to reach that milestone (behind Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews) and the second-fastest to reach it (behind Kiner). In 161 games, Pujols batted .330 (second to Derrek Lee's .335 average) with 195 hits (fourth behind Lee, Miguel Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins), 38 doubles, 41 home runs (third, behind Andruw Jones' 51 and Lee's 46), 117 RBI's (tied with Burrell for second behind Jones' 128), and 129 runs scored (first in the league). For the first time in his career, he won the NL MVP award as Bonds was limited to 14 games due to an injury. Pujols returned to the playoffs as the Cardinals won the NL Central for the second year in a row. He had five hits in nine at-bats with four runs scored and two RBI in the NLDS as the Cardinals swept the Padres. In Game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros, with the Cardinals trailing by two runs and only one out from elimination in the ninth inning, Pujols hit a game-winning three-run home run against Brad Lidge that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park. The Cardinals won 5–4. MLB.com writer Matthew Leach later called it "one of the most famous playoff home runs in recent years." Nevertheless, the Cardinals were eliminated in Game 6 by the Astros. Pujols batted .304 with two home runs and six RBI in the series. Continued success and first World Series (2006–2008) Over two games in April 2006, Pujols hit home runs in four consecutive plate appearances, making him the 20th player to accomplish the feat. Pujols maintained after the game that he was more concerned with winning than the numbers: "I don't look at numbers," he said. "I don't know. I didn't know anything about [the record] until you guys brought it up. Because that's not me. I don't get locked in on numbers. I don't get locked in on anything like that. I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping my team out to win and hopefully doing some damage out there." Pujols had three hits and four RBI, including his 1,000th career hit (a home run against Jerome Williams), as the Cardinals defeated the Cubs 9–3 on April 21, 2006. On June 4, he was placed on the disabled list (DL) for the first time in his career with a strained right oblique that kept him out