CHICAGO – Maybe no two Astros had more passion to reach the World Series than longtime teammates Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

But in a sense, there was another Astro who needed Houston to reach the Fall Classic even more.

Otherwise, Brad Lidge might be having a lot of trouble sleeping.

Lidge is the Astros’ superb closer, but with a chance to close out the NLCS in five games last week, he suffered an enormous collapse.

In the ninth inning of Game 5 against the Cardinals, Lidge served up Albert Pujols’ two-out, three-run homer, costing the Astros the pennant that night.

Two days later, though, Houston wrapped up the series. And now Lidge gets another chance in the playoffs – as well as an opportunity to win a World Series ring.

On Friday, Lidge – who did not pitch in Game 6 of the NLCS – said he was anxious to get back on the mound. But it wasn’t necessarily to exorcise his Game 5 demons.

“I want to get back out there any time it’s a postseason game,” he said. “The thing that happened in Game 5 doesn’t really affect me one way or another now.

“It’s the World Series. The World Series is starting. And I want to pitch in the World Series. So I just can’t wait to pitch whenever that time is possible.”

Although Lidge is probably best known at the moment for what he did -and didn’t do – in Game 5, he still entered the World Series last night as the best and most dominant reliever on either team.

Lidge posted a 2.29 ERA during the season and converted 42 of 46 save chances, thanks to a mid-90s fastball and a vicious slider.

“He’s the best closer in the game,” Astros set-up man Dan Wheeler said Friday.

Now Lidge has a chance to prove that again. The last time he pitched, it was a disaster in a huge spot. Lidge now has seven more games to erase that memory.

And maybe save a championship.