Houston Astros 2004 NLCS
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Houston Astros
Wild Card Champion 92-70 |
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St. Louis Cardinals
NL Central Champions 105-57 |
While the Astros must have felt joy and relief by finally winning their first postseason series, they came into the next round with few people expecting them to have much of a chance against the Cardinals. For good reason. St. Louis had a heart of the lineup each with 30 or more homers and 110 or more RBIs. All batted above .300.
The big bat was first baseman Albert Pujols, the league's most feared hitter not named Barry Bonds. Pujols slammed 46 homers and drove in 123 while hitting .331. He was supported by center fielder Jim Edmonds (.301, 42, 111) and third baseman Scott Rolen (.314, 34, 124). Late season acquisition Larry Walker gave the Redbirds four big bats to challenge any starting pitcher.
On the mound, St. Louis had a quartet of 15-game winners with Chris Carpenter (15-5) joined by Jason Marquis (15-7), Matt Morris (15-10) and Jeff Suppan (16-9). Jason Isringhausen saved 47 games to lead a deep bullpen. Manager Tony LaRussa was considered among the best managers in the game.
Houston could depend on their two aces, Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens, to give the Astros some hope but with Andy Pettitte and Wade Miller both long out of action, the team had to scrap to find starting pitching for the rest of the rotation. It a hard-fought series, the Astros extended the Cardinals to the limit and had them on the ropes but couldn't close the deal.
Game 1 at St. Louis - Cardinals 10, Astros 7
Wednesday, October 13th
Game 1 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 - 7 13 1
St. Louis 2 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 x -10 12 0
Win - Williams. Loss - Qualls. Save - Isringhausen.
HR - Beltran, Berkman, Kent, Lamb, Pujols.
Time - 3:15. Attendance - 52,323.
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ST. LOUIS - Chad Qualls kept waiting for the break that never arrived. If somebody had told him he would be terrorized by the slugging St. Louis Cardinals, he would have expected line drives off the walls or in the gaps.
Qualls never could have imagined a slew of broken-bat singles or slow rollers. But that's how the Cardinals toppled the Astros 10-7 Wednesday night at Busch Stadium in Game 1 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series. The Cardinals dumped and placed the ball everywhere the Astros weren't while taking control with a six-run rally in the sixth. On a night the Astros got two-run homers from Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman and a solo shot from Mike Lamb, the wild-card Astros didn't have nearly enough relief or luck to compete with the NL Central champions. "Well, I mean, you could possibly say luck (was the key)," said the Cardinals' Larry Walker, who was 3-for-5 with a triple, a double, one RBI and three runs. "We had a lot of cheap hits." Brought in to protect Brandon Backe's 4-3 lead with two outs in the fifth, Qualls let St. Louis tie the score at 4 before a sellout crowd of 52,323. After Kent gave the Astros a 4-2 lead with a two-run homer off Woody Williams in the fourth, Williams helped his cause in the fifth with a one-out double to right field. Walker drove him in with a broken-bat double to left. Backe pitched around Albert Pujols and walked him on five pitches before Astros manager Phil Garner called on Qualls. Scott Rolen, who had not collected a hit in the postseason, greeted Qualls with an RBI single through the left side to tie the score at four. Qualls struck out Jim Edmonds to end the inning, but he couldn't get out of the sixth. Edgar Renteria led off with a single up the middle. Reggie Sanders followed with a broken-bat infield single over the mound. After Mike Matheny sacrificed, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa used Roger Cedeņo to hit for Williams. Cedeņo gave the Cardinals a 5-4 lead with an RBI dribbler that Jeff Bagwell fielded near the first-base line for the second out. Tony Womack kept the inning alive with an RBI single up the middle and stole second. Walker dumped an infield single into the hole at short. Jose Vizcaino fielded the ball on a hop and made an errant, one-hop throw that Bagwell couldn't dig out of the dirt. Womack scored on the error, giving the Cardinals a 7-4 lead. Qualls was finally pulled after walking Pujols. Chad Harville took over and walked Rolen on five pitches to load the bases for Edmonds, who ripped a three-run double to right. "One through nine, they're solid," Harville said. "You have to go out there and make the guys put the ball in play. I came in and walked Rolen and loaded the bases and gave up that double. I was trying to pitch Rolen tough, and Edmonds got a big hit." Berkman's two-run homer off Ray King cut the Cardinals' lead to 10-6 in the eighth, and Lamb's homer prompted La Russa to call on his closer, Jason Isringhausen, for the final out. But the contest had essentially been decided in the sixth. "They're a tough team," Bagwell said. "They got hits in the right spot. They had the big double by Edmonds. They're a hell of an offensive team." Box Score ST. LOUIS (10) vs HOUSTON (7) - FINAL HOU 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 - 7 10 1 STL 2 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 x - 10 12 0 HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 5 1 2 0 0 1 Beltran cf 5 2 2 2 0 1 Bagwell 1b 3 0 0 0 1 2 Berkman rf 4 2 1 2 0 1 Kent 2b 4 1 1 2 0 1 Everett ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ensberg 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 Vizcaino ss,2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 Ausmus c 4 0 0 0 0 2 Backe p 2 0 0 0 0 1 Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Harville p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Palmeiro ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lamb ph 1 1 1 1 0 0 Totals 37 7 10 7 1 9 FIELDING - DP: 1. Ensberg-Kent-Bagwell. E: Vizcaino (1). BATTING - 2B: Palmeiro (1,off Calero); Biggio (1,off Tavarez). HR: Beltran (1,1st inning off Williams 1 on 0 out); Kent (1,4th inning off Williams 1 on 1 out); Berkman (1,8th inning off King 1 on 1 out); Lamb (1,9th inning off Tavarez 0 on 2 out). Team LOB: 4. ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 5 1 1 1 0 1 Walker rf 5 3 3 1 0 1 Pujols 1b 3 2 2 2 2 1 Rolen 3b 4 1 1 1 1 2 Edmonds cf 3 0 2 3 0 1 Renteria ss 3 1 1 0 1 1 Sanders lf 4 1 1 0 0 2 Matheny c 3 0 0 0 0 2 Williams p 2 1 1 0 0 0 Cedeno ph 1 0 0 1 0 0 Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anderson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Haren p 0 0 0 0 0 0 King p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 34 10 12 9 4 11 BATTING - 2B: Williams (1,off Backe); Walker (1,off Backe); Edmonds (1,off Harville). 3B: Walker (1,off Backe). HR: Pujols (1,1st inning off Backe 1 on 1 out). SH: Matheny (1,off Qualls). HBP: Edmonds (1,by Backe). Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING - SB: Womack (1,2nd base off Qualls/Ausmus). PITCHING HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Backe 4.2 5 4 4 2 6 1 Qualls L(0-1) 1 5 5 5 1 1 0 Harville 0.1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Wheeler 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Totals 8 12 10 10 4 11 1 HBP: Backe (1,Edmonds). ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Williams W(1-0) 6 4 4 4 1 5 2 Calero 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Haren 0.1 1 1 1 0 1 0 King 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 1 Tavarez 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 Isringhausen SV(1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 10 7 7 1 9 4 Umpires: HP - Tim Welke, 1B - Eric Cooper, 2B - Gary Darling, 3B - Mike Winters, LF - Angel Hernandez, RF - Ed Rapuano |
Game 2 at St. Louis - Cardinals 6, Astros 4
Thursday, October 14th
Game 2 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - 4 10 1
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 x - 6 9 0
Win - Tavarez. Loss - Miceli. Save - Isringhausen.
HR - Beltran, Ensberg, Walker, Pujols, Rolen 2.
Time - 3:02. Attendance - 52,347.
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ST. LOUIS - The Astros hoped for a rainout Thursday night to better set up their aces Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt in the National League Championship Series. Although a postponement never materialized, the Astros definitely were washed out by the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen began the eighth inning with consecutive home runs off Dan Miceli as the Cardinals beat the Astros 6-4 before a sellout crowd of 52,347 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. "We've taken care of the home-field advantage, but there's nobody whooping it up in that clubhouse," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said after Pujols and Rolen broke a tie with the first back-to-back homers in the Cardinals' rich postseason history. "We're going into a tough place to play." Fourteen of the 16 teams that have won the first two NLCS games have reached the World Series. The only two teams to advance after facing a 2-0 deficit were the 1984 Padres and 1985 Cardinals. Clemens and Oswalt cannot do it all, though, especially if their teammates leave 11 men on base and go 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, which the Astros did in Game 2. "Trust me. Every time we can get those guys (Clemens and Oswalt) out there, obviously it's a better opportunity for us," said Jeff Bagwell, who was 0-for-3 with two walks. "I really believe if we're going to go anywhere, you have to have those other guys pitch and win, too. We're going to need contributions from everybody. Not just a couple of guys on offense, not just a couple of guys in the bullpen, not just a couple of guys starting." Sooner or later, the Astros were going to need to assist Pete Munro, who gave up six hits and three runs over 4 2/3 innings Thursday night. The Astros' cause would have been helped if Carlos Beltran and Morgan Ensberg had received more support on offense. Once the game got under way 28 minutes later than scheduled, Beltran staked the Astros to a 1-0 lead with a home run over the right-field wall in the first inning, giving him six homers this postseason, two in the NLCS and four over his last three postseason games. With the bases loaded in the second, Matt Morris escaped by getting Craig Biggio's fielder's-choice grounder to second. Morris' control problems continued as he walked Beltran and Bagwell to start the third. The Astros couldn't capitalize on that opportunity, either. Morris got the first out by getting a fly ball to center from Berkman. Morris then retired Jeff Kent on a called third strike, and catcher Mike Matheny threw to first to double up Bagwell in a rundown. Ensberg gave the Astros a 2-0 lead in the fourth with a leadoff homer over the wall in left field. Berkman made it 3-0 in the fifth with an RBI single to right field, but Munro couldn't survive the bottom of the fifth. Munro issued a one-out walk to Marlon Anderson, who was hitting for Morris. Tony Womack followed with a fielder's-choice grounder to third, and Larry Walker cut the Astros' lead to 3-2 with a two-run homer over the right-field wall. Phil Garner finally pulled Munro after Pujols singled to center, but Chad Harville didn't provide any relief for the second night in a row. A night after Jim Edmonds welcomed Harville with a three-run double that proved to be the difference in Game 1, Rolen greeted Harville with a two-run homer over the left-field wall to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. The Astros countered with a threat in the sixth, getting singles through the left side by Jose Vizcaino and Brad Ausmus to start the inning against lefthander Steve Kline. After Garner sent Eric Bruntlett to hit for Harville, La Russa called on righthander Kiko Calero. Trying to sacrifice, Bruntlett dropped a hard bunt to the right side. Pujols barehanded the ball on a bounce and fired to third to force out Vizcaino. Calero struck out Biggio on three pitches for the second out, then walked Beltran to load the bases for Bagwell, who flied out. Berkman led off the seventh with a double into the left-center gap. One out later, he stole third, then tied the score at 4 on Ensberg's single through the middle with the infield in. Pujols and Rolen got the lead back with authority in the eighth. "I got a couple pitches up, and they hit them out," Miceli said. Box Score ST. LOUIS (6) VS HOUSTON (4) - FINAL HOU 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - 4 10 1 STL 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 x - 6 9 0 HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 5 1 1 0 0 1 Miceli p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 2 1 1 1 3 1 Bagwell 1b 3 0 0 0 2 1 Berkman rf 5 1 2 1 0 0 Kent 2b 4 0 1 0 1 1 Everett pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ensberg 3b 5 1 2 2 0 1 Vizcaino ss 4 0 2 0 0 0 Ausmus c 3 0 1 0 1 1 Munro p 1 0 0 0 1 0 Harville p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bruntlett ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Palmeiro ph,lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 34 4 10 4 8 6 FIELDING - E: Munro (1). BATTING - 2B: Kent (1,off Morris); Berkman (1,off Calero). HR: Beltran (2,1st inning off Morris 0 on 1 out); Ensberg (1,4th inning off Morris 0 on 0 out). IBB: Ausmus (1,by Morris). Team LOB: 11. BASERUNNING - SB: Berkman (1,3rd base off Calero/Matheny). CS: Bagwell (1,2nd base by Morris/Matheny); Ensberg (1,2nd base by Calero/Matheny). ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 Walker rf 4 1 1 2 0 2 Pujols 1b 4 2 3 1 0 0 Rolen 3b 4 2 2 3 0 1 Edmonds cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 Renteria ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 Sanders lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matheny c 3 0 1 0 0 2 Morris p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anderson ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kline p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cedeno ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taguchi lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 32 6 9 6 1 7 FIELDING - DP: 1. Matheny-Pujols-Womack. BATTING - 2B: Edmonds (2,off Munro). HR: Walker (1,5th inning off Munro 1 on 2 out); Rolen 2 (2,5th inning off Harville 1 on 2 out,8th inning off Miceli 0 on 0 out); Pujols (2,8th inning off Miceli 0 on 0 out). SH: Morris (1,off Munro). Team LOB: 4. BASERUNNING - SB: Womack (2,2nd base off Munro/Ausmus). PITCHING HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Munro 4.2 6 3 3 1 4 1 Harville 0.1 1 1 1 0 1 1 Wheeler 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Miceli L(0-1) 1 2 2 2 0 0 2 Totals 8 9 6 6 1 7 4 ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Morris 5 6 3 3 5 5 2 Kline 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 Calero 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 Tavarez W(1-0) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Isringhausen SV(2) 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals 9 10 4 4 8 6 2 Kline faced 2 batters in the 6th inning. WP: Morris 2 (2). BK: Morris (1). IBB: Morris (1,Ausmus). UMPIRES: HP - Eric Cooper, 1B - Gary Darling, 2B - Mike Winters, 3B - Angel Hernandez, LF - Ed Rapuano, RF - Tim Welke |
Game 3 at Houston - Astros 5, Cardinals 2
Saturday, October 16th
Game 3 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 5 0
Houston 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 x - 5 8 0
Win - Clemens. Loss - Suppan. Save - Lidge.
HR - Walker, Edmonds, Beltran, Berkman, Kent.
Time - 2:57. Attendance - 42,896.
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HOUSTON - Roger Clemens might as well have been a magnet Saturday as a host of Astros officials stopped by with messages. And if his friends and Houston neighbors had been granted access to the home clubhouse at Minute Maid Park, the message would have been exactly the same. Clemens didn't need anybody to tell him anything, though. He realizes Drayton McLane and the good people of Houston lobbied him out of retirement for a time like Saturday afternoon, when he beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 to give the Astros life in the National League Championship Series. After the Astros dropped two games at Busch Stadium to open the best-of-seven series, Clemens took the Minute Maid Park mound in Game 3 and delivered seven strong innings to win before a raucous sellout crowd of 42,892. "I walked in this morning, (and) they were patting me on the back telling me this is what I signed here for," Clemens said after holding the Cardinals to four hits and two runs with two walks and seven strikeouts over seven innings. "I told them, `I don't know if I was looking at this exactly (as) what I signed up to do here.' But it was a must win for us. I'm glad that the guys responded well." The wild-card Astros, who hope to become only the third team to reach the World Series after losing the first two games of the NLCS, realized early that the NL Central champions weren't conceding anything. Larry Walker ripped Clemens' sixth pitch of the afternoon and first of his at-bat over the left-center wall for a one-out home run to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. "Roger giving up the big home run to Larry, a veteran ballplayer (who) just smoked one to left-center, I think that put us on our heels a little bit," said Jeff Kent, who hit a two-run homer to cap the Astros' three-run rally in the bottom of the first. "I think we were anticipating Roger or at least hoping Roger would come out and throw a shutout. Bam, all of a sudden we know we have to work for this." Craig Biggio led off the bottom of the first with a single down the left-field line. Jeff Suppan pitched around Carlos Beltran and walked him before getting Jeff Bagwell to hit a double-play grounder to third. Lance Berkman tied the score at 1 with a two-out single up the middle that scored Beltran from second. Down 0-2 in the count, Kent worked his at-bat masterfully before eventually ripping a 3-2 pitch into the Crawford Boxes to give the Astros a 3-1 lead. That three-run outburst in the first inning was enough for Clemens, a six-time Cy Young Award winner with two World Series rings and 328 victories to his credit. Jim Edmonds led off the second inning by depositing Clemens' 2-2 splitter over the right-center wall, cutting the Astros' lead to 3-2. Clemens, who used his splitter to near perfection in his final four innings, settled down and didn't give up another run. And he was already icing his arm in the clubhouse when Beltran and Berkman hit a pair of home runs to cap the scoring in the eighth in the Astros' 20th win in their last 21 home games. Brad Lidge took over in the eighth, the first of his two scoreless innings. After giving up a two-out single to slugger Albert Pujols in the eighth, Lidge struck out Scott Rolen to escape that inning. Beltran made it 4-2 with a leadoff home run to left-center in the eighth off Dan Haren. One out later, La Russa called lefthander Ray King to turn the switch-hitting Berkman to the right side. Berkman greeted King with a home run into the Crawford Boxes, giving the Astros a 5-2 lead. The Cardinals made it interesting in the ninth. Edmonds led off with a walk, and Marlon Anderson was hit by a two-out, 0-2 slider to bring the potential tying run to the plate. But Lidge struck out pinch hitter John Mabry on three pitches to end the contest, get the save and secure Clemens' 10th career postseason victory. "He's been picking us up all year," Lidge said of Clemens. "And we needed seven good innings out of him. We got 'em. What can you say? It was another great game by a great big-game pitcher." Box Score HOUSTON (5) VS ST. LOUIS (2) - FINAL STL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 5 0 HOU 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 x - 5 8 0 ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 Walker rf 4 1 1 1 0 1 Pujols 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 Rolen 3b 3 0 1 0 1 1 Edmonds cf 3 1 1 1 1 1 Renteria ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 Sanders lf 3 0 0 0 1 2 Matheny c 3 0 1 0 0 1 Anderson ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 Suppan p 2 0 0 0 0 0 Cedeno ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 Haren p 0 0 0 0 0 0 King p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eldred p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mabry ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 32 2 5 2 3 12 FIELDING - DP: 1. Rolen-Pujols. BATTING - HR: Walker (2,1st inning off Clemens 0 on 1 out); Edmonds (1,2nd inning off Clemens 0 on 0 out). HBP: Anderson (1,by Lidge). Team LOB: 7. HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 3 2 2 1 1 1 Bagwell 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 Berkman rf 4 2 2 2 0 0 Kent 2b 3 1 1 2 1 1 Bruntlett ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ensberg 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 Vizcaino ss,2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ausmus c 3 0 0 0 0 1 Clemens p 2 0 0 0 0 1 Palmeiro ph,lf 1 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 31 5 8 5 3 5 BATTING - 2B: Beltran (1,off Suppan). HR: Kent (2,1st inning off Suppan 1 on 2 out); Beltran (3,8th inning off Haren 0 on 0 out); Berkman (2,8th inning off King 0 on 1 out). Team LOB: 5. PITCHING ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Suppan L(0-1) 6 5 3 3 2 3 1 Haren 1.1 2 1 1 0 1 1 King 0.1 1 1 1 0 1 1 Eldred 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 8 8 5 5 3 5 3 HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Clemens W(1-0) 7 4 2 2 2 7 2 Lidge SV(1) 2 1 0 0 1 5 0 Totals 9 5 2 2 3 12 2 WP: Clemens (1). HBP: Lidge (1,Anderson). UMPIRES: HP - Gary Darling, 1B - Mike Winters, 2B - Angel Hernandez, 3B - Ed Rapuano, LF - Tim Welke, RF - Eric Cooper |
Game 4 at Houston - Astros 6, Cardinals 5
Sunday, October 17th
Game 4 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 9 0
Houston 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 x - 6 9 0
Win - Wheeler. Loss - Tavarez. Save - Lidge.
HR - Pujols, Beltran, Berkman.
Time - 3:01. Attendance - 42,760.
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HOUSTON - Julian Tavarez's 2-2 slider to Carlos Beltran was theoretically a good pitch Sunday afternoon. It was low, outside and traveling 81 miles per hour. It also left the yard in a hurry, crushing the St. Louis Cardinals and tying the National League Championship Series. Beltran golfed Tavarez's pitch over the right-center wall in the seventh inning, pushing the Astros over the Cardinals 6-5 in Game 4 to tie the best-of-seven NLCS at two games apiece. "What can you say?" Craig Biggio said. "Superman comes through again." Biggio might as well have been speaking for the entire sellout crowd of 42,760 at Minute Maid Park. After losing the first two games at Busch Stadium, the Astros have won the last two at home in their quest to become only the third team in history to reach the World Series after dropping the first two games of an NLCS. "I don't know who else can hit that pitch out of the park besides Beltran," said Tavarez, who lost his composure on the mound and beat up a water cooler and the dugout phone after escaping further damage in the seventh. "I went over the tape to see how low it was to the ground. Barry Bonds is the best hitter in baseball. I don't think Barry would have hit that pitch. I don't believe it." The 2004 postseason has become Beltran's paradise, and his teammates aren't afraid to predict greatness whenever the All-Star center fielder goes to the plate. "Well, I'm seeing the ball good, but I just have to say that I knew who I was facing," Beltran said after tying Bonds' 2002 record of eight home runs in a single postseason. "I was facing Tavarez. He's a guy that has a real good sinker, real good slider and also has a split. Beltran has homered in a record five consecutive postseason games, dating to the final two of the Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. After Beltran's home run in the seventh, Tavarez walked Jeff Bagwell on four pitches, almost hitting him in the head with ball four. After a brief exchange between Bagwell and Tavarez, plate umpire Mike Winters issued warnings to both teams. After bouncing a wild pitch, Tavarez intentionally walked Lance Berkman and hit Jeff Kent in the left calf with an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Tavarez escaped further damage by inducing Morgan Ensberg's double-play grounder. The Cardinals never recovered, though, on a day when Astros 20-game winner Roy Oswalt struggled while giving up five runs through six innings. Oswalt appeared fatigued on the mound, and although he hit 96 mph with his fastball, he acknowledged it didn't have its normal movement. Oswalt has picked up his teammates most of the season. On Sunday, his teammates picked him up after the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Albert Pujols' two-run homer into the Crawford Boxes and John Mabry's RBI single to left. The Astros countered with a run in the first. Jason Marquis issued a one-out walk to Beltran to set up Bagwell's RBI double to left-center. Jim Edmonds got that run back in the third with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. The Astros answered right back in the bottom of the third. Beltran hit a one-out single up the middle, Bagwell singled to center, and Berkman hit a two-run double to right-center field, cutting St. Louis' lead to 4-3. St. Louis jumped on Oswalt again in the fourth. Tony Womack drew a two-out walk, and Larry Walker singled up the middle to set up Pujols' RBI single to center. Berkman cut St. Louis' lead to 5-4 by depositing a 3-1 fastball into the Crawford Boxes to lead off the sixth. Two outs later, Jose Vizcaino doubled to left, and Raul Chavez tied the score with a blooper to center. Dan Wheeler pitched a scoreless seventh, and Beltran rewarded him with the decision by ripping Tavarez's slider into the Astros' bullpen in the bottom of the inning. Brad Lidge took over in the eighth and came through with his second consecutive two-inning save. "All of (the postseason home runs) feel great, just being able to contribute, being able to help the team," Beltran said after the Astros recorded their 21st victory in their last 22 home games. "But this one was more special because it gave us the lead. I knew it was the eighth (home run), and we also knew that Lidge was going to come into the game and face a good part of the lineup for them. He did a great job, and we were able to win the ballgame." Box Score HOUSTON (6) VS ST. LOUIS (5) - FINAL STL 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 9 0 HOU 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 x - 6 9 0 ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 4 1 0 0 1 0 Walker rf 3 1 1 0 2 0 Pujols 1b 4 2 3 3 1 0 Rolen 3b 5 1 2 0 0 2 Edmonds cf 3 0 0 1 0 0 Renteria ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matheny c 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mabry lf 3 0 1 1 0 0 Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 King p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luna ss 1 0 0 0 0 1 Molina c 4 0 1 0 0 0 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Marquis p 2 0 1 0 0 0 Taguchi lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cedeno ph,lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 5 9 5 5 3 FIELDING - DP: 1. Womack-Pujols. BATTING - 2B: Rolen (1,off Oswalt). HR: Pujols (3,1st inning off Oswalt 1 on 1 out). SH: Taguchi (1,off Oswalt). SF: Edmonds (1,off Oswalt). Team LOB: 8. HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 Lane lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 3 3 2 1 1 1 Bagwell 1b 3 1 2 1 1 1 Berkman rf 2 1 2 3 2 0 Kent 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ensberg 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 Vizcaino ss,2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 Chavez c 3 0 1 1 0 0 Ausmus c 1 0 0 0 0 0 Oswalt p 2 0 0 0 0 0 Palmeiro ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bruntlett ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 31 6 9 6 4 5 FIELDING - PB: Chavez (1). BATTING - 2B: Bagwell (1,off Marquis); Berkman (2,off Marquis); Vizcaino (1,off Calero). HR: Berkman (3,6th inning off Calero 0 on 0 out); Beltran (4,7th inning off Tavarez 0 on 1 out). HBP: Kent (1,by Tavarez). IBB: Berkman (1,by Tavarez). Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING - CS: Biggio (1,2nd base by Calero/Molina). PITCHING ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Marquis 4 5 3 3 2 2 0 Calero 1.2 3 2 2 0 3 1 King 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tavarez L(1-1) 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 Isringhausen 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 8 9 6 6 4 5 2 Marquis faced 1 batter in the 5th inning. WP: Tavarez (1). HBP: Tavarez (1,Kent). IBB: Tavarez (1,Berkman). HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Oswalt 6 8 5 5 4 0 1 Wheeler W(1-0) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Lidge SV(2) 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals 9 9 5 5 5 3 1 UMPIRES: HP - Mike Winters, 1B - Angel Hernandez, 2B - Ed Rapuano, 3B - Tim Welke, LF -Eric Cooper, RF - Gary Darling |
Game 5 at Houston - Astros 3, Cardinals 0
Monday, October 18th
Game 5 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 0
Houston 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 3 3 0
Win - Lidge. Loss - Isringhausen.
HR - Kent.
Time - 2:33. Attendance - 43,045.
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HOUSTON - Everywhere Jeff Kent had turned lately, he kept hearing about the Astros' Killer B's. Killer B's this, Killer B's that. He longed to get in on the action, to produce his signature moment of the National League Championship Series. Kent provided his shot Monday night in the ninth inning with a walk-off, three-run homer into the Crawford Boxes, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 and putting the Astros within a victory of their first World Series. The Astros won all three games at Minute Maid Park to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS heading back to St. Louis. Until Kent's blast, Game 5 had been all about two Houston-area kids going at it in the ultimate pitchers' duel before a sellout crowd of 43,045. With exceptional defense behind them, Astros righthander Brandon Backe of Galveston and Cardinals righthander Woody Williams of Houston matched each other all evening. "The pitchers' duel is very, very frustrating for an offensive player," said Kent, who hit only the fifth walk-off home run in NLCS history. "(Backe's) working quick if you're on defense to get you back in the dugout, but then you have to face Woody, and he's doing the same thing. You're pulling your hair out." Making only the 12th start of his major-league career, Backe was perfect through 4 1/3 innings, had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings and finished the night with eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball with two walks and four strikeouts. Williams countered with seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball with two walks and four strikeouts. Astros closer Brad Lidge, who retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, got the win. Each team had only one hit before Carlos Beltran led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right field off St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen, who had taken over in the eighth. After Jeff Bagwell flied out to center, Beltran stole second on Isringhausen's 1-2 pitch to Lance Berkman. With first base open and a 2-2 count, Isringhausen intentionally walked Berkman to take his chances with Kent. The gamble failed, and the Astros, the only team in the majors without a walk-off homer in the regular season, won for the 22nd time in their last 23 home games. It also became the moment Kent wanted. He enviously watched last Thursday when St. Louis' Albert Pujols hit a game-winning home run in Game 2, and he watched on television early Monday when Boston's David Ortiz celebrated a walk-off homer against the Yankees. Kent mimicked Pujols and Ortiz perfectly, rounding the bases with a giant smile on his face before flicking his batting helmet five feet in the air as a hive of teammates waited to pound on him at home plate. "To be two down and now to be one up, it's great," Beltran said. "It's very emotional right now." Both sides made crucial defensive plays to keep the game scoreless. Williams got some help from his defense in the bottom of the sixth, when Pujols made a diving stop at the first-base line on Beltran's leadoff grounder. Williams broke quickly to cover first for the out. Beltran contributed his own defensive gem in the seventh. With two outs, Edgar Renteria ripped a sinking line drive, and Beltran sprinted about 40 feet to the left side of center field to make a diving catch. Considering Renteria's speed, he might have had an inside-the-park home run if Beltran had let the ball go by him. Instead, Backe was out of the inning. "You can't say enough about that guy (Beltran)," Backe said. "He's an unbelievable athlete. I think that was a great catch at the time of the game. If he doesn't make that catch and it gets by him, who knows what's going to happen?" Kent took care of the rest in the ninth, just as he had hoped. Box Score HOUSTON (3) VS ST. LOUIS (0) - FINAL STL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 0 HOU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 3 3 0 ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 Walker rf 3 0 0 0 1 2 Pujols 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 Rolen 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 Edmonds cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 Renteria ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 Sanders lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 Matheny c 3 0 0 0 0 0 Williams p 2 0 0 0 0 0 Mabry ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 28 0 1 0 2 6 BATTING - Team LOB: 3. HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 4 1 1 0 0 0 Bagwell 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 Berkman rf 2 1 0 0 2 0 Kent 2b 4 1 1 3 0 0 Ensberg 3b 2 0 0 0 0 1 Vizcaino ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ausmus c 2 0 0 0 1 1 Backe p 2 0 0 0 0 1 Palmeiro ph,lf 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 28 3 3 3 3 5 BATTING - HR: Kent (3,9th inning off Isringhausen 2 on 1 out). HBP: Ensberg (1,by Williams). IBB: Berkman (2,by Isringhausen). Team LOB: 4. BASERUNNING - SB: Beltran (1,2nd base off Isringhausen/Matheny). PITCHING ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Williams 7 1 0 0 2 4 0 Isringhausen L(0-1) 1.1 2 3 3 1 1 1 Totals 8.1 3 3 3 3 5 1 HBP: Williams (1,Ensberg). IBB: Isringhausen (1,Berkman). HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Backe 8 1 0 0 2 4 0 Lidge W(1-0) 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 9 1 0 0 2 6 0 UMPIRES: HP - Angel Hernandez, 1B - Ed Rapuano, 2B - Tim Welke, 3B - Eric Cooper, LF - Gary Darling, RF - Mike Winters |
Game 6 at St. Louis - Cardinals 6, Astros 4 (12)
Wednesday, October 20th
Game 6 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 R H E
Houston 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 10 0
St. Louis 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 6 15 0
Win - Tavarez. Loss - Miceli.
HR - Lamb, Pujols, Edmonds.
Time - 3:54. Attendance - 52,144.
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ST. LOUIS - As Jim Edmonds rounded the bases with his game-winning home run for the Cardinals, reliever Dan Miceli merely put his head down, walked off the mound and joined his Astros teammates at a familiar place Wednesday night: the brink of elimination. Edmonds kept the Cardinals' season alive with a two-run, 12th-inning homer to right field at Busch Stadium in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, beating the Astros 6-4 and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7. The Astros also faced an end to their season in Game 5 of the Division Series on Oct. 11 but beat the Braves 12-3 at Turner Field. "As we've talked about, nothing has been easy," first baseman Jeff Bagwell said. "We've always been to the brink of elimination in must-win games. Well, it's definitely a must-win now." Pete Munro got the nod and wasn't pleased with his performance before a crowd of 52,144. "I guess upset would be the best word," Munro said after giving up eight hits and four runs over 2 1/3 innings and retiring only seven of the 15 batters he faced. The Astros overcame Munro's miserable start with 8 2/3 scoreless innings of relief from Chad Harville, Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge before Miceli took the mound in the 12th. St. Louis righthander Julian Tavarez, who suffered the loss against the Astros in Game 4 on Sunday, earned the victory with two scoreless innings despite a broken left hand. He broke a bone while punching a dugout phone at Minute Maid Park during Game 4. Miceli, who replaced Lidge after Lidge's three perfect innings, walked Albert Pujols on four pitches to start the St. Louis 12th. After Scott Rolen fouled out to Raul Chavez, Edmonds ended it. "I got a pitch up again, and they hit it out again," said Miceli, who has given up game-winning home runs in three playoff games. "I let the team down again. It's been a tough postseason, I guess. I left a couple of pitches up, and I'm going through a tough stretch." Through six games of the NLCS, some key statistics for the Astros and Cardinals are identical. Both pitching staffs have 4.80 ERAs, holding the opposing offenses to .246 batting averages and 29 runs. Each team has won three games at home. The Cardinals won the first two at Busch Stadium. The wild-card Astros, who hope to become only the third team to reach the World Series after dropping the first two games of the NLCS, won three at Minute Maid Park. The Astros manufactured a run in the first inning after Matt Morris issued a one-out walk to Carlos Beltran, who stole second and reached third on Bagwell's bloop single to left. Lance Berkman drove Beltran in with a sacrifice fly to left. St. Louis countered in the bottom of the inning with Pujols' two-run homer over the left-field wall. With two outs in the third, Beltran singled off the wall in right field and tied the score at 2 on Bagwell's double down the left-field line. Edgar Renteria gave St. Louis a 4-2 lead with a two-run single up the middle in the third. Mike Lamb cut the deficit to 4-3 with a leadoff home run to right in the fourth. The Astros tied it at 4 in the ninth against closer Jason Isringhausen, who hit pinch hitter Morgan Ensberg with a 2-2 fastball to start the inning. Eric Bruntlett sacrificed Ensberg to second. After Craig Biggio flied out to left field, Isringhausen intentionally walked Beltran to take his chances with Bagwell, who tied it with an RBI single to left. "What can you do?" Beltran said. "You cannot do anything. What happened has happened. We just have to move forward and think about tomorrow. Today's game is over. It was difficult, but we know that with Roger Clemens and really everybody else, we have a lot of confidence that we can win." Box Score ST. LOUIS (6) VS HOUSTON (4) - FINAL HOU 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 10 0 STL 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 6 15 0 HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 6 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 4 2 2 0 2 0 Bagwell 1b 6 0 3 2 0 0 Berkman rf 3 0 0 1 1 1 Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Backe ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 Miceli p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kent 2b 5 0 2 0 0 0 Lamb 3b 4 1 1 1 1 1 Vizcaino ss 5 0 1 0 0 0 Ausmus c 3 0 1 0 0 1 Ensberg ph 0 1 0 0 0 0 Lane rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 Munro p 1 0 0 0 0 0 Harville p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Everett ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Palmeiro ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bruntlett ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chavez c 1 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 42 4 10 4 4 5 BATTING - 2B: Bagwell (2,off Morris); Kent (2,off Isringhausen). HR: Lamb (2,4th inning off Morris 0 on 0 out). SH: Bruntlett (1,off Isringhausen). SF: Berkman (1,off Morris). HBP: Ensberg (2,by Isringhausen). IBB: Beltran (1,by Isringhausen). Team LOB: 9. BASERUNNING - SB: Beltran 2 (3,2nd base off Morris/Matheny,3rd base off Isringhausen/Matheny); Bagwell (1,2nd base off Isringhausen/Matheny). CS: Vizcaino (1,2nd base by Morris/Matheny). ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Womack 2b 2 1 2 0 0 0 Luna 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 Anderson ph,2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 Walker rf 6 0 0 0 0 2 Pujols 1b 5 3 3 2 1 0 Rolen 3b 6 1 2 0 0 2 Edmonds cf 6 1 2 2 0 2 Renteria ss 5 0 3 2 0 1 Sanders lf 4 0 3 0 0 0 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cedeno ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matheny c 4 0 0 0 1 2 Morris p 2 0 0 0 0 1 Mabry ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 King p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taguchi lf 2 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 48 6 15 6 2 13 FIELDING - DP: 2. Matheny-Womack, King-Renteria-Pujols. BATTING - 2B: Pujols (1,off Munro); Sanders 2 (2,off Harville,off Qualls); Rolen (2,off Qualls). HR: Pujols (4,1st inning off Munro 1 on 1 out); Edmonds (2,12th inning off Miceli 1 on 1 out). IBB: Matheny (1,by Qualls). Team LOB: 10. PITCHING HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Munro 2.1 8 4 4 0 1 1 Harville 0.2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Qualls 3 3 0 0 1 3 0 Wheeler 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Lidge 3 0 0 0 0 5 0 Miceli L(0-2) 0.1 1 2 2 1 0 1 Totals 11.1 15 6 6 2 13 2 IBB: Qualls (1,Matheny). ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Morris 5 5 3 3 3 1 1 King 0.2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Calero 1.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Isringhausen 3 2 1 1 1 2 0 Tavarez W(2-1) 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 12 10 4 4 4 5 1 HBP: Isringhausen (1,Ensberg). IBB: Isringhausen (2,Beltran). UMPIRES: HP - Ed Rapuano, 1B - Tim Welke, 2B - Eric Cooper, 3B - Gary Darling, LF - Mike Winters, RF - Angel Hernandez |
Game 7 at St. Louis - Cardinals 5, Astros 2
Thursday, October 21st
Game 7 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 3 0
St. Louis 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 x - 5 9 1
Win - Suppan. Loss - Clemens. Save - Isringhausen.
HR - Biggio, Rolen.
Time - 2:51. Attendance - 52,140.
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ST. LOUIS - The wait for a World Series berth continues for at least one more year in Houston. The Astros' magical ride through the postseason came to a halt Thursday night at Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals won the winner-take-all Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. Paced by third baseman Scott Rolen's two-run homer in a three-run sixth inning, St. Louis won 5-2 to dash the Astros' hopes of reaching the World Series for the first time in the franchise's 43-season history. "You know that so many people were depending on this right arm to get it done," said Roger Clemens, who suffered the loss after giving up six hits and four runs over six innings. "I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had. I'm disappointed that we don't have a chance to experience a World Series. Left for dead Aug. 15, the Astros made a tremendous push toward the NL wild-card berth with a 36-10 finish to the regular season. They beat longtime postseason nemesis Atlanta in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the Division Series to snap the franchise's 0-7 skid in postseason series. And after dropping the first two NLCS games at Busch Stadium, the Astros won three in a row at Minute Maid Park to get within a victory of the World Series. The Cardinals won the final two at Busch Stadium, though. "I'm trying to color it the best way I can. But honestly, deep down, I have a dead feeling right now," Astros second baseman Jeff Kent said. "In a couple of days, maybe after I get over the bitter taste that I have in my mouth, I might recognize some of the great things that we've done and really honor that." After Craig Biggio got the game started with a home run over the left-field wall off Cardinals righthander Jeff Suppan, one of the biggest what-ifs took place in the second inning. Suppan got in trouble by issuing a leadoff walk to Kent, and one out later, Jose Vizcaino singled to left. When Brad Ausmus followed with a line drive toward left-center field, a sprinting Jim Edmonds made a sensational diving catch. Clemens was called out on strikes to end the inning, sending a roar through the sellout crowd of 52,140. "That play - I don't want to say it cost us the game, but I think it ultimately turned the game in the Cardinals' favor," Ausmus said. "If that gets over Jimmy's head, you're looking at two runs in and a man on second. It's a 3-0 game. It was a great play, and I think it went a long way toward winning Game 7." With one out in the third, Suppan pitched around Carlos Beltran and walked him on four pitches. Beltran stole second and advanced to third on Jeff Bagwell's fly to center, challenging Edmonds, a perennial Gold Glove winner, to throw him out. Edmonds bounced his throw past Rolen at third and into the Astros' dugout, letting Beltran score on the error for a 2-0 lead. Tony Womack led off the bottom of the third with a double to left field and reached third on Mike Matheny's groundout to first. Suppan, who gave up six hits and two runs (one earned) and had two walks and six strikeouts over six innings, brought Womack in with a suicide squeeze toward the first-base side. The Astros threatened Suppan again in the fourth when Kent led off with a walk and Morgan Ensberg singled to left. After a brief visit by St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan, Suppan got Vizcaino to hit a fielder's-choice grounder to first. With runners at the corners, Suppan fell behind in the count 3-0 against Ausmus, who eventually struck out when he failed to check his swing on a low fastball. In a repeat of the second inning, Suppan escaped by getting Clemens with a called third strike on the inside corner. Eighteen years after he won Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to put the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, Clemens couldn't hold back the Cardinals in the sixth. Roger Cedeņo hit for Suppan and led off with a single to center. Cedeņo reached second on Edgar Renteria's sacrifice and took third on Larry Walker's slow roller to Clemens. After a brief visit to the mound by manager Phil Garner, Clemens decided against pitching around NLCS Most Valuable Player Albert Pujols because, according to Ausmus, Rolen had been swinging the bat well. Pujols tied the score at 2 when he ripped Clemens' 1-2 fastball for a double to left field. Rolen broke the tie on the next pitch - a 92 mph fastball that he lined for a two-run homer over the left-field wall. Unfortunately for the Astros, they never recovered against the Cardinals, who added a run in the eighth off 20-game winner Roy Oswalt, who took over for Clemens in the seventh. "It's disappointing, no question about it," Bagwell said. "They just beat us. There's nothing we can do about that. We battled the heck out of them. But as I've said, I'm proud as heck of this club. I will never forget this team. It's a heck of a bunch." Box Score ST. LOUIS (5) VS HOUSTON (2) - FINAL HOU 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 3 0 STL 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 x - 5 9 1 HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO Biggio lf 4 1 1 1 0 1 Oswalt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beltran cf 3 1 0 0 1 0 Bagwell 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 Berkman rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kent 2b 2 0 0 0 1 0 Ensberg 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 Vizcaino ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 Ausmus c 3 0 0 0 0 2 Clemens p 2 0 0 0 0 2 Palmeiro ph,lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 30 2 3 1 2 7 FIELDING - DP: 1. Vizcaino-Kent-Bagwell. BATTING - HR: Biggio (1,1st inning off Suppan 0 on 0 out). HBP: Kent (2,by Suppan); Palmeiro (1,by Calero). Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING - SB: Beltran (4,2nd base off Suppan/Matheny). ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO Renteria ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 Walker rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 Pujols 1b 4 1 2 1 0 0 Rolen 3b 4 1 1 2 0 0 Edmonds cf 3 0 1 0 0 1 Sanders lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 Womack 2b 3 1 2 0 0 1 Matheny c 3 0 0 0 0 1 Suppan p 0 0 0 1 0 0 Cedeno ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 Calero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anderson ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 28 5 9 5 0 4 FIELDING - E: Edmonds (1). BATTING - 2B: Womack (1,off Clemens); Pujols (2,off Clemens); Anderson (1,off Oswalt). HR: Rolen (3,6th inning off Clemens 1 on 2 out). SH: Suppan (1,off Clemens); Renteria 2 (2,off Clemens,off Oswalt). Team LOB: 2. PITCHING HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Clemens L(1-1) 6 6 4 4 0 2 1 Oswalt 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 Totals 8 9 5 5 0 4 1 ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR Suppan W(1-1) 6 3 2 1 2 6 1 Calero 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Tavarez 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Isringhausen SV(3) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 3 2 1 2 7 1 HBP: Suppan (1,Kent); Calero (1,Palmeiro). UMPIRES: HP - Tim Welke, 1B - Eric Cooper, 2B - Gary Darling, 3B - Mike Winters, LF - Angel Hernandez, RF - Ed Rapuano |
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Information for this page was compiled from Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals media sources, Houston Chronicle reports and Retrosheet.org