MLB : 2* <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>HOUSTON</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY>
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<O> </O>
It’s official, this is now a series. Roy Oswalt looked shaky yesterday giving up 5 runs on 8 hits thru 6 innings while walking 4. The 20 game winner was bailed out by Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge who picked up the win and save respectively after holding the Cards to only 1 hit in 3 innings of combined work.<O></O>
Fortunately for the Astros Jason Marquis wasn’t much better than Oswalt and the <ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>St. Louis</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> pen was worse. Julian Tavarez threw a perfect slider to Carlos Beltran who deposited the pitch into the right-center field bullpen. Beltran is now hitting .486 for the post-season with 8 HR and 14 RBI. He broke the record for consecutive playoff games with that shot on Sunday and with each swing is seeing his income rise since he will be a free agent after the season ends.<O></O>
Houston has won 21 of the last 22 at Minute Maid and 8 of their last 11 with Brandon Backe who got lit up in St. Louis his 1<SUP>st</SUP> start but the right-hander is 4-0 in Texas with a 1.80 ERA. Lance Berkman upped his average to .421 yesterday and has hit 4 HR with 11 RBI.<O></O>
The <ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>St. Louis</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> Cardinals go with Woody Williams tonight in Game 5. Williams is 6-5 with a 5.01 ERA on the road the last of which came in <ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>Houston</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> back on 9/27. The righty took the loss working only 3 IP and giving up 8 runs on 10 hits. <O></O>
LACE>HOUSTON</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY><?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O
> </O><O
> </O>It’s official, this is now a series. Roy Oswalt looked shaky yesterday giving up 5 runs on 8 hits thru 6 innings while walking 4. The 20 game winner was bailed out by Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge who picked up the win and save respectively after holding the Cards to only 1 hit in 3 innings of combined work.<O
></O>Fortunately for the Astros Jason Marquis wasn’t much better than Oswalt and the <ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>St. Louis</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> pen was worse. Julian Tavarez threw a perfect slider to Carlos Beltran who deposited the pitch into the right-center field bullpen. Beltran is now hitting .486 for the post-season with 8 HR and 14 RBI. He broke the record for consecutive playoff games with that shot on Sunday and with each swing is seeing his income rise since he will be a free agent after the season ends.<O></O>Houston has won 21 of the last 22 at Minute Maid and 8 of their last 11 with Brandon Backe who got lit up in St. Louis his 1<SUP>st</SUP> start but the right-hander is 4-0 in Texas with a 1.80 ERA. Lance Berkman upped his average to .421 yesterday and has hit 4 HR with 11 RBI.<O
></O>The <ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>St. Louis</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> Cardinals go with Woody Williams tonight in Game 5. Williams is 6-5 with a 5.01 ERA on the road the last of which came in <ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>Houston</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> back on 9/27. The righty took the loss working only 3 IP and giving up 8 runs on 10 hits. <O></O>
