NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS After Clemens leaves, Atlanta pounces on Houston's bullpen

Adam LaRoche and J.D. Drew had the big hits for the Braves.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Nothing could discourage the Atlanta Braves -- not Roger Clemens, not a three-run deficit, not the frenzied crowd at Minute Maid Park.
The Braves pounced on Houston's bullpen as soon as the Rocket was gone, rallying for a 6-5 victory Sunday that tied the best-of-5 NL series at two games apiece.
Adam LaRoche hit a tying, three-run homer in the sixth inning, and J.D. Drew singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth, handing the Astros their latest agonizing loss in October and forcing the series back to Atlanta. It will conclude tonight at Turner Field.
"The odds were stacked against us on the road, in a dome and in a hostile environment," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. "But we never felt like we were ever out of the game."
Game 5 tonight
After two easy wins by Houston and two late-inning comebacks by Atlanta, only one game remains to determine who will advance.
The winner moves on to the NLCS beginning Wednesday at St. Louis.
Jaret Wright, the Game 1 loser, starts for the Braves against Roy Oswalt, the NL's only 20-game winner. Oswalt didn't get a decision in Game 2 and will pitch on three days' rest.
"It's never easy for this team. So here we go," Clemens said.
Working on short rest himself, Clemens left after five innings with a 5-2 lead, but the Braves rallied to snap Houston's 19-game home winning streak. It was another tough postseason loss for the Astros, still looking to win a playoff series for the first time in their 43-season history.
Houston tried to mount its own comeback in the bottom of the ninth, when Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman singled off John Smoltz with one out to put runners at the corners. Smoltz then got his record 14th postseason win when Jeff Kent grounded into a game-ending double play.
"We get to go back home and the plane ride's a lot easier," Smoltz said. "We worked very hard to get home field advantage and we need to take care of it."
Tying rally
On the verge of its third consecutive first-round loss, Atlanta made its move when Chad Qualls replaced Clemens. Chipper Jones singled, Andruw Jones doubled with one out and LaRoche homered into the Astros' bullpen in right.
"It was a little momentum swing, I think, for the guys that were down, thinking this might be our last game," said the 24-year-old rookie, who hit his first postseason homer.
The winning rally began when Russ Springer, who relieved Brad Lidge to start the ninth, hit Rafael Furcal with a pitch with two outs and Furcal stole second.
Drew, hitless in three previous at-bats Sunday and 2-for-15 in the series to that point, singled to right-center, with Furcal scoring easily.
Throwing on three days' rest for the first time since April 11, 2002, Clemens clearly wasn't his usual self.
He gave up three straight singles to begin the second, with Andruw Jones driving in Chipper Jones. LaRoche followed by grounding into a double play that scored Johnny Estrada to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead.
But it was Clemens who sparked Houston's five-run rally in the bottom half of the inning with his first postseason RBI, a sacrifice fly that scored Kent.
Craig Biggio followed with a three-run homer that sailed over the left-field fence. Carlos Beltran doubled on the next at-bat and Jeff Bagwell singled him in to give the Astros a 5-2 lead.
ATLANTAHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Furcal ss4110Biggio lf4133
JDrew rf4011Gallo p0000
MGiles 2b5000DMiceli p0000
CJones 3b4220Lidge p0000
JEstda c3110OPlmro ph1000
NGreen pr0000Sprger p0000
Smoltz p0000CBeltrn cf4110
AJones cf4131Bgwell 1b4021
Lroche 1b3113AEvrtt pr0000
Mrrero lf3010Brkmn rf5020
Alfnsca p0000JKent 2b5110
Hmptn p0000Ensbrg 3b4010
EddPrz c1000JVzcno ss4110
RuOrtiz p1000Asmus c2110
DWise ph1000Clmens p1001
Grybsk p0000Qualls p0000
Thmas lf2000Lamb ph1000
Lane lf1010
Totals356105Totals365135
Atlanta020003001--6
Houston050000000--5
DP--Atlanta 3, Houston 2. LOB--Atlanta 6, Houston 9. 2B--AJones (2), Biggio (1), CBeltran (2). HR--Laroche (1), Biggio (1). SB--Furcal 2 (3), JDrew (1), AJones (1). SF--Clemens.
IPHRERBBSO
Atlanta
RuOrtiz375511
Gryboski210011
Alfonseca110010
Hampton100011
Smoltz W,1-0240001
Houston
Clemens562225
Qualls133301
Gallo2-300002
DMiceli2-300010
Lidge2-300001
Springer L,0-1111103
HBP--by Springer (Furcal). WP--Clemens. Umpires--Home, Fieldin Culbreth; First, Joe Brinkman; Second, Tony Randazzo; Third, Tim McClelland; Left, Phil Cuzzi; Right, Wally Bell. T--3:24. A--43,336.