Cards 10

Astros

ST. LOUIS – In retrospect, there was virtually no chance of the Astros beating the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLCS. Sure stranger things have happened: Roy Jones getting knocked out twice in a row, four hurricanes pounding Florida and the football Giants starting the season 4-1.

But there was no deviation from logical thinking at Busch Stadium last night where the Astros sent out their No. 3 starter, who split time in the minors this year, and a weary bullpen against the best-hitting team in the major leagues.

The not-that-close result – Cardinals 10, Astros 7 – suggests this best-of-seven series won’t reach its limit. Not if the Cardinals kept pounding the Astros pitching like they did last night.

A two-run home run by Albert Pujols and a three-run double by Jim Edmonds were the biggest blows in a 12-hit assault by the Cardinals, who’ll try to take a 2-0 lead in the series tonight when St. Louis right-hander Matt Morris goes against Astros righty Pete Munro, who will be making his first postseason start.

Munro admitted he’s nervous. “I’m nervous in any type of game atmosphere,” he said. “I believe that’s normal. If you don’t (get nervous) there’s something wrong with you.”

He has reason to be nervous. The Cardinals tagged last night’s starter Brandon Backe for four earned runs in 42/3 innings then ravaged the Astro bullpen for six runs in the sixth. So much for confidence and momentum.

The Astros were the only team to win a season series against the Cardinals, including a three-game sweep in Houston in late September. That coupled with their NLDS triumph over the Braves, their first ever win of a postseason series, provided the so-called momentum and confidence coming into last night’s game.

“We feel like we can be very competitive, and we’ll play very good against them,” Astro manager Phil Garner said.

Game 1 was competitive for five innings. The Astros jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of a two-run home run by Carlos Beltran, his fifth of the postseason. But the Cardinals answered with a two-run homer of their own. Larry Walker reached on a triple that was misplayed by rightfielder Lance Berkman, and Pujols followed by slamming a 2-0 pitch from Backe over the right-field wall.

The Astros regained the lead in the fourth on a two-run home run by Jeff Kent. But Backe, who had pitched the wildcard clincher on the final day of the regular season and beat the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS, couldn’t hold the lead.

In the fifth, he gave up a double to opposing pitcher Woody Williams, a run-scoring double to Walker and a walk to Pujols. Garner then pulled Backe for reliever Chad Qualls, who promptly served up Scott Rolen’s first hit of the postseason. Rolen, hobbled by an ankle injury, had been hitless in 14 at-bats before his single to left scored Walker to tie the game 4-4.

The Cardinals then broke the game open with six runs in the sixth. Edgar Renteria started the inning with a single up the middle and by the time he grounded to second for the third out, the Cardinals had used five hits and two walks to take a 10-4 lead. The big blow was a bases-clearing three-run double by Edmonds.

So much for being competitive.

The Astros, however, aren’t about to give up.

“What got us here is a belief, a belief that we can get it done,” Garner said. “I think that’s probably our most important ingredient going forward.”