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DAMIAN CRISTODEROASTROS 3, CARDINALS 0: A masterful outing sets up Jeff Kent's walkoff homer as Houston takes the series lead.
HOUSTON - Brandon Backe pitched Monday night as if he had been doing it all his life.
But given that the Astros starter has only been on the mound since 2001, it turned what happened in Game 5 of the National League Championship series from superb to extraordinary.
Backe, converted as a minor-leaguer from outfield to pitcher - by the Devil Rays, for goodness' sake - pitched a one-hitter over eight innings at Minute Maid Park as the Astros earned a dramatic 3-0 victory over the Cardinals.
Jeff Kent's three-run home run to leftfield with one out in the ninth inning on the first pitch from reliever Jason Isringhausen sent the sellout crowd of 43,045 into a screaming, hanky-waving frenzy.
And the three-game sweep in Houston gave the Astros a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series with a chance Wednesday to clinch their first trip to the World Series.
"I'm excited," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "That's as good as it gets."
For Backe too, who outdueled Cardinals starter Woody Williams, who pitched a one-hitter over seven innings with four strikeouts and two walks.
"You can't really describe what happened out there," Backe said. "We were both just in a rhythm and feeling good about ourselves. I can only speak for myself but when you feel as good as I did out there and felt in the rhythm I was in, you just feel like nobody can hit you."
"Backe," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said, "was outstanding."
Traded straight up in December for underachieving third baseman Geoff Blum, Backe retired his first 13 batters. Jim Edmonds was the first St. Louis baserunner when he walked with one out in the fifth inning. Tony Womack got the first hit with a two-out single in the sixth.
Backe threw 101 pitches, struck out four and walked two before being removed for a pinch-hitter.
Closer Brad Lidge came in for a third consecutive game and pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out Larry Walker and Albert Pujols.
Isringhausen could not match Lidge. Carlos Beltran opened the ninth with a single and stole second with one out. Lance Berkman was walked intentionally, which set the stage for Kent, who got Houston's third hit and hit his third home run of the series.
It was the 20th home run of the series, three off the record set last season by the Cubs and Marlins.
Beltran's record of five consecutive games with a home run was snapped, but the centerfielder's diving catch of Edgar Renteria's sinking liner ended the seventh.
Backe got similar help in the third inning from third baseman Morgan Ensberg, who lunged to his right to snare Reggie Sanders' line drive for the first out.
Other than that, Backe had it easy.
And he was taking it easier. That is, he was not expending energy on anything other than pitching. When Backe was taken out of Game 1 after 42/3 innings, he said he was physically and mentally exhausted.
Backe entered Monday saying he would concentrate at better directing his energy.
"It's going to be tough," he said. "You're telling me to hide my emotions. I'm going to focus myself on just using my energy on the mound instead of all the little extra things I do."
"When you have that energy you feel like you can go on forever," Garner said. "Sometimes you can. But you can also wear yourself out."
Backe, who grew up in nearby Galveston and all night heard chants of "Back-ee, Back-ee," wore out the Cardinals. The only ball that came close to a hit through the first five innings was Sanders' line drive.
Williams pitched pretty well too. He gave up a single to Jeff Bagwell in the first inning and walked Brad Ausmus in the third and Berkman in the fourth.