Sunday, October 10, 2004
Braves Beat Astros 6-5, Set Up Atlanta Finale
Sun Oct 10, 6:43 PM ET
By Mark Babineck
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Adam LaRoche (news) crushed a game-tying three-run homer and J.D. Drew (news) slapped a ninth-inning RBI single to give the Braves a 6-5 comeback victory over the Houston Astros (news) on Sunday.
Reuters Photo
The result leveled the best-of-five National League Division Series at 2-2 and set up a finale back in Atlanta.
"It was a little momentum swing, I think," said rookie LaRoche, who had refused to let a freak play that cost the Braves dearly get him down.
"Some guys were thinking, 'This might be our last game.' That turned the emotions around and kind of gave the guys a boost."
J.D. Drew finished off the Astros with a ninth-inning RBI single and John Smoltz (news) pitched two scoreless innings at the end.
The Braves had good reason to be somber.
Leading 2-1 in the second inning, starter Russ Ortiz (news) appeared to get out of a jam when he caught Craig Biggio (news)'s pop fly after it careened off Minute Maid Park's rafters.
The umpires ruled the ball dead because it hit the roof, which was closed despite fair weather, in foul territory.
Given new life, Biggio lined a three-run homer into the left-field seats and Jeff Bagwell (news)'s run-scoring single two batters later made it 5-2.
Roger Clemens (news) left the game after five innings and reliever Chad Qualls promptly got into trouble, serving up two hits before LaRoche's first-pitch blast.
ON FUMES
"He was at the end of his rope," Astros manager Phil Garner said when asked why he lifted Clemens. "He gave us everything he had. That last inning, he was on fumes."
Garner, who has had uncanny success with his moves since he took over at mid-season, inserted closer Brad Lidge (news) in the eighth inning, then lifted him for pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro (news) when the Astros had runners on the corners with two out.
Palmeiro grounded out to first on a close play, leaving Garner to use journeyman reliever Russ Springer in the ninth.
Springer recorded two quick strikeouts before hitting Rafael Furcal (news) with a pitch. Furcal stole second and scored on the hit by Drew, who had been 2-for-15 in the series.
"J.D Drew has been struggling, no doubt about that," Cox said. "He rose today. That's baseball."
Clemens, who was a career 0-3 with a 6.98 ERA in playoff starts on short rest, seemed to get stronger as the game wore on.
"You can tell he knows what he's doing out there," said LaRoche, who was three years old when Clemens made his major-league debut.
"He doesn't leave anything over the heart of the plate. He was impressive, like we knew he was going to be."
Braves starter Russ Ortiz gave up five runs in three innings but was mindful his pitching line might have been very different had the roof been open and Biggio popped out.
"After I caught it I was pretty excited because I thought it was the third out," Ortiz said. "But those are the rules, I guess."
The Astros were trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history. The Braves have failed to move beyond the first round in three of the last four seasons and have lost two straight Game 5's.
Sun Oct 10, 6:43 PM ET
By Mark Babineck
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Adam LaRoche (news) crushed a game-tying three-run homer and J.D. Drew (news) slapped a ninth-inning RBI single to give the Braves a 6-5 comeback victory over the Houston Astros (news) on Sunday.
Reuters Photo
The result leveled the best-of-five National League Division Series at 2-2 and set up a finale back in Atlanta.
"It was a little momentum swing, I think," said rookie LaRoche, who had refused to let a freak play that cost the Braves dearly get him down.
"Some guys were thinking, 'This might be our last game.' That turned the emotions around and kind of gave the guys a boost."
J.D. Drew finished off the Astros with a ninth-inning RBI single and John Smoltz (news) pitched two scoreless innings at the end.
The Braves had good reason to be somber.
Leading 2-1 in the second inning, starter Russ Ortiz (news) appeared to get out of a jam when he caught Craig Biggio (news)'s pop fly after it careened off Minute Maid Park's rafters.
The umpires ruled the ball dead because it hit the roof, which was closed despite fair weather, in foul territory.
Given new life, Biggio lined a three-run homer into the left-field seats and Jeff Bagwell (news)'s run-scoring single two batters later made it 5-2.
Roger Clemens (news) left the game after five innings and reliever Chad Qualls promptly got into trouble, serving up two hits before LaRoche's first-pitch blast.
ON FUMES
"He was at the end of his rope," Astros manager Phil Garner said when asked why he lifted Clemens. "He gave us everything he had. That last inning, he was on fumes."
Garner, who has had uncanny success with his moves since he took over at mid-season, inserted closer Brad Lidge (news) in the eighth inning, then lifted him for pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro (news) when the Astros had runners on the corners with two out.
Palmeiro grounded out to first on a close play, leaving Garner to use journeyman reliever Russ Springer in the ninth.
Springer recorded two quick strikeouts before hitting Rafael Furcal (news) with a pitch. Furcal stole second and scored on the hit by Drew, who had been 2-for-15 in the series.
"J.D Drew has been struggling, no doubt about that," Cox said. "He rose today. That's baseball."
Clemens, who was a career 0-3 with a 6.98 ERA in playoff starts on short rest, seemed to get stronger as the game wore on.
"You can tell he knows what he's doing out there," said LaRoche, who was three years old when Clemens made his major-league debut.
"He doesn't leave anything over the heart of the plate. He was impressive, like we knew he was going to be."
Braves starter Russ Ortiz gave up five runs in three innings but was mindful his pitching line might have been very different had the roof been open and Biggio popped out.
"After I caught it I was pretty excited because I thought it was the third out," Ortiz said. "But those are the rules, I guess."
The Astros were trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history. The Braves have failed to move beyond the first round in three of the last four seasons and have lost two straight Game 5's.
