NEW YORK, 16 October 2004 — Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the St Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game Two of the NL Championship Series at Busch Stadium on Thursday.
Rolen hit two of the Cardinals four home runs in the game as the Central Division champions rallied from a three-run deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The teams now travel to Houston for three games from today, with pitching aces Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens scheduled to start for the wild card Astros in the next two contests.
“We’re going into a tough place to play a very good team. Nobody’s celebrating as we have a lot ahead of us,” Cardinals Manager Tony LaRussa said after the game. “Our defense was very solid. Defense compliments pitching and it makes for a good way to win.”
The game was delayed more than a half hour due to rain, which continued throughout most of the night.
The Astros jumped in front in the first inning on a solo home run by Carlos Beltran and led 2-0 on another solo homer by Morgan Ensberg in the fourth.
Lance Berkman’s RBI single in the top of the fifth made it 3-0 to Houston but the Cardinals rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the inning on a pair of two-run homers from Rolen and Larry Walker.
Houston would not be denied, however, as Ensberg tied the game with a run-scoring single in the seventh. That set the stage for Pujols and Rolen to blast consecutive homers off reliever Dan Miceli in the eighth.
After the big hits, Miceli retired the side and was charged with the loss. Julian Tavarez got the win for the Cardinals, pitching a perfect eighth inning, and Jason Isringhausen did likewise in the ninth to pick up the save.
Rolen wound up with two hits and three RBI for St Louis, while Pujols had three hits, scored two runs and drove in one more with his homer. “I don’t know what my post-season numbers are but tonight I contributed to help us win a ballgame,” Rolen said.
Ensberg had two hits and two RBI for Houston, while Berkman and Jose Vizcaino each had two hits for the Astros, who tried to remain upbeat despite the loss. “When we go home we feel really good and confident with how we play,” Ensberg said. “I don’t think we feel down or intimidated at all.”
Red Sox Scratch Schilling From Game Five Start
The Boston Red Sox’s chances of advancing past the New York Yankees into baseball’s World Series suffered a blow on Thursday with pitcher Curt Schilling being scratched from his Game Five start due to an injured ankle.
The Yankees lead the best of seven American League championship series 2-0, with the next three games moving to Boston. Schilling was scheduled to start tomorrow’s fifth game, if the series goes that far.
The 37-year-old right-hander, who led the majors this season with 21 wins, aggravated an ankle injury during Game One on Tuesday and will require surgery as soon as the season ends. He lasted three innings and gave up six runs in the 10-7 loss.
Bronson Arroyo is scheduled to start Game Three for the Red Sox with Tim Wakefield starting Game Four.
If there is a Game Five, 14-game winner Derek Lowe is expected to start, though Francona might consider using three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez on three days rest.
