(Sports Network) - One reason the Chicago Cubs emerged at the top of the National League Central was their outstanding play at home this year. Though they will be back in October, Chicago plays in front of its home crowd for the last time of this regular season with today's finale of a three-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

Chicago is an NL-best 54-26 as the host this year, the most home wins the club has had in a single season since posting a club-record 56 in 1935. Though they won't get a chance to match that record, the Cubs gave their fans everything they could have hoped for in Saturday's 5-4 win that clinched the Cubs' second straight NL Central title.

Alfonso Soriano had a two-run single and Ted Lilly pitched his club into the postseason with seven solid frames for Chicago, which has won back-to-back division crowns for the first time in franchise history and will now aim for its first World Series title since 1908.

The Cubs, who didn't clinch the NL Central last year until September 28, were swept in three games by Arizona in last year's NLDS.

Chicago will try for one last home win before closing the season with seven games on the road. The Cubs lead all NL teams in home batting average (.290), runs scored (449) and home runs (106).

The Cardinals, meanwhile, fell to 2-6 on a nine-game road trip that wraps today. St. Louis then returns home for its final seven tests of the season.

Joel Pineiro allowed five runs -- three earned -- on six hits in six frames to take the loss for St. Louis, which had won two straight after a seven-game losing streak.

The Cardinals made things interesting with a four-run sixth, highlighted by Troy Glaus' three-run homer, but couldn't pull off the comeback. With eight games to play, St. Louis trails the Mets by six games in the NL wild-card race with several teams ahead of it.

Albert Pujols went 0-for-3 yesterday and is hitting just .207 (6-for-29) on the swing. His average fell nine points from the start of the trip to its finale (.360 to .351), but he is still second in the majors in batting average behind only Atlanta's Chipper Jones (.362).

Ryan Dempster starts for the Cubs after setting a new career-high for wins in a season last time out.

Dempster improved to 16-6 with a 3.02 earned run average after holding Milwaukee to a pair of runs on seven hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. He was a 15-game winner with Florida in 2001.

The 31-year-old righty is 5-5 with 15 saves and a 4.81 ERA in 36 career tests against the Cardinals, 10 of those starts, and is 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA in two starts against them this year.

Right-hander Braden Looper counters for St. Louis, but has lost his last three decisions, including last Tuesday's test versus the Reds in which he allowed four runs on six hits over seven innings.

Looper is 12-13 with a 4.06 ERA this season and 3-5 with four saves and a 2.37 ERA in 39 career tests against the Cubs. Seven of those have been starts for the 33-year-old.

Chicago leads the season series by an 8-6 margin.