The Killer B's R buzzing about NL series victory

Next up: Central Division rival St. Louis, starting Wednesday.
ATLANTA (AP) -- The journey was long, with plenty of discouraging setbacks along the way. The last step was easy.
The Houston Astros finally won a postseason series in their 43rd year, shaking off the burden of seven playoff losses with a 12-3 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
The newest Killer B, Carlos Beltran, hit two more homers and had five RBIs in the deciding fifth game of the first-round NL series.
"We feel comfortable with our team," said Beltran, an impending free agent acquired from Kansas City in June. "The past is in the past. We win, we move on."
Veterans relieved
The triumph was especially satisfying for Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, the heart of the Killer B's for more than a decade and part of the last four playoff series losses.
Three of those times, Houston's season ended with a loss to the Braves.
"We've been through a lot here, Craig and I and this organization," Bagwell said. "This is a big relief for us."
Beltran homered four times in the series, breaking the Houston postseason record. In a poignant note, the mark was formerly held by Ken Caminiti, who spent 10 seasons with the Astros.
Caminiti died Sunday of an apparent heart attack at age 41 -- news that hit his former teammates especially hard.
"I think I felt his spirit out there," Biggio said.
"I know he's smiling somewhere," Bagwell added.
The clubhouse celebration was rather muted for a team that has endured so much postseason disappointment. The Astros enjoyed soaking their owner, Drayton McLane, but didn't appear satisfied with winning one playoff series.
Next up for the Astros is a matchup against Central Division rival St. Louis in the NL championship series starting Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.
Demons exorcised
The Astros exorcised their playoff demons, matching the Brooklyn Dodgers for most series losses before getting their first postseason victory.
The Bums won on their eighth try in the 1955 World Series.
Houston jumped ahead 3-0 on Jaret Wright, with Beltran homering in the third. The Braves had the big crowd roaring in the fifth when Rafael Furcal and Johnny Estrada hit solo homers, but Beltran hit a drive off Wright that just cleared the right-field wall leading off the sixth.
Wright also was the loser in Game 1, putting a damper on his 15-win comeback season.
The Astros finished off the Braves in the seventh, scoring five runs with two outs. Chris Reitsma gave up RBI singles to Biggio and Beltran before Bagwell launched a mammoth two-run homer into the left-field seats. Jeff Kent added an RBI single off Tom Martin for a 9-2 lead.
Roy Oswalt, pitching on three days' rest for the second time this season, made it through five innings for his first postseason win. He threw 111 pitches, the Braves helping out by stranding seven runners.
Critics silenced
Bagwell and Biggio, who took much of the blame for Houston's past futility, silenced their critics. Biggio was 8-of-20 (.400) with a homer and four RBIs in the series. Bagwell was 7-of-22 (.318) with two homers and five RBIs.
Furcal tried to spark the Braves with eight hits, two homers, five runs and three stolen bases in the series.
Of course, he had plenty of incentive, facing a 21-day jail sentence for his second DUI arrest.
The judge delayed the sentence until the day after the Braves' season ended, so Furcal was to report to jail today.
HOUSTONATLANTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Biggio lf5231Furcal ss4221
DMiceli p0000JDrew rf4010
Wheelr p0000CJones 3b5020
CBeltrn cf5345JEstda c4122
Bgwell 1b4112Byrd p0000
Brkmn rf4220AJones cf3010
JKent 2b5121Lroche 1b4000
Ensbrg 3b5121MGiles 2b4010
JVzcno ss4111Thmas lf3000
RChavz c2010JSWrht p2000
OPlmro ph1000Grybsk p0000
Asmus c0000DWise ph1000
Oswalt p2000Ritsma p0000
Qualls p0000TMartn p0000
Lamb ph1000JuCruz p0000
Gallo p0000EddPrz c1000
Hrvlle p0000
Lane lf1111
Totals39121712Totals35393
Houston021001530--12
Atlanta000020100--3
E--Bagwell (1), JDrew (1). DP--Houston 1, Atlanta 2. LOB--Houston 4, Atlanta 9. 2B--Biggio (2), Berkman (1), JKent (3), Ensberg (2). HR--CBeltran 2 (4), Bagwell (2), Furcal (2), JEstrada (2). S--RChavez. SF--JVizcaino.
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
Oswalt W,1-0572234
Qualls100001
Gallo1-321110
Harville2-300000
DMiceli100001
Wheeler100000
Atlanta
JSWright L,0-25 1-364411
Gryboski2-300001
Reitsma2-344400
TMartin1-321100
JuCruz2-343310
Byrd1 1-310000
Umpires--Home, Joe Brinkman; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Tim McClelland; Third, Phil Cuzzi; Left, Wally Bell; Right, Fieldin Culbreth. T--3:12. A--54,068.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.