| HOUSTON
(AP) -- They were perched atop the dugout steps, ready to
race onto the field for a wild celebration.
Only
one out to go for the Houston Astros to reach their first
World Series. Only one problem -- it was Albert Pujols.
And
with one mighty swing, Pujols saved St. Louis by hitting a
stunning three-run homer off Brad Lidge in the ninth inning
as the Cardinals rallied for a 5-4 victory Monday night in
Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.
"I
just couldn't believe I did it," Pujols said. "Couldn't
be better than this."
Pujols'
shot over the train tracks high above the left-field wall
sent the series back to St. Louis for Game 6 on Wednesday
night, with Mark Mulder set to face Houston's Roy Oswalt.
The Cardinals also staved off the wrecking ball at Busch Stadium,
scheduled for demolition as soon as their season is over.
One
strike from ecstasy before David Eckstein's ninth-inning single,
the Astros dropped to an agonizing 0-5 with a chance to clinch
the NLCS.
One
moment, Minute Maid Park was buzzing. The next, it was silent.
"It
was devastating. We thought we were going to the World Series.
We were there," Lance Berkman said. "Obviously,
it was a high to a low, and it wasn't much fun."
After
winning pitcher Jason Isringhausen closed it with two innings
of scoreless relief, shocked fans filed quietly out of the
ballpark.
They
came to see something they had never seen before, their hometown
heroes advancing to the World Series. Instead, they saw another
kind of history.
It
was only the second time in postseason history that a team
facing elimination and trailing in the ninth inning hit a
go-ahead home run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The
other was Dave Henderson's homer for Boston off the Angels'
Donnie Moore in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS.
Berkman's
three-run homer in the seventh off Chris Carpenter gave Houston
a 4-2 lead, sending the crowd into a deafening roar, and the
Astros appeared ready to wrap up this NLCS rematch.
They
put their fate in Lidge's normally sure hands. But, trying
for his fourth straight save in the series, he couldn't come
through.
"This
is a bump in the road, but there's no way this is going to
get anybody down," Lidge said. "This will sting
a lot tonight, but when I wake up tomorrow I'll be ready to
go"
After
Lidge retired his first two batters in the ninth, the pesky
Eckstein grounded a single to left on a 1-2 pitch. Jim Edmonds
worked out a walk and Pujols, who had failed to deliver with
runners on all night, drove an 0-1 pitch over the limestone
facade.
Astros
starter Andy Pettitte, in the dugout and ready to celebrate
with his teammates, mouthed the words "Oh, my" as
the ball left the park. Pujols tossed his bat and took a moment
to watch it sail while Lidge sank into a crouch on the mound.
When
Pujols got back to the dugout, manager Tony La Russa grabbed
him for a huge hug.
"He
just told me, 'The Great Pujols,'" the slugger said.
"They're going to be ready in St. Louis. We just need
to win two before we lose one."
It
was a crushing loss for the Astros and their "Killer
B's." Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are still trying
to reach the World Series for the first time after 15 years
as teammates.
"It's
terrible. You're high as a kite one minute," manager
Phil Garner said. "We were feeling pretty good, but you
have to play every out."
With
a chance to reach the World Series for the first time in their
44-season history, the wild-card Astros drew a revved-up crowd
that was ready to party. Some wore those bright, old rainbow
jerseys, and even owner Drayton McLane was jumping out of
his box seat now and then.
When
the Astros went ahead late, a nice touch of symmetry seemed
to be in store: Exactly 45 years ago Monday, Houston was awarded
an expansion franchise at an NL meeting in Chicago.
That's
where the winner of this series will go -- to face the White
Sox -- but it's not over yet, thanks to Pujols.
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