ST. LOUIS – Braden Looper never wants to go back to the bullpen. Showing off his stamina down the stretch may help persuade the St. Louis Cardinals.

In his first year in the rotation, Looper has been a reliable presence, ranking second on the team with 12 victories and second with 153 2-3 innings. The innings total is more than twice the workload the last two seasons for the former closer and setup man, who entered the year with 572 career relief appearance and zero starts.

Looper’s role next year was a bigger topic earlier in the season, before his latest surge.

“I definitely want to start,” he said. “I’m having a lot of fun, I love the challenge, and that’s what I want to do.”

Fatigue was probably a factor in the middle of the year, when the right-hander hit a rut. Looper (12-10, 4.45) had never thrown more than 86 innings in any of eight full major league seasons.

Lately, Looper has been on top of his game, working seven scoreless innings in each of his last two starts.

He feels as strong as the results, strong enough to pitch the eighth in a victory over the Reds on Sunday although the Cardinals elected to conserve him for his next outing. He’s the best in the National League in day games, going 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA.

“I don’t want to say it’s surprising, but I didn’t think I’d feel this good going down the stretch run,” Looper said. “I figured I’d be worn down a little bit, but I feel great.”

After going 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in April, Looper’s monthly ERA was unsightly at 5.35, 8.82 and 5.40 in May, June and July. Last month he was 3-2 with a 4.08 ERA.

“I’ve definitely got my rear handed to me some,” he said. “I kind of had a hump I had to get over, and what that hump was I don’t remember, but I think ever since then I feel great physically.”

The Cardinals want to keep it that way. The biggest reason they’re considering a six-man rotation this month is not because they’re loaded with arms, but to give extra days of rest to Looper and Adam Wainwright, the de facto ace and in his first year as a starter.

Mark Mulder makes his first start in nearly a year on Wednesday and Mike Maroth will be plugged into the rotation on Thursday, after a stint on the 15-day disabled list from elbow tendinitis, although the experiment could be on hold after Kip Wells’ latest failure.

Wells lasted only 3 1-3 innings in an 11-0 loss to the Pirates on Monday and has a 10.80 ERA his last three appearances.

“All I can tell you is we’re talking about it,” Manager Tony La Russa said. “We are concerned about his last few starts, and we are getting down to the end.”

Wells left his start on Monday to boos from the home fans, who also gave La Russa a huge cheer when he emerged from the dugout to make the change.

Side sessions between starts have been crucial to Looper’s surge. Earlier in the year he used them to hone his mechanics, and lately he’s reduced his throws at the suggestion of pitching coach Dave Duncan.

It was Duncan who first suggested last winter that Looper might have a future in the rotation. The Cardinals were hurting for starters at the time after losing Jeff Suppan, Jason Marquis and Jeff Weaver to free agency.

The move has allowed Looperto expand his repertoire and utilize his conditioning.