Drew, Arizona's leadoff hitter, is batting .364 (39-for-107) with four homers, 16 RBIs and 21 runs over the last 25 home games, going hitless only once in that span. The Diamondbacks (70-67), however, have dropped 13 of those contests despite Drew hitting .386 (22-for-57) with three homers, six RBIs and nine runs in the losing efforts.

Arizona, which leads the division by 2 1/2 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers, was sure not to waste Drew's effort Monday, beating the Cardinals 8-6 as the shortstop went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, and a solo homer. He became the third Diamondbacks player to hit for the cycle in the franchise's 11-year history. Luis Gonzalez did it on July 5, 2000, at Houston and Greg Colbrunn did it on Sept. 18, 2002, at San Diego.

"It seems like he gets a good at-bat every time up," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "Five hits, cycle, the whole bit-it's certainly going to be a day that he's going to remember. You don't get too many like this. It'll be one of the most exciting offensive days of his life."

Drew is 14-for-39 (.359) with two homers, five RBIs and seven runs in his last 10 games against the Cardinals (74-64), and Arizona has taken seven consecutive home matchups from them.

A former Cardinal helped the Diamondbacks extend that run Monday, as newcomer David Eckstein went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including driving in the eventual winning run in the seventh inning, a day after being acquired from Toronto. The infielder helped St. Louis win the 2006 World Series, four years after playing a key role in the Los Angeles Angels' only championship.

"You come some place new and you want to go out there and do something for them," Eckstein told the team's official Web site. "Every game is so important, especially once you start the month of September."

The Diamondbacks, though, will have to contend with Adam Wainwright (7-3, 3.04 ERA), who is looking to help the Cardinals snap a four-game slide. Monday's loss kept St. Louis 6 1/2 games behind Milwaukee for the NL wild card.

Wainwright will now try to reduce that deficit after going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts since missing nearly 11 weeks with a sprained right middle finger.

The right-hander was solid Wednesday, allowing three runs - two earned - and eight hits in six innings while not getting a decision in a 5-3 win over Milwaukee.

Wainwright is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks.

Yusmeiro Petit (3-3, 2.83) starts for Arizona after he allowed one run and two hits in six innings of a 7-1 win over Florida on Aug. 23. That performance came after the right-hander yielded two runs and four hits in seven innings of an 11-5 win at Houston on Aug. 16.

Petit is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in two games - one start - against St. Louis.