ST. LOUIS — Daylong rain caused Game 5 of the NL championship series between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets to be postponed last night.

The game was rescheduled for 8:19 p.m. EDT tonight at Busch Stadium. The teams are tied at two games each in the best-of-seven series.

For the second time in the NLCS, the teams will travel without a day off. They’ll play Game 6 at Shea Stadium in New York tomorrow night, as scheduled.

Tom Glavine (15-7) of the Mets and Jeff Weaver (5–4) of the Cardinals both had been scheduled to start yesterday on three days’ rest. St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter is slated to start Game 6 on tomorrow against rookie John Maine.

The Mets even the series by winning 12–5 Sunday night. Last Wednesday’s NLCS opener in New York was rained out, pushing back the start of the series and forcing the first four games to be played without a day off.

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If it appears that Albert Pujols jogs to first base on occasion, there’s a good reason.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ star has been nursing a right hamstring injury for several weeks and is under orders to run under control.The Cardinals’ manager, Tony La Russa, said the injury also has affected Pujols’ ability to drive the ball.

“He doesn’t have that big power push,” La Russa said.”He’s not going to be generating as much power, but he can still generate base hits. Just got to be careful running.”

Pujols, the reigning NL MVP and one of the favorites to win it again, is 4-for-14 in the NLCS with one double and no RBIs. He’s been bothered by hamstring problems in the past, but La Russa said this injury was “a little more serious” and one that will improve only with rest.

That means Pujols will play impaired until the season is over.

“Mostly I mentioned it so when people watch him running I don’t have to answer questions later on about him jogging,” La Russa said. “You probably noticed he’s laboring when he runs.”