homestand the Cardinals will open a 10-game road trip against the Cubs, Marlins and Reds.