This time, there was no waiting for Albert Pujols. There was no putting too much on the starting pitcher. The Cardinals got contributions from everybody -- including the grounds crew -- as they beat the Rockies, 7-4, at Busch Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The reigning National League Central champions have the luxury of the league's best player, and at least arguably the deepest starting rotation around, but in order to win 100-plus games again, they need more. On Wednesday, they got it.

In a true team victory, the Cardinals got at least one base hit from eight different players and at least one out from six different pitchers. Seven of the eight starting position players either scored a run or drove one in. The eighth, leadoff man David Eckstein, had three base hits.

Mind you, Pujols hit his Major League-leading 18th home run in the first inning to start the scoring, and Jeff Suppan (4-2) pitched five innings to win his fourth straight start. Pujols also paces the Majors with 43 RBIs, and his 35 runs scored are best in the National League.

The constants were there. But so were several other elements. Backup catcher Gary Bennett chipped in an RBI double. Encarnacion's homer was key, turning a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 edge.

The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada, the culmination of the sport's postseason each October.