CARDINALS 6, ASTROS 4 (12): A two-run shot keeps St. Louis alive as the home team wins a sixth straight time.
By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published October 21, 2004
ST. LOUIS - Jim Edmonds admitted he has been jealous watching the Red Sox celebrate dramatic wins during their series with the Yankees.
So how appropriate was it Wednesday at Busch Stadium when the Cardinals centerfielder was mobbed by his popcorning teammates after his two-run, 12th-inning home run gave St. Louis a 6-4 victory over the Astros in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series?
"It was fun," Edmonds said. "It was nice to get some energy back."
And a dramatic way to set up tonight's deciding Game 7 for a spot in the World Series.
"The biggest hit of my career," Edmonds said. "This is what it's all about. What a great feeling. I'm just happy to be part of it."
If there is anything to momentum or precedent, the Cardinals have to like their chances.
Neither team has won on the road in the series, and St. Louis is 5-0 at home in the playoffs. Three times, the Cardinals have returned home in a seven-game series trailing 3-2 and won, and Houston is 1-6 all-time in games in which it could clinch a series.
The Astros have future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens going against Jeff Suppan. But Brad Lidge, one of the game's premier closers, may have only one inning in him after going three Wednesday.
"Adrenaline is going to take over," Cardinals reliever Ray King said. "Everybody will throw it on the line. We're confident that in one game, everyone can get it done."
It was a thrilling ballgame.
Three home runs gave the series 23 to tie last season's record set by the Cubs and Marlins. Both bullpens were spectacular and pitched a combined 16 innings while allowing three runs. Lidge was perfect in the ninth, 10th and 11th with five strikeouts.
There also was redemption for Cardinals pitcher Julian Tavarez, the goat of Game 4, who found out pregame he was fined $10,000 by Major League Baseball for throwing at Jeff Bagwell and got the victory despite two broken bones in his left (nonpitching) hand.
"A good ballgame," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "I'm sure the Cardinals fans enjoyed it. But I'm sure people around the country who enjoy baseball enjoyed the game, too."
Albert Pujols' two-run home run in the first inning off starter Pete Munro and Edgar Renteria's two-run single in the third gave St. Louis a 4-2 lead.
Houston moved to 4-3 in the fourth on Mike Lamb's homer off starter Matt Morris and tied it in the ninth on Bagwell's third hit, a two-out, run-scoring single off closer Jason Isringhausen.
There was plenty to critique as well, such as Pujols in the fourth inning blowing past the stop sign of third-base coach Jose Oquendo.
Pujols steamed from first after Scott Rolen's grounder down the third-base line hit the stands and ricocheted into short leftfield. Houston shortstop Jose Vizcaino retrieved the ball and threw out Pujols at the plate to preserve a 4-3 score.
"To tell you the truth, I never saw Oquendo," Pujols said. "I looked back and saw where the ball was and thought I had a pretty good chance to score."
Then there was Garner's well-discussed decision to rest Clemens for a fourth day and start Munro, who lasted 21/3 innings and gave up four runs. And Garner's decision to bring in Dan Miceli to start the 12th instead of, say, starter Roy Oswalt.
In one inning of NLCS work, Miceli had an 18.00 ERA and allowed two home runs.
"He's pitched for me in the eighth inning for quite some time," Garner said. "He's done a pretty good job of it. Go get the guy back on the horse when he falls off."
He fell hard again, walking Pujols on four pitches to start the inning and one out later serving the losing pitch to Edmonds.
"I was just trying to get a hit," Edmonds said. "I wasn't trying to go deep. I was just trying to hit it hard."
