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Astros Lead Cardinals 1-0 After One Inning

Posted on: Thursday, 21 October 2004, 20:00 CDT

ST. LOUIS - Craig Biggio hit a leadoff homer in the first inning to give the Houston Astros a 1-0 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the NL championship series on Thursday.

Biggio's homer off Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan barely stayed fair as it cleared the left-field fence.

Hall of Fame shoo-in Roger Clemens started for the Astros and set the Cardinals down in order in the first inning.

The winner advances to the World Series to face the Boston Red Sox, who pulled off the biggest comeback in baseball history Wednesday night by defeating New York 10-3 in a Game 7 shocker to become the first major league team to overcome a 3-0 postseason series deficit.

Clemens, who has won six Cy Young awards, came out of retirement for the sole purpose of pitching his hometown Astros into their first World Series.

Suppan has started four times this year against Clemens, a former teammate in Boston, and lost every one, including in Game 3 at Houston.

Clemens' appearance against the Cardinals was his fourth career start in a Game 7 - he's 1-0 in those outings after getting knocked out early last year in the ALCS for the New York Yankees.

The Cardinals won a postseason game in extra innings for the first time since the 1964 World Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday when Edmonds hit a two-run shot way over the Cardinals' bullpen in the 12th inning for a 6-4 victory that evened the NL championship series at 3-all.

Dan Miceli came on after Astros superman Brad Lidge blew away St. Louis for three perfect innings, striking out five. St. Louis' Albert Pujols drew a leadoff walk and one out later Edmonds connected for his second homer of the NLCS.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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