ST. LOUIS — The monthly records of the St. Louis Cardinals read like the yearly win-loss marks of a solid, dependable starting pitcher:

March-April: 15-14.

May: 15-12.

June: 14-13.

July: 13-11.

August: 16-13.

Such a pitcher might not stand out, but he would reliably keep his team in games. So it has been with these Cardinals. For five months, while the Milwaukee Brewers sat atop the National League Central, the Cardinals lurked in their shadow. They never took the lead on their own, but they always had a chance.

“This team, they’ve been there before, and they knew if they could keep it close, the games that matter are the late August and September games,” said reliever Pat Neshek, a newcomer this season. “That’s what we kind of said all year: ‘Let’s keep it close and not panic.’ We stayed close.”

The Cardinals won the World Series in 2011, a wild card in 2012 and the N.L. pennant last season. Widely perceived as the division favorites this season, they entered the weekend in first place, right where they had expected. But the path there was steady, not soaring.

Just as the Brewers wilted, the Cardinals finally got hot, winning 12 of 16 games through last Sunday. It fueled hope that the team could finally be peaking at a time of year when it always seems to play well.