Houston Astros 2005 NLCS
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Houston Astros
Wild Card Champions 89-73 |
VS. |
St. Louis Cardinals
NL East Champions 100-62 |
The amazing run of 2005 would next visit another historic chamber of horrors for the Astros - Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Astros went 0-for-4 in the NLCS there in 2004 and 0-for-6 in the regular season in 2005 before taking two games in late September that meant everything to the Astros and very little to the Cardinals. Perhaps the Redbirds should have tried harder for the knockout blow then.
St. Louis won 100 games and finished 11 games in front of Houston, so the Cards would be decided favorites to return to the World Series. The Astros, however, had built a pitching staff for just such a series. Andy Pettitte had the postseason pedigree, having won 14 playoff games in his career, second in MLB history. 43-year-old Roger Clemens was sore but still a horse when he needed to be while Roy Oswalt was coming off his second 20-win campaign and was at his peak. That meant the Cards would be facing a topflight pitcher in all but one of the games in the series.
Not that the Redbirds were chopped liver in this department. They could trot out Cy Young Award Winner Chris Carpenter (21-5) and a pair of 16-game winners in Jeff Suppan and lefty Mark Mulder, an offseason pickup from Oakland.
Nor were they slouches at the plate with 2005 NL MVP Albert Pujols, supported by a slugging trio of outfielders - Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker and Reggie Sanders. But, by the postseason, the long campaign had worn down the three veterans, each 35 or older, and they were battling their own injuries as they came into the series.
As if to add to the drama, the end of the postseason for the Cardinals would also mean the wrecking ball for their ballpark. A new Busch Stadium was being erected next door and the Cardinals wanted badly to send the old girl, built in 1966, out with one more pennant to hang with their dynasties of the late Sixties and mid-Eighties.
Such sentimentality led to a feud over who got to keep the last ball of the last game - the team closing out their home park or the team celebrating their first National League pennant. But that's getting ahead of the story...
Game 1 at St. Louis - Cardinals 5, Astros 3
Wednesday, October 12th
Game 1 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 3 7 0
St. Louis 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 x - 5 8 1
Win - Carpenter. Loss - Pettitte. Save - Isringhausen.
HR - Burke, Sanders.
Time - 2:29. Attendance - 52,332.
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ST. LOUIS - The Astros' fate Wednesday night was foreshadowed in batting practice when Roy Oswalt ripped a line drive off the inside of Andy Pettitte's right knee, sending the big lefthander into an intense therapy session simply to get on the Busch Stadium mound for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Despite needing medication to numb the pain on the severely swollen knee, Pettitte refused to make any excuses for his loss against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, something was wrong as Pettitte threw his third-worst game of the season in the Astros' 5-3 loss to the Cardinals. "I got hit, but we took care of it and did what we could to help me out with that," said Pettitte, who allowed eight hits and five runs with two walks and two strikeouts over six innings. "I felt good going out there. I was just terrible. I never got in a rhythm, a real good rhythm at all throughout the six innings that I threw." Even at full strength, it would have been difficult for Pettitte, who lost for the first time since Aug. 16, to keep up with Cardinals ace righthander Chris Carpenter, who limited the Astros to two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in eight innings. The Cardinals wasted little time before a sellout crowd of 52,332. Two outs after David Eckstein's leadoff single in the first inning, Reggie Sanders drilled Pettitte's 1-2 fastball an estimated 445 feet for a two-run homer to left-center field. Sanders, who has driven in runs in 10 consecutive games dating to his last six of the regular season, had no idea about Pettitte's swollen right knee. "We had not heard anything about (Pettitte's) knee or having any problems with anything," Sanders said. "He still looked like he had the same stuff as far as from a hitter's standpoint." Mark Grudzielanek got the Cardinals started in the second with a leadoff single up the middle. One out later, Abraham Nuņez put runners at the corners with a single between Mike Lamb and first base. Carpenter gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with a suicide squeeze. The Astros countered with a bases-loaded threat in the third. Brad Ausmus led off the inning with a single to center, and Pettitte sacrificed him to second. Carpenter loaded the bases with consecutive walks to Craig Biggio and Willy Taveras. Carpenter escaped by getting Lance Berkman to ground into a double play on a hard-hit ball to Grudzielanek at second. "That was a tough break right there," Berkman said. "I hit it as hard as I could hit it, and there's a guy standing in front of it. You can't steer the ball after you hit it." The Astros threatened again in the fourth after Morgan Ensberg led off with a ground-rule double. He reached third on Lamb's groundout to second. After Jason Lane walked, Ensberg was running on contact when he was thrown out trying to score on Adam Everett's grounder to third. Carpenter escaped the inning on Brad Ausmus' grounder to second. "I think what hurt us was inning three and four," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "If you're going to get to a guy like Carpenter, you've got to get him early usually. When we didn't put any runs on the board in the third and fourth inning, he got back in a groove and cruised." The Cardinals added two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles to right by Eckstein and Albert Pujols. Chris Burke, whose home run ended the Astros' 18-inning win Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, came off the bench and cut the Cardinals' lead to 5-2 with a two-out, two-run homer to left in the seventh. Once Carpenter exited, Lamb greeted closer Jason Isringhausen in the ninth with a leadoff single to left. One out later, Everett hit an infield single to short. Trying to force out Lamb at second, Eckstein threw the ball by Grudzielanek for an error, putting runners at second and third. Ausmus cut the deficit to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to center. Isringhausen completed the save on pinch hitter Jose Vizcaino's grounder to first. Afterward, Garner was adamant that Pettitte's right knee was a bigger factor than his veteran lefthander will ever admit. "It hit him in his right knee, which is his landing knee," Garner said. "I think it was a factor for him. It might have affected him. The stats definitely support Garner's theory. Pettitte, the NL pitcher of the month while giving up only eight runs over 38 2/3 innings in September, allowed at least four earned runs only twice in the regular season. Moreover, the five runs were the most he had given up since he allowed six on June 14 against the Baltimore Orioles. "Freak accident," said Pettitte, who was running the bases when struck by a line drive in batting practice. "It was unbelievable. I saw it the whole time and tried to get out of the way of it. I thought I jumped over it. It just kept kind of breaking into the inside of my knee. The doctors helped me out and helped me get out there and make my start." Box Score ST. LOUIS (5) VS HOUSTON (3) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 3 7 0
St. Louis 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 x - 5 8 1
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 3 0 0 0 1 1
Taveras cf 3 0 0 0 1 1
Berkman lf 4 0 1 0 0 0
Ensberg 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0
Lamb 1b 4 1 1 0 0 0
Lane rf 3 0 0 0 1 1
Everett ss 4 1 2 0 0 1
Ausmus c 3 0 1 1 0 0
Pettitte p 1 0 0 0 0 0
Burke ph 1 1 1 2 0 0
Springer p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Astacio p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vizcaino ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 31 3 7 3 3 4
FIELDING -
DP: 2. Ensberg-Biggio-Lamb, Lamb-Everett-Lamb.
BATTING -
2B: Berkman (1,off Carpenter); Ensberg (1,off Carpenter).
HR: Burke (1,7th inning off Carpenter 1 on 2 out).
SH: Pettitte (1,off Carpenter).
SF: Ausmus (1,off Isringhausen).
Team LOB: 6.
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 4 2 2 1 0 0
Edmonds cf 3 0 0 0 1 0
Pujols 1b 3 0 1 1 1 0
Sanders lf 3 1 1 2 1 0
Walker rf 4 0 1 0 0 2
Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grudzielanek 2b 4 1 1 0 0 2
Molina c 3 0 0 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 3 1 2 0 0 0
Carpenter p 1 0 0 1 0 1
Taguchi rf 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 28 5 8 5 3 5
FIELDING -
DP: 1. Grudzielanek-Eckstein-Pujols.
E: Eckstein (1).
BATTING -
HR: Sanders (1,1st inning off Pettitte 1 on 2 out).
SH: Carpenter 2 (2,off Pettitte 2).
Team LOB: 4.
PITCHING -
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Pettitte L(0-1) 6 8 5 5 2 2 1
Springer 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
Astacio 1 0 0 0 0 2 0
Totals 8 8 5 5 3 5 1
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Carpenter W(1-0) 8 5 2 2 3 3 1
Isringhausen SV(1) 1 2 1 0 0 1 0
Totals 9 7 3 2 3 4 1
UMPIRES: HP - Tim McClelland, 1B - Greg Gibson, 2B - Wally Bell, 3B - Phil Cuzzi, LF - Larry
Poncino, RF - Gerry Davis
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Game 2 at St. Louis - Astros 4, Cardinals 1
Thursday, October 13th
Game 2 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 - 4 11 1
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 6 0
Win - Oswalt. Loss - Mulder. Save - Lidge.
HR - Pujols.
Time - 3:03. Attendance - 52,358.
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ST. LOUIS - Roy Oswalt sprinted toward first base, took the toss from Lance Berkman, stepped on the bag and pumped his fist after finishing the seventh inning Thursday night at Busch Stadium. With head held high and eyes fixed straight ahead, the Astros' hard-throwing righthander marched back to the visitors' dugout. Brad Lidge handled the final two innings, giving the Astros a 4-1 lead and reason to hold their heads high after tying the best-of-seven National League Championship Series at one game apiece. By winning Game 2 of the NLCS, Oswalt stole the one game the Astros wanted before leaving St. Louis. A year ago, the Astros lost all four NLCS games at Busch Stadium as each team swept at home. But Oswalt held the Cardinals to five hits and one run with three walks and six strikeouts over seven impressive innings before a sellout crowd of 52,358 to win the pitchers' duel against lefthander Mark Mulder. Chris Burke got the Astros' offense started with a one-out triple off Mulder, who gave up eight hits and two runs (one earned) with two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings. After Adam Everett grounded out to Mulder, Brad Ausmus drew an intentional walk. With a 1-0 count on Oswalt, Mulder ripped a fastball inside for ball two. Oswalt turned away from the pitch, and catcher Yadier Molina let it go off his glove for a passed ball, allowing Burke to score. The Astros' 1-0 lead marked the first time the Cardinals have trailed this postseason. Ausmus, who was running on the 0-1 pitch, stole second. Oswalt walked on four pitches, but Craig Biggio struck out to end the inning, putting the Astros at 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position up to that point in the series. Both teams mounted scoring threats in the first inning as Mulder and Oswalt settled in. Biggio led off the night with a single to left, and Willy Taveras followed with a bunt single toward third. Lance Berkman struck out and Morgan Ensberg hit a double-play grounder to second. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds hit a one-out single through the left side. After Albert Pujols grounded to short, Larry Walker drew a walk. Oswalt escaped unscathed on Reggie Sanders' fielder's-choice grounder to third. After Walker's walk, Oswalt retired nine in a row. Sanders broke that streak with an infield single to third base, where Ensberg made a diving stab to keep the ball in the infield. Unfortunately for the Astros, Ensberg airmailed his throw to first all the way to the dugout. Sanders reached second on the error. Oswalt stranded Sanders at second by getting Mark Grudzielanek to ground out to second. The Astros weren't as forgiving in the fifth inning after Ausmus led off with a double to center. Oswalt sacrificed Ausmus to third, and Biggio made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to short. St. Louis countered in the fifth with Molina's one-out double to center. Oswalt struck out Mulder, but he walked David Eckstein put the potential tying run at first and the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the form of Edmonds. With the count at 3-2, the game in the balance and the NL MVP candidate Pujols in the on-deck circle on a night he'd been pumping fastballs at the Cardinals, Oswalt had the gall to go with his third-best pitch. Edmonds had every right to expect a fastball or Oswalt's wicked curveball, the pitch the Cardinals have been able to sit on better than any team has against the Astros' 20-game winner. Edmonds appeared to have been anticipating Oswalt's curveball to come tumbling in, though, and he was handcuffed as the slider broke through the bottom portion of the strike zone. Ausmus framed the pitch perfectly, and plate umpire Greg Gibson called the third strike to end the inning. Getting out of the inning without loading the bases proved crucial because the dangerous Pujols led off the sixth with a 438-foot homer to left. Oswalt retired the next three to take a 2-1 lead into the seventh. He even got a two-out single to right in the top of the seventh. Biggio followed with a single to center, but Taveras grounded out to second to end the inning and extend the Astros' slump to 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals caught a break when Burke misread Molina's line drive to left. Burke broke in for the ball and couldn't recover as the ground-rule double went over his head. John Rodriguez, hitting for Mulder, drew a walk to put two men on for Eckstein. Oswalt induced a fly out to center from Eckstein and a grounder to first from Edmonds. After taking the toss from Berkman, Oswalt stepped on the bag and emphatically pumped his fist. Berkman greeted righthanded reliever Julian Tavarez with a leadoff double to right in the eighth. After consecutive groundouts to short from Ensberg and Jason Lane, Berkman reached third on a wild pitch. Burke drove him in with a single to left, snapping the Astros' 0-for-15 skid with runners in scoring position in the series. Everett followed with an RBI triple of left fielder Sanders' glove. Sanders fell awkwardly trying to make a leaping catch and had to be helped off the field after suffering a low back sprain. Box Score HOUSTON (4) VS ST. LOUIS (1) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 - 4 11 1
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 6 0
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 5 0 2 1 0 2
Taveras cf 5 0 2 0 0 0
Berkman 1b 4 1 2 0 0 1
Ensberg 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0
Lane rf 4 0 0 0 0 2
Burke lf 4 2 2 1 0 0
Everett ss 4 0 1 1 0 1
Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ausmus c 3 1 1 0 1 1
Oswalt p 1 0 1 0 1 0
Bruntlett ss 1 0 0 0 0 1
Totals 35 4 11 3 2 8
FIELDING -
E: Ensberg (1).
BATTING -
2B: Ausmus (1,off Mulder); Berkman (2,off Tavarez).
3B: Burke (1,off Mulder); Everett (1,off Tavarez).
SH: Oswalt (1,off Mulder).
IBB: Ausmus (1,by Mulder).
Team LOB: 7.
BASERUNNING -
SB: Ausmus (1,2nd base off Mulder/Molina).
CS: Taveras (1,2nd base by Mulder/Molina).
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 3 0 0 0 1 0
Edmonds cf 4 0 1 0 0 2
Pujols 1b 4 1 1 1 0 0
Walker rf 3 0 0 0 1 1
Marquis p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sanders lf 3 0 1 0 0 1
Taguchi lf 1 0 0 0 0 1
Grudzielanek 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1
Molina c 4 0 2 0 0 1
Mulder p 2 0 0 0 0 2
Rodriguez ph 0 0 0 0 1 0
Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mabry rf 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 33 1 6 1 3 9
FIELDING -
DP: 1. Mulder-Grudzielanek-Pujols.
PB: Molina (1).
BATTING -
2B: Molina 2 (2,off Oswalt 2).
HR: Pujols (1,6th inning off Oswalt 0 on 0 out).
Team LOB: 8.
PITCHING -
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Oswalt W(1-0) 7 5 1 1 3 6 1
Lidge SV(1) 2 1 0 0 0 3 0
Totals 9 6 1 1 3 9 1
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Mulder L(0-1) 7 8 2 1 2 6 0
Tavarez 1 3 2 2 0 0 0
Marquis 1 0 0 0 0 2 0
Totals 9 11 4 3 2 8 0
WP: Tavarez (1).
IBB: Mulder (1,Ausmus).
UMPIRES: HP - Greg Gibson, 1B - Wally Bell, 2B - Phil Cuzzi, 3B - Larry Poncino, LF - Gerry
Davis, RF - Tim McClelland
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Game 3 at Houston - Astros 4, Cardinals 3
Saturday, October 15th
Game 3 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 - 3 7 1
Houston 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 x - 4 11 0
Win - Clemens. Loss - Morris. Save - Lidge.
HR - Lamb.
Time - 3:00. Attendance - 42,823.
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HOUSTON - Sprinting toward a collision at third base Saturday afternoon, Jason Lane saw no alternative. One option was to go around St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Abraham Nuņez and risk being thrown out. With a spot in the World Series at stake, however, the National League Championship Series is not the time for Lane or his Astros teammates to be soft. Lane and the Astros ran through and around the NL Central champion Cardinals in Game 3 for a 4-3 victory at Minute Maid Park, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. With two more victories, the Astros would earn the first World Series appearance in the franchise's 44 seasons. "This is one of the most resilient teams I've been on. Whether we get shut out, whether we lose, whether we win - this team the next day, it doesn't faze them," Mike Lamb said after going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and two runs. The Astros displayed that resiliency by countering after the Cardinals tied the score at two in the sixth. Lane followed Lamb's one-out double to center in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single for a 3-2 lead. Brad Ausmus followed Lane with a single to right, and Lane sprinted to third. As Nuņez wandered into Lane's path while anticipating right fielder Larry Walker's throw, Lane upended him. Nuņez had to be helped off the field with a bruised left thigh. Hector Luna took over at third, and righthander Brad Thompson was brought in during a double switch to relieve Matt Morris. "It's not a good feeling at all," Lane said of injuring Nuņez. "It makes you kind of wonder, `Could I have done anything different?' But at the same time, when you're in the play and you're a couple games from the World Series, you've got to get in and got to go hard." Next, with Lane breaking home on Thompson's 2-1 pitch, Adam Everett fouled a squeeze bunt attempt. Everett chopped the next pitch for a fielder's choice to third, catching a break when Luna fielded the ball cleanly but airmailed his throw to the backstop. The run gave the Astros a 4-2 lead. It proved to be the difference before a flag-waving sellout crowd of 42,823, including former president and first lady George and Barbara Bush. Lane displayed the grit long associated with 43-year-old righthander Roger Clemens, who earned the victory after holding the Cardinals to two runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout over six innings. Chad Qualls retired all six Cardinals he faced over two innings of relief, and closer Brad Lidge got the save despite giving up one run in the ninth. Clemens got his breathing room in the third inning. After Morgan Ensberg led off with a walk, Lamb ripped Morris' 2-1 fastball the other way for a two-run homer into the Crawford Boxes behind left field. The Cardinals chipped away at the Astros' lead in the fourth. Yadier Molina led off with a single through the left side. Nuņez followed with an infield single that deflected off first baseman Lamb's glove toward second. Morris - who gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings - delivered a sacrifice. David Eckstein cut the Astros' lead in half with a sacrifice fly to right. The Cardinals put runners at the corners with consecutive singles to center by Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds to start the sixth inning, and Walker tied the score at two with a sacrifice fly. One out later, Molina put runners at the corners with a single up the middle. But Clemens escaped further damage by inducing Nuņez's slow roller in front of the plate. "Rocket got a couple of runs, and it allowed him to be more aggressive," Lamb said. "They tied it back up, and even at that point it felt like we had the momentum. The crowd was unbelievable. You know you have the Rocket on the mound, and it just feels like you have a lot going for us." Box Score HOUSTON (4) VS ST. LOUIS (3) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 - 3 7 1
Houston 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 x - 4 11 0
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 4 0 0 1 0 0
Taguchi lf 4 0 0 0 0 2
Pujols 1b 4 1 2 0 0 0
Edmonds cf 3 0 1 0 1 1
Walker rf 2 0 0 1 1 0
Grudzielanek 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1
Molina c 4 1 2 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0
Thompson p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Flores p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez ph 0 1 0 0 1 0
Morris p 1 0 0 0 0 0
Luna 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1
Mabry ph 1 0 1 1 0 0
Totals 31 3 7 3 3 5
FIELDING -
DP: 1. Grudzielanek-Pujols.
E: Luna (1).
BATTING -
2B: Mabry (1,off Lidge).
SH: Morris (1,off Clemens).
SF: Eckstein (1,off Clemens); Walker (1,off Clemens).
Team LOB: 7.
BASERUNNING -
SB: Edmonds (1,2nd base off Clemens/Ausmus).
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0
Bruntlett 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0
Burke cf,lf 4 0 1 0 0 0
Berkman lf,1b 4 0 1 0 0 1
Ensberg 3b 2 1 0 0 2 0
Lamb 1b 4 2 2 2 0 0
Taveras cf 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lane rf 4 1 1 1 0 0
Ausmus c 4 0 1 0 0 2
Everett ss 4 0 1 0 0 0
Clemens p 2 0 1 0 0 1
Palmeiro ph 1 0 1 0 0 0
Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bagwell ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 34 4 11 3 2 4
BATTING -
2B: Lamb (1,off Morris); Everett (1,off Tavarez).
HR: Lamb (1,4th inning off Morris 1 on 0 out).
Team LOB: 8.
PITCHING -
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Morris L(0-1) 5.1 8 4 3 1 3 1
Thompson 0.2 2 0 0 0 0 0
Flores 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Tavarez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 8 11 4 3 2 4 1
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Clemens W(1-0) 6 6 2 2 2 1 0
Qualls 2 0 0 0 0 3 0
Lidge SV(2) 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
Totals 9 7 3 3 3 5 0
UMPIRES: HP - Wally Bell, 1B - Phil Cuzzi, 2B - Larry Poncino, 3B - Gerry Davis, LF - Tim
McClelland, RF - Greg Gibson
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Game 4 at Houston - Astros 2, Cardinals 1
Sunday, October 16th
Game 4 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Houston 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 x - 2 6 0
Win - Qualls. Loss - Marquis. Save - Lidge.
HR - Lane.
Time - 3:11. Attendance - 43,010.
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HOUSTON - They broke toward each other Sunday evening at Minute Maid Park with all the joy and passion of a franchise hoping to unload a 44-season burden. They offered high fives and slaps on the back, celebrating and dancing while moving within one victory of the Astros' first World Series appearance. Just as doubt crept back in the Astros' minds after the St. Louis Cardinals put the potential tying run at third base in the ninth inning, Brad Lidge got a game-ending double play to win Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. Once second baseman Eric Bruntlett, shortstop Adam Everett and first baseman Lance Berkman completed the play to seal the 2-1 victory, the Astros could hardly contain themselves before a raucous sellout crowd of 43,010. The Astros lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. "It seemed like that moment takes forever," said Bruntlett, who entered in the ninth as a defensive replacement for Craig Biggio. "The ball going over to first was kind of in slow motion." For the second consecutive season and third time in franchise history, the Astros are within a victory of the World Series. A year after losing two consecutive potential series-clinching games, the Astros would have to lose three potential series-clinching games to waste this chance. "I think the circumstances today with a one-run game like that to end it like that was really emotional for us," said Lidge, a strikeout pitcher who induced only one double play in the regular season. The Cardinals must find a way to regain their poise after manager Tony La Russa and All-Star center fielder Jim Edmonds were ejected Sunday. Brandon Backe, who held the Cardinals to one run on two hits with three walks and a postseason career-high seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, paid for issuing a leadoff walk on four pitches to David Eckstein in the fourth. Edmonds followed with a double to left, and Pujols gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to right. Jason Lane tied the score in the bottom of the fourth with a home run into the Crawford Boxes off righthander Jeff Suppan. Orlando Palmeiro, hitting for Chad Qualls, led off the seventh with a walk. Biggio followed with a sacrifice bunt to the right side. Reliever Jason Marquis tried to scoop the ball up with his glove, but he flicked the ball away and lost any opportunity to get an out on the error. One out later, Berkman drew a four-pitch walk. La Russa grew incensed by the call and berated plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, who responded by ejecting him. La Russa exploded out of the visitors' dugout to argue the call, prompting crew chief Tim McClelland to step in and take over the argument for Cuzzi. Once La Russa cleared the field, Astros manager Phil Garner sent Willy Taveras to run for Palmeiro. Taveras' speed proved crucial as he tagged up on Ensberg's sacrifice fly to center. Edmonds, a perennial Gold Glove winner, delivered an excellent throw, but Taveras was already popping up from his slide as catcher Yadier Molina took the throw on one hop. "Willy has shown that he can play in these big games all along the course of the season," said Garner, who benched his starting center fielder in place of Burke in Games 3-4. "He's come up big for us." With a runner on and two out in the eighth, Edmonds spun away from Dan Wheeler's 3-1 inside fastball. After Cuzzi ruled that Edmonds didn't check his swing, Edmonds lost his cool and said something to draw a quick ejection. "All I asked him was where the pitch was," Edmonds said. "I said, `How do you call that ball a strike.' And he told me, `Don't come back here ... with me.' Then I said, `That ball's not a strike. You can't call that ball a strike. You've got to do a better job than that.' And he goes, `Well, you've had your warning.' And he threw me out." John Rodriguez took over the at-bat with the count at 3-2 and ripped a line drive about 410 feet. Taveras tracked the ball with ease and made the catch running up the incline in center field to end the inning. With that defensive gem, Taveras sent the crowd to its feet, including former President and first lady George and Barbara Bush, Gov. Rick Perry and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. "I thought Rodriguez gave them a good at-bat coming off the bench under the circumstances," Ryan said. "When you need him, probably Willy is the only man on the team to make that play. Things are going right." After Pujols led off the ninth with a single to center, Larry Walker put runners at first and third with a single to right. Reggie Sanders followed with grounder to third. Running on contact, Pujols was thrown out at home by Ensberg. Even with Ensberg and Everett standing near third, Walker snuck over to third while Lidge thought time had been called. The Cardinals' rally died as Mabry sent his double-play grounder to second. "Probably one of the best double plays I've seen in my life," Berkman said. "I thought there's no way we're going to be able to turn this. I actually thought he might try to throw it home. He pivoted and threw it to second, and I thought, `Oh, man, I better cover first just in case.' Sure enough it was a perfect relay." Box Score HOUSTON (2) VS ST. LOUIS (1) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Houston 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 x - 2 6 0
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 2 1 0 0 2 1
Edmonds cf 3 0 1 0 0 1
Rodriguez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Taguchi cf 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pujols 1b 3 0 2 1 0 1
Walker rf 3 0 1 0 1 0
Sanders lf 4 0 0 0 0 2
Mabry 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1
Molina c 3 0 0 0 0 0
Grudzielanek 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0
Suppan p 2 0 0 0 0 1
Marquis p 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 29 1 5 1 3 7
FIELDING -
E: Marquis (1).
BATTING -
2B: Edmonds (1,off Backe).
SF: Pujols (1,off Backe).
Team LOB: 5.
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0
Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Burke cf,lf 3 0 0 0 1 0
Berkman lf,1b 2 0 0 0 2 0
Ensberg 3b 3 0 2 1 0 0
Lamb 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2
Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bruntlett 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lane rf 3 1 2 1 1 0
Ausmus c 4 0 0 0 0 3
Everett ss 4 0 1 0 0 0
Backe p 2 0 0 0 0 1
Gallo p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Palmeiro ph 0 0 0 0 1 0
Taveras pr,cf 1 1 1 0 0 0
Totals 29 2 6 2 6 6
FIELDING -
DP: 2. Biggio-Everett-Lamb, Bruntlett-Everett-Berkman.
BATTING -
HR: Lane (1,4th inning off Suppan 0 on 1 out).
SH: Biggio (1,off Marquis).
SF: Ensberg (1,off Marquis).
Team LOB: 11.
PITCHING -
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Suppan 5 3 1 1 3 5 1
Marquis L(0-1) 3 3 1 0 3 1 0
Totals 8 6 2 1 6 6 1
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Backe 5.2 2 1 1 3 7 0 21
Gallo 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Qualls W(1-0) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Wheeler 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
Lidge SV(3) 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 4
Totals 9 5 1 1 3 7 0
UMPIRES: HP - Phil Cuzzi, 1B - Larry Poncino, 2B - Gerry Davis, 3B - Tim McClelland, LF -
Greg Gibson, RF - Wally Bell
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Game 5 at Houston - Cardinals 5, Astros 4
Monday, October 17th
Game 5 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 5 9 1
Houston 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 4 9 2
Win - Isringhausen. Loss - Lidge.
HR - Pujols, Berkman.
Time - 3:19. Attendance - 43,470.
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HOUSTON - As Lance Berkman's line drive shot toward the Crawford Boxes on Monday night, the Astros and their long-suffering fans had every right to believe they had finally earned a ticket to the World Series. The wait continues, though. The Astros haven't done anything easily this year, and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols' three-run homer off Brad Lidge forced Houston to wait at least one more game. Exactly 45 years after Houston was awarded Texas' first major-league baseball franchise, the Astros were within one out of clinching the World Series berth in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. But the Cardinals rallied for a 5-4 victory, sending a stunned silence through the sellout crowd of 43,470 at Minute Maid Park. Jason Isringhausen, who pitched two scoreless innings of relief, earned the victory. Lidge, who had given up only one run against the Cardinals since May 29, 2003, suffered the loss after his first blown save of the NLCS. This is the first year in the Cardinals' rich history that they haven't lost more than three consecutive games, and their first four-game losing streak seemed close at hand. But after Lidge retired the first two batters in the ninth, St. Louis shortstop David Eckstein singled through the left side. Jim Edmonds followed with a walk. And with an 0-1 count, Pujols deposited a shot high onto the railroad tracks behind the facade in left field. Until that point, both the crowd and the Astros were buzzing and on their feet. The Astros finally seemed headed to the World Series. Instead, they're headed back to Busch Stadium in the same position they were in last October, when they lost Games 6 and 7 and watched the Cardinals reach the World Series. Only two innings earlier on Monday, the Cardinals were lamenting a three-run home run that took away their 2-1 lead. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, third baseman Hector Luna muffed Craig Biggio's grounder for an error. Chris Burke followed with a single through the right side, putting runners at the corners. Berkman took care of the rest, sending Chris Carpenter's 93 mph fastball into the Crawford Boxes. Carpenter, who won Game 1 and was spared a losing decision in Game 5, gave up nine hits and four runs (three earned) with one walk and six strikeouts over seven innings. Carpenter dominated through the first six innings, taking a 2-1 lead into the seventh. But the Cardinals could not pull away against veteran lefthander Andy Pettitte. A year after sitting out the NLCS loss to the Cardinals while recovering from elbow surgery, Pettitte received a no-decision after giving up seven hits and two runs with two walks and four strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Righthanded reliever Chad Qualls was in line for the victory after two-thirds of an inning of relief, but that all changed in the ninth. The Astros' problems with runners in scoring position cost them in Game 5. After Biggio led off the first with an infield single, Burke sacrificed him over to second. Carpenter pitched around Berkman and walked him. Morgan Ensberg tapped weakly back to the mound for the second out, and Luna made a spectacular play to reach Mike Lamb's grounder down the line before throwing across his body to get Lamb at first, dropping the Astros to 2-for-33 in the series with runners in scoring position. The Astros put runners in scoring position again in the bottom of the second after Jason Lane led off with a single through the left side and Brad Ausmus doubled down the left-field line. Carpenter struck out Adam Everett and got a fielder's choice from Pettitte for the second out. Pujols charged the grounder, made a backhanded grab and delivered a low throw to catcher Yadier Molina, who spun back and applied the tag just as Lane was about to barrel in for the run. Biggio came through with a two-out, broken-bat bloop single to give the Astros a 1-0 lead. Pettitte escaped unscathed in the first despite putting the first two runners on base, but he wasn't as fortunate against that same part of the lineup in the third inning. Eckstein led off the third with a single to center and stole second, and Edmonds put runners at the corners with a single to right. Pettitte struck out Pujols and Reggie Sanders, but Larry Walker loaded the bases with a walk and Mark Grudzielanek capitalized with a two-run single to right, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Box Score ST. LOUIS (5) VS HOUSTON (4) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 5 9 1
Houston 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 4 9 2
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 4 2 2 0 0 0
Edmonds cf 3 2 1 0 2 0
Pujols 1b 5 1 1 3 0 1
Sanders lf 5 0 1 0 0 2
Walker rf 3 0 0 0 1 0
Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grudzielanek 2b 4 0 2 2 0 0
Molina c 4 0 2 0 0 1
Luna 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1
Rodriguez ph 1 0 0 0 0 1
Taguchi rf 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carpenter p 3 0 0 0 0 0
Mabry rf,3b 1 0 0 0 0 1
Totals 36 5 9 5 3 7
FIELDING -
E: Luna (2).
BATTING -
2B: Molina (3,off Pettitte).
HR: Pujols (2,9th inning off Lidge 2 on 2 out).
HBP: Eckstein (1,by Pettitte).
Team LOB: 8.
BASERUNNING -
SB: Eckstein (1,2nd base off Pettitte/Ausmus); Sanders (1,2nd base off Pettitte/Ausmus).
CS: Eckstein (1,2nd base by Pettitte/Ausmus).
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0
Bruntlett 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vizcaino ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Burke cf,lf 4 1 1 0 0 2
Berkman lf,1b 3 1 2 3 1 0
Ensberg 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2
Lamb 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1
Gallo p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lidge p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lane rf 3 0 1 0 0 0
Ausmus c 4 1 1 0 0 0
Everett ss 4 0 1 0 0 1
Pettitte p 1 0 0 0 0 0
Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Palmeiro ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Taveras cf 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 34 4 9 4 1 6
BATTING -
2B: Ausmus (2,off Carpenter).
HR: Berkman (1,7th inning off Carpenter 2 on 1 out).
SH: Burke (1,off Carpenter); Pettitte (2,off Carpenter).
HBP: Lane (1,by Carpenter).
Team LOB: 7.
PITCHING -
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Carpenter 7 9 4 3 1 6 1
Isringhausen W(1-0) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 9 9 4 3 1 6 1
HBP: Carpenter (1,Lane).
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Pettitte 6.1 7 2 2 2 4 0
Qualls 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gallo 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wheeler 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lidge L(0-1) 1 2 3 3 1 3 1
Totals 9 9 5 5 3 7 1
HBP: Pettitte (1,Eckstein).
UMPIRES: HP - Larry Poncino, 1B - Gerry Davis, 2B - Tim McClelland, 3B - Greg Gibson, LF -
Wally Bell, RF - Phil Cuzzi
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Game 6 at St. Louis - Astros 5, Cardinals 1
Wednesday, October 19th
Game 6 Photos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 - 5 11 0
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 1
Win - Oswalt. Loss - Mulder.
HR - Lane.
Time - 2:53. Attendance - 52,438.
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ST. LOUIS - The wait is no longer, Houston. Roy Oswalt took the Busch Stadium mound in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night carrying the burden of a franchise's heartbreaks. And by 10:22 p.m., the final, long-awaited out had been recorded for the Astros to earn their first World Series berth in their 44th season. Houston Astros 5, St. Louis Cardinals 1. "Yes, I would classify it as one of the biggest games, just because of the history of the team of not getting to the World Series after so many years of getting so close," said Oswalt, the NLCS Most Valuable Player. Two nights after a stunned sellout crowd at Minute Maid Park was robbed of a celebration by Albert Pujols' dramatic three-run homer, the Astros returned the favor to the folks of St. Louis. "It's unbelievable even to say the World Series and that we're going right now," said second baseman Craig Biggio, the longest tenured player in Astros history. "So, yeah, I don't know how else to express it. It's a pretty emotional day." A classy, red-clad, sellout crowd of 52,438 even gave the Astros an ovation while watching them party in the last game at Busch Stadium, which will be replaced by a modern stadium next door. Oswalt, who won Games 2 and 6 and finished the NLCS with a 1.29 ERA, held the Cardinals to three hits and one run with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings. In the series, he gave up only two runs in 14 innings. Mark Mulder suffered the loss after giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings. Forty-five years after Houston was awarded Texas' first major-league baseball franchise, the team that was originally named the Colt .45s is preparing for the World Series. "For us, 44 years of getting close and not getting to the big dance has been frustrating," said manager Phil Garner, who played on the 1986 Astros team that lost the NLCS to the New York Mets. "So this is a wonderful accomplishment for our city, for our organization, everybody that's been involved in it." The Astros, who were 15-30 on May 24, are the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to go from 15 games under .500 to the World Series. The Astros got all the runs they needed in the third inning. After Brad Ausmus led off with a single through the left side, Adam Everett hit an infield single to the right side. Oswalt chopped a hard sacrifice bunt back to the mound, and it seemed as though Mulder might have a play at third. After surveying third and second, Mulder settled on the sure out at first. With runners on second and third for Biggio, Mulder threw his first pitch in the dirt. As catcher Yadier Molina chased after the wild pitch, Ausmus sprinted home to give the Astros a 1-0 lead. Everett reached third on the wild pitch and scored on Biggio's single to left. The Astros got to Mulder again in the fourth inning on Jason Lane's solo homer to left field. The Cardinals countered in the fifth. After Oswalt opened the inning by hitting Mark Grudzielanek with a pitch, Molina gave the Cardinals their first hit with a single to right. Abraham Nuņez followed with a fielder's-choice grounder to Oswalt, who slipped and had to rush his throw to second. Oswalt's throw pulled shortstop Everett off the bag. As Molina tried to maneuver away from the tag, Everett dove at him. Second-base umpire Greg Gibson ruled an out, prompting mild arguments from Molina and La Russa. Pinch hitter John Rodriguez cut the Astros' lead to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly. The Astros got that run back in the sixth inning off reliever Jason Marquis, who gave up consecutive one-out singles to Chris Burke and Ausmus to put runners at the corners. Everett gave the Astros a 4-1 lead with perfect squeeze bunt toward third. Morgan Ensberg's RBI single to left gave the Astros a 5-1 lead in the seventh. Members of the 1980 and 2004 Astros teams that each fell one victory short of the World Series surely knew better than to celebrate early. "I was on the '80 team, and me and Nolan (Ryan) were talking about this the other day when we got the two-run lead (in Game 5)," said Astros special assistant Enos Cabell, who played on the 1980 club that fell short against the Philadelphia Phillies. "We're sitting there, and then everybody was yelling and having a good time, and then when that (Pujols) three-run homer came, we said, `Well, we've won this trophy of almost being there numerous times. We don't want that trophy anymore. Somebody else needs to have that trophy.' " There's a new trophy this year in Houston, home of the National League champions. Box Score HOUSTON (5) VS ST. LOUIS (1) PLAYOFFS - FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 - 5 11 0
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 1
HOUSTON AB R H RBI BB SO
Biggio 2b 5 1 2 1 0 0
Wheeler p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Taveras cf 4 0 2 0 0 0
Berkman 1b 4 0 0 0 1 1
Ensberg 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0
Lane rf 4 1 1 1 0 1
Burke lf 4 1 1 0 0 1
Ausmus c 4 1 3 0 0 0
Everett ss 3 1 1 1 0 1
Oswalt p 2 0 0 0 0 1
Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Palmeiro ph 1 0 0 0 0 0
Bruntlett 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 35 5 11 4 1 5
BATTING -
HR: Lane (2,4th inning off Mulder 0 on 1 out).
SH: Oswalt (2,off Mulder); Everett (1,off Marquis); Taveras (1,off Marquis).
Team LOB: 7.
ST. LOUIS AB R H RBI BB SO
Eckstein ss 3 0 0 0 0 1
Edmonds cf 3 0 0 0 1 1
Pujols 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1
Walker rf 4 0 1 0 0 1
Sanders lf 3 0 0 0 0 3
Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mabry lf 1 0 0 0 0 1
Grudzielanek 2b 3 1 1 0 0 0
Molina c 4 0 1 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0
Mulder p 1 0 0 0 0 1
Thompson p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez ph 0 0 0 1 0 0
Marquis p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Flores p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Taguchi lf 1 0 0 0 0 0
Isringhausen p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 1 4 1 1 9
FIELDING -
E: Edmonds (1).
BATTING -
2B: Walker (1,off Oswalt).
SF: Rodriguez (1,off Oswalt).
HBP: Eckstein (2,by Oswalt); Grudzielanek (1,by Oswalt).
Team LOB: 6.
PITCHING -
HOUSTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Oswalt W(2-0) 7 3 1 1 1 6 0
Qualls 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Wheeler 1 1 0 0 0 2 0
Totals 9 4 1 1 1 9 0
HBP: Oswalt 2 (2,Eckstein,Grudzielanek).
ST. LOUIS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Mulder L(0-2) 4.2 6 3 3 1 2 1
Thompson 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Marquis 1.1 3 2 2 0 1 0
Flores 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Tavarez 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0
Isringhausen 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 9 11 5 5 1 5 1
WP: Mulder 2 (2), Tavarez (2).
UMPIRES: HP - Gerry Davis, 1B - Tim McClelland, 2B - Greg Gibson, 3B - Wally Bell, LF -
Phil Cuzzi, RF - Larry Poncino
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Information for this page was compiled from Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals media sources, the Houston Chronicle and Retrosheet.org.