CINCINNATI -- If the grind of a long season were going to wear anybody down, odds are it would be David Eckstein, St. Louis' 5-foot-7, 165-pound shortstop.

But Eckstein isn't showing any signs of fatigue. If anything, he seems to be getting stronger. The 30-year-old five-year veteran took a six-game hitting streak into Thursday night's three-game series finale against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Eckstein, who was acquired from the Angels in the offseason, has hit .360 (9-for-25) with a home run during the streak, and he's gotten at least one hit in 23 of his past 25 games while hitting .396 (40-for-101) over that span. His 67 hits since Aug. 1 are the most of any player in Major League Baseball.

"I feel good," Eckstein said. "Everything is good. One of the things I try to do is prepare myself. I make sure to get my rest."

Just not very often. Eckstein's start against the Reds on Thursday was his 146th in St. Louis' 154 games, and he'd made an additional four appearances off the bench to leave him virtually guaranteed of matching, if not surpassing, the career-high 153 games he played in during his rookie season with Anaheim in 2001.

Leave me in, Coach: Most managers of teams that have clinched playoff berths would have taken out their top hitter after he suffered a minor ankle injury -- especially since he's already wearing enough wrapping to cover two seasons' worth of bumps and bruises.

Albert Pujols wasn't having any of it. He stayed in Wednesday's game against the Reds despite rolling his right ankle while rounding first base on his third hit and second double.

"He's one of those players who, even when it's not easy, he's not asking out of there," manager Tony La Russa said. "That sends a strong message to everybody else."

Pujols has been playing with a sore right leg and foot and a problem with his side. Despite his injuries, he went into Thursday's game tied with Chicago's Derrek Lee for the lead in the race for the National League batting championship. They both were hitting .337 after Lee went 1-for-4 in the Cubs' win over the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon at Milwaukee.

This and that: Outfielder Larry Walker returned to St. Louis to get a fourth cortisone shot in his neck Thursday. He is expected to rejoin the team when it returns to St. Louis to face Houston on Tuesday. ... Team owner William DeWitt Jr., who lives in Greater Cincinnati, treated the entire Cardinals traveling party to dinner at Morton's of Chicago Steakhouse in downtown Cincinnati after Wednesday's game.

Today in Busch Stadium history: In 1985, Tommy Herr hit a two-run walk-off home run to give the Cardinals a 6-5 win over the Montreal Expos. Coupled with a loss by the Mets, the Cardinals extended their lead over New York in the NL East Division to three games on their way to a second NL pennant in four years. Thanks to Retrosheet.org for the information.

Coming up: Right-hander Chris Carpenter will try to stay perfect against the NL Central as St. Louis opens a three-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee. Carpenter is 12-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 16 starts against division opponents. He will be making his third attempt at his 22nd win of the season.