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Astros overcome Braves in 18, clinches series
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-10 09:59
Clemens was not dressed for action until manager Phil Garner warned him that
he might be needed.
"When Phil looked at me and said, 'Get your jersey and spikes on', he was
dead serious about it," said Clemens, who had not pitched in relief since his
rookie season in 1984.
Braves Manager Bobby Cox admitted he thought the rivals were headed to a
deciding Game Five back in Atlanta when his team led 6-5 in the ninth inning
with Farnsworth cruising.
"With two outs and nobody on you feel like you're going to win a ballgame,"
said Cox, whose Braves left 18 men stranded on base. "We just did not get big
hits."
SERIES REMATCH
Houston now meet St Louis in a rematch of last season's National League
Championship Series, which starts on Wednesday.
The Cardinals beat the Astros last year to win a spot in the World Series,
which they lost to the Boston Red Sox.
St Louis advanced on Saturday after capping a 3-0 series sweep of the San
Diego Padres.
Houston, which began the season with a woeful 15-30 record before producing a
storming finish to earn the wild card slot in the playoffs, eliminated Atlanta
in the NLDS for the second year in a row.
The Astros trailed 6-1 heading into the eighth frame, with Atlanta doing most
of its damage on a third-inning grand slam by Adam LaRoche.
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