While Harden (4-1, 1.50 ERA) is not suffering from any particular injury, the club had planned since the time they traded for him in July to rest the right-hander late in the season based on his history of arm troubles.

Harden, who failed to earn a decision in a 3-2 win over Philadelphia on Aug. 29, was limited to seven games in 2007 and nine in 2006 because of elbow problems. The Cubs wanted to make sure he would be available as they try for a second straight trip to the postseason.

"I'm fine with having a few extra days," Harden told the Cubs' official Web site. "I knew I was going to skip one start. I feel good."

Harden allowed one earned run and three hits in five innings of his last start and makes his first appearance against St. Louis since 2004 while with Oakland.

The Cubs (87-58) could use another strong start after Ted Lilly pitched eight solid innings in their 4-3 win over St. Louis on Wednesday to even the three-game set. It was the second win in 10 games for Chicago, which still leads the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over Milwaukee.

"We came out with a lot of intensity and we've just got to maintain it for nine innings," said Chicago manager Lou Piniella, whose team did all its scoring in the second inning, then overcame a two-run Ryan Ludwick homer in the ninth. "It's been a little bit of a struggle but we came out with four runs and our pitching made it hold up."

Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano each had two hits and an RBI on Wednesday for the Cubs, who won for the 15th time in 19 road games. Ramirez is batting .444 (8-for-18) over his last four contests and .364 (12-for-33) with eight RBIs in nine games versus the Cardinals this season.

St. Louis (78-67), meanwhile, had its three-game winning streak snapped while dropping 4 1/2 games behind the Brewers for the wild card and falling into fourth place in the Central for the first time this season.

Pujols had two hits and is batting .400 (16-for-40) with 10 RBIs in 11 games versus the Cubs this season. Pujols, batting .362 and trailing Chipper Jones (.363) for the NL batting title, has become with Ludwick the only current power options for the Cardinals.

Troy Glaus will miss at least a handful of games because of a strained right shoulder, Rick Ankiel could play sparingly due to a lingering abdominal injury and catcher Yadier Molina left Wednesday's game with thigh injury following a collision at the plate with Lilly.

With the Cardinals' lineup in flux, they'll hope for a quality outing from Todd Wellemeyer (12-6, 3.74), who avoided a third straight loss by allowing three runs and five hits in eight innings of a 5-3 victory over Florida on Saturday.

"I felt good," Wellemeyer told the Cardinals' official Web site. "Every year I've played, I feel stronger in September than any other month. It seems to be the same case (this year)."

A former Cub, the right-hander is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts versus Chicago this season.