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SERIES: NL championship series; tied, 3-3.
This is why Houston manager Phil Garner held Rogers Clemens back. And this is why the Astros lured The Rocket out of retirement last winter.
For the third time in four seasons, Clemens will be on the mound for a decisive Game 7.
Only this time, he'll be doing it for his hometown team, hoping to pitch them into their first World Series ever as he goes against the rejuvenated St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Clemens followed New York Yankees teammate and fellow Houston native Andy Pettitte to the Astros as a free agent this past offseason, hoping to spur them into the postseason and ultimately, to their first-ever Fall Classic.
While Pettitte wound up shutting himself down for the season with an elbow injury, Clemens fueled Houston's amazing second-half turnaround. He helped the Astros capture the NL wild card by winning 18 of his 22 decisions overall, and is unbeaten in his last 13 starts, including three this postseason.
Garner had a chance to send Clemens to the mound on short rest for a potential pennant-clinching win in Game 6, but opted to go with Peter Munro instead. The move nearly worked.
After dropping three straight games in Houston, the Cardinals remained unbeaten at home this postseason as Jim Edmonds' two-run homer off reliever Dan Miceli in the bottom of the 12th gave them a dramatic 6-4 win and set the stage for the second straight Game 7 in NLCS play.
``This what it's all about, right here,'' Edmonds said. ``We all watched TV as kids. We all hear all the stuff you guys say and write and show us. I finally get to play in a Game 7.
``I think how much better does it get? Game 7 vs. Roger Clemens.''
Last year, the Florida Marlins rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to upend the Chicago Cubs in a decisive game at Wrigley Field.
Clemens pitched a Game 7 on short rest in the ALCS last year, lasting just three-plus innings in New York's come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Boston in 11 innings.
In 2001, Clemens was on the hill for the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series against Arizona ace Curt Schilling. He allowed one run and struck out 10 over 6 1-3 brilliant innings that night, but the Yankees lost 3-2 as Mariano Rivera blew a save in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Fortunately for the Astros, the 42-year-old Clemens won't be the only ace available Thursday night.
Roy Oswalt, the NL's only 20-game winner, will be ready in the Houston bullpen if Clemens falters early, and may take on a more significant role later in the game after Houston closer Brad Lidge was used for three innings in Game 6.
Garner only put Lidge in after the Astros rallied to tie the game against St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen in the top of the ninth. Long-time Astro
Jeff Bagwell came through with the clutch RBI single, but Isringhausen escaped further trouble and worked a scoreless 10th.
Julian Tavarez, who broke his left hand in frustration after giving up the go-ahead homer to Carlos Beltran in Game 4, added two perfect innings and picked up the win when Edmonds connected off Miceli in the 12th.
``A very winnable game for us, so I'm disappointed,'' Garner said. ``Haven't given much thought to tomorrow's game, only that I had scheduled the Rocket to go.''
The only positive to come out of Miceli's second loss in the series was that is prevented Garner from putting in Oswalt, who was ready to pitch the 13th inning if necessary.
The Cardinals, who have not reached the World Series since 1987, improved to 5-0 at home in these playoffs. St. Louis' power-laden lineup had been limited to just seven runs and hit a combined .161 during the three losses in Houston, including a 3-0 blanking on Monday, but the Cardinals have scored at least six runs in each of their five playoff games at home.
Clemens almost singlhandedly got Houston back in the series in Game 3. The six-time Cy Young winner, who is a strong candidate to take home a record seventh this year, gritted his way through seven solid innings, allowing two runs and four hits as the Astros climbed back to 2-1 with a 5-2 victory.
The Cardinals will counter with Jeff Suppan, who held his own against Clemens in Game 3, allowing three runs and five hits over six innings. Suppan took the loss, however, after pitching St. Louis to a 6-2 series-clinching Game 4 victory at Los Angeles on Oct. 10.
``I've never seen him pitch when he wasn't tough to beat,'' Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Clemens. ``It shapes up to be a terrific matchup.''
If Clemens can get the Astros past the Cardinals, he'll have a chance to go up against his former team, the Boston Red Sox, in the World Series, which begins Saturday Fenway Park.
Boston became the first major league team ever to overcome a 3-0 series deficit, winning four straight from the defending AL champion Yankees.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Astros - Wild-card winner; beat Atlanta Braves 3-2, division series. Cardinals - NL Central champion; beat Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1, division series.
PROJECTED LINEUPS: Astros - LF Craig Biggio (.281, 24 HRs, 63 RBIs, 47 2Bs, 100 runs), CF Beltran (.267, 38, 104, 42 SBs for Kansas City and Houston), 1B Bagwell (.266, 27, 89), RF Lance Berkman (.316, 30, 106, 127 BBs, 104 runs), 2B Jeff Kent (.289, 27, 107), 3B Morgan Ensberg (.275, 10, 66), SS Jose Vizcaino
(.274, 3, 33), C Brad Ausmus (.248, 5, 31). Cardinals - 2B Tony Womack (.307 avg., 5 HRs, 38 RBIs, 26 SBs), RF Larry Walker (.298, 17, 47 in 258 at-bats with Colorado and St. Louis), 1B Albert Pujols (.331, 46, 123, 51 2Bs, 133 runs), 3B Scott Rolen (.314, 34, 124), CF Edmonds (.301, 42, 111, 38 2Bs), 2B Edgar Renteria (.287, 10, 72, 17 SBs), LF Reggie Sanders (.260, 22, 67, 21 SBs), C Mike Matheny (.247, 5, 50).
ASTROS PROBABLE STARTING PITCHER: Clemens (2-0, 2.84 ERA). Clemens, who recorded his 300th career victory against St. Louis in New York last June, is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals, not including his victory over them in Game 3.
CARDINALS PROBABLE STARTING PITCHER: Suppan (1-1, 3.46 ERA). Suppan is 2-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 10 career regular season appearances, including nine starts, against the Astros. At home this year, he went 6-8 with a 4.75 ERA in 17 starts.
REGULAR SEASON SERIES: Astros, 10-8.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Astros - Clemens also started Game 7 of the 1986 ALCS against the California Angels, pitching the Red Sox to an 8-1 victory. That was Boston's last World Series appearance before this year. ... Beltran, who is hitting .462 with eight homers and 14 RBIs this postseason, banged a pair of balls of the wall in Game 6, settling for singles each time. He also scored twice, giving him 20 runs in the postseason to break Barry Bonds' record of 18, set in 2002. ... The teams have combined for 22 home runs, one shy of the record for a postseason series set by the Cubs and Marlins in last year's NLCS. Cardinals - Before Game 6, La Russa angrily confronted baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson behind the batting cage, steamed that Tavarez was fined $10,000 for a pitch over Bagwell's helmet in Game 4. ... Womack singled twice in Game 6, but left after three innings because of lower back spasms. Hector Luna took over at 2B. La Russa said it was uncertain if Womack would play Thursday night. ... Isringhausen pitched three innings in Game 6 for the first time since Sept. 9, 2001, with Oakland.
POSTSEASON ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Astros - 2-4 on the road. Cardinals - 5-0 at home.
