Clemens holds Cardinals in check; Houston leads series 2-1

HOUSTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens would love to carry his hometown Houston Astros to their first World Series, and he put them in good position to get there.
Clemens held the Cardinals in check with six gritty innings, Mike Lamb homered and Houston held off St. Louis 4-3 Saturday in Game 3 of the NL championship series.
Brad Lidge finally allowed a run against the Cardinals, but got David Eckstein to fly out with a runner on second to save it. The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and need two more wins to reach the Fall Classic for the first time in the franchise's 44-year history.
"I'll do whatever we need to do," Clemens said. "We need to make it happen."
With two games remaining at Minute Maid Park, Houston can wrap up the series at home. Game 4 is today, with Brandon Backe scheduled to face St. Louis' Jeff Suppan.
"My thoughts going into it was to give the kid tomorrow a little leeway and not have it rest upon his shoulders," Clemens said. "We're looking at that game squaring our eyes right now."
Clemens gets help
Clemens coughed up a 2-0 cushion, but his teammates picked him up with a couple of key hits, including Jason Lane's tie-breaking single, and the Rocket improved to 12-8 all-time in the postseason.
And he might be on the mound again: If the series goes the full seven, he is scheduled to start the final game.
"I was trying to stay extremely tall and violent on the mound so my stuff was moving well," said Clemens, bothered by a strained hamstring down the stretch. "Leg feels fine, just emptying the tank."
The banged-up Cardinals, already playing without left fielder Reggie Sanders, lost third baseman Abraham Nunez to a knee injury. Nunez only became a regular starter because All-Star Scott Rolen is sidelined following shoulder surgery.
Larry Walker did play, despite an ailing neck, and delivered a sacrifice fly.
Third-stringer Hector Luna made a key error at third, and the Cardinals dropped their second game in a row after taking the opener at home.
Bullpen strong
Chad Qualls pitched two scoreless innings, and Lidge worked the ninth for his second save of the series. He gave up a two-out RBI double to pinch-hitter John Mabry, snapping a string of 31 consecutive scoreless innings against St. Louis dating to 2003.
"I think it just proves he's human," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "I mean, he's really, really good, but if you compete against anybody, you have a chance to break through."
Losing pitcher Matt Morris, who won the clincher in a first-round sweep of San Diego, matched Clemens until the fourth, when he issued a leadoff walk to Morgan Ensberg. Lamb then lifted a 2-1 pitch to the opposite field over the short porch in left, his second homer of the postseason.
Cardinal threats
Yadier Molina and Nunez grounded singles to start the fifth, and Eckstein hit a sacrifice fly. Lane ran down So Taguchi's long drive to right, ending the inning.
Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds opened the sixth with singles, and Walker's sacrifice fly tied it. With runners at the corners, Clemens retired Nunez on a tapper near the plate, escaping further damage.
Lamb doubled over Edmonds' head in center with one out in the bottom half, and Lane followed with a go-ahead single.
Brad Ausmus grounded a single to right, Lane turned for third and Nunez came up the line to field Walker's throw. As Lane went down to slide, one of his knees crashed into Nunez's left knee, leaving the St. Louis third baseman on the ground in pain.
Moments later, he was helped off the field.
Luna came in to play third and Brad Thompson relieved Morris as La Russa made a double switch.
Adam Everett hit a chopper toward third that Luna gloved cleanly. But his throw to the plate was way high and wide, allowing Lane to score on the error and give Houston a 4-2 lead.
ST. LOUISHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Eckstin ss4001Biggio 2b4020
Tguchi lf4000Brntlett 2b0000
Pujols 1b4120Burke cf4010
Edmnd cf3010Brkmn lf4010
LWalkr rf2001Ensbrg 3b2100
Grdzln 2b4000Lamb 1b4222
YMlina c4120Tveras cf0000
Nunez 3b3010Lane rf4111
Thmps p0000Asmus c4010
Flors p0000AEvrtt ss4010
Tvarez p0000Clmens p2010
Rdrgez ph0100OPlmro ph1010
Morris p1000Qualls p0000
Luna 3b1000Bgwell ph1000
Mabry ph1011Lidge p0000
Totals31373Totals344113
St. Louis000011001--3
Houston00020200x--4
E--Luna (1). DP--St. Louis 1. LOB--St. Louis 7, Houston 8. 2B--Mabry (1), Lamb (1), AEverett (1). HR--Lamb (1). SB--Edmonds (1). S--Morris. SF--Eckstein, LWalker.
IPHRERBBSO
St. Louis
Morris L,0-15 1-384313
Thompson2-320000
Flores100010
Tavarez110001
Houston
Clemens W,1-0662221
Qualls200003
Lidge S,2111111
Thompson pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. Umpires--Home, Wally Bell; First, Phil Cuzzi; Second, Larry Poncino; Third, Gerry Davis; Left, Tim McClelland; Right, Greg Gibson. T--3:00. A--42,823.
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