Stars align: Astros in Series
ST. LOUIS – Albert Pujols silenced a city. Roy Oswalt gave it a voice again.
Interrupted by Pujols’ two-out, ninth-inning homer, the cheers that resonated through Minute Maid Park on Monday resumed throughout Houston as the Astros clinched their first World Series berth.
Unable to advance at home despite coming within a strike, the Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-1, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
Next stop: U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday for the Fall Classic against the American League champion Chicago White Sox.
Behind Oswalt’s seven-inning, 118-pitch effort, the Astros became the fourth wild-card team in as many years to reach the World Series and the first to avenge an NLCS loss in a rematch the following season.
“The only regret you have is not winning at home,” Astros manager Phil Garner said. “Houston, we have a Series and you’re going to love it. … It’s been 44 years of getting close and not getting to the big dance. It’s a wonderful accomplishment.”
The wait is over for Astros monoliths Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, who have played a combined 4,714 games for the organization. Including Monday, the Astros had gone 0-5 in NLCS-clinching games during the franchise’s 44-year existence.
“Honest is always better,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said about Biggio and Bagwell getting to the Series. “I was hoping to break their heart again.”
The Astros had experienced plenty of NLCS Game 6 heartache. In 1986 they were eliminated at home after losing a 16-inning affair to the Mets. Last season, Jim Edmonds’ two-run, 12th-inning walk-off homer sent the series to a deciding seventh game the Cardinals won.
Oswalt, who recorded his second road victory of the series, changed that. He allowed a run on three hits and struck out six over seven innings before turning it over to Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler. They combined for the last two scoreless innings.
Only two batters reached second off Oswalt during his 118-pitch outing.
“There’s a reason the clubhouse was loose today,” Garner said. “When you run Roy out there you have to feel pretty good about your chances. We see a true competitor here with Roy. The way he went about his business tonight gave us great confidence.”
The Cardinals did not get their first of four hits until the fifth, when Yadier Molina singled to left after Mark Grudzielanek became the second of two batters Oswalt plunked. Oswalt negotiated the situation with a little help from second-base umpire Greg Gibson.
After fielding an Abraham Nunez comebacker, Oswalt pulled shortstop Adam Everett off the bag with his throw. Gibson said Everett tagged Molina when replays showed he did not.
John Rodriguez contributed a pinch-hit sacrifice fly before Oswalt struck out David Eckstein looking to end the inning.
The Astros got the run back in the sixth off Jason Marquis when Everett executed a perfect suicide squeeze. That was the first of two runs Marquis gave up during his 1 1/3 -inning relief stint.
“The biggest thing for me was once we got the lead I knew I could go right at them,” said Oswalt, the NLCS MVP.
Wednesday’s game was the last at 39-year-old Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will move into a new ballpark next season.
“Did we give it our best shot?” La Russa said. “I think we did. … They had a lot of things as a team they did well to win four games. One of the biggest things they had was the fellow that pitched tonight. He worked us over.”