HOUSTON - If you like power baseball, this is your series.
The Astros and Cardinals have 16 home runs, most after three games of a League Championship Series and seven behind the series record set last season by the Marlins and Cubs.
"And I think there's going to be a lot more," said Houston centerfielder Carlos Beltran who hit his third of the series and seventh of the postseason in Saturday's 5-2 victory.
Beltran said it is one of the perks of playing a division rival whom you see 18 times during the season.
"We know them and their starting rotation," he said, "and they know us."
"Both clubs have good home run strength and good home run power," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "There's potential to see more of what we've seen the last couple of days."
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said it comes down to pitching.
"If you look at the home runs hit by both sides, they've been all hittable pitches," he said. "Dangerous lineups and mistakes. Guys are punishing."
THROW IT AWAY: There was a strange moment in the fourth when St. Louis batter Reggie Sanders, with a 2-and-2 count, called for time as Astros pitcher Roger Clemens was starting his windup.
Clemens saw the signal late from home-plate umpire Gary Darling, changed his motion and softly threw behind Sanders, who had stepped from the batter's box.
"Came close to letting that ball go flying," Clemens said. "I don't want to hold onto the ball. I try to let it go regardless."
"He didn't want to show what pitch he was throwing," Sanders said. "He wasn't trying to hit me. There was nothing to it at all."
NEEDLING THE PITCHER: Roy Oswalt, who starts today's Game 4 for the Astros, has been bothered for most of the season by a pulled muscle on the left side of his rib cage. The right-hander said he has been taking injections before starts.
"It's just something that's kind of lingering," Oswalt said. "If I had some time off, more than three or four days, it would probably heal, if I had 15 or 20 days off. But we're not going to get that right now."
Garner said the injury will not worsen. It is just a matter of how much pain Oswalt can take.
"There are occasions late in the ballgame when he might feel it a little bit," Garner said. "But it's not something I've had to go take him out because he can't pitch any more."
DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Houston rightfielder Lance Berkman said Saturday's game was a "must win," as is today's. But second baseman Jeff Kent did not want to hear it.
"I'm so tired of people saying we must win this and must win that," he said. "That is so worn out."
Kent said he prefers taking one game at a time. "Screw the future," he said. "Play it now, and after you play it, try again."
DOWN NOT OUT II: Righty Jason Marquis admitted he was perturbed when moved from No. 2 to 4 in the Cardinals rotation but now is just happy he is getting to pitch.
"It was just my initial reaction, nothing more than that," Marquis said. "I'm very excited to get the ball in Game 4. My main goal is to get to the World Series any which way. If that's getting the ball two times, three times, five times, I'm all for it."
Marquis said he would even go to the bullpen for Games 6 and 7, if necessary.
ODDS AND ENDS: President George H.W. Bush attended the game. ... The Cardinals' 150 playoff games are fourth all-time. ... Umpire Ed Rapuano, who left Game 2 in the third because of dizziness, was at third base. ... La Russa said reliever Steve Kline (finger tendon) could still pitch in the series.
