NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Astros escape, take 3-1 series lead

Houston needs one more win to make their first World Series trip.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Poised as can be no matter how tough the task, Astros closer Brad Lidge pulled off another great escape against St. Louis.
Now it's the steaming-mad Cardinals who are in a serious jam in the NL championship series.
Defensive replacement Eric Bruntlett started a game-ending double play, Lidge wriggled out of a major mess in the ninth inning and Houston scratched out a 2-1 victory Sunday in Game 4, to take a 3-1 lead and move within one win of its first trip to the World Series.
"For us, it's the best one out of three right now. It doesn't get any easier," manager Phil Garner said. "We're in good position in terms of our pitching, our players and everything. But the job's still got to get done."
The winning ingredients
Lidge earned his third save of the series, Jason Lane homered and Willy Taveras made a saving catch on the center-field hill. Houston took advantage of a critical error by pitcher Jason Marquis -- plus the ejections of St. Louis manager Tony La Russa and Jim Edmonds -- to build a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
"This game, there's some real great things about it and there's some things that absolutely stink," La Russa said, declining to talk specifically about the umpires.
The Astros can close it out at home tonight, with Andy Pettitte on the mound against Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter. Houston has come this far before -- the Astros were one victory from the Fall Classic in 1980 and 2004, but are 0-4 overall with a chance to win the NLCS.
St. Louis has quite an uphill climb if it wants to win its second consecutive pennant. The Cardinals must face Pettitte, Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens in the next three games -- if they can push it that far.
"They've got their three guys and we've got to find a way," St. Louis' David Eckstein said. "This club is very tough, very resilient, and we're going to be tested."
Umpires in the middle
Once again in this postseason, the umpires were in the middle of all the action.
The Cardinals were angry about Phil Cuzzi's liberal strike zone all afternoon, and La Russa and Edmonds were ejected in the late innings for arguing balls and strikes.
The Astros are 2-for-31 with runners in scoring position during the series, so it figures that they scored the go-ahead run without a hit.
"We've been bad offensively all season. We're just continuing the trend. It's nothing new," Mike Lamb said.
After Morgan Ensberg's tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the seventh, Lidge entered with a 2-1 lead in the ninth.
Albert Pujols hit a leadoff single and went to third on a single to right by ailing Larry Walker.
Reggie Sanders, who missed Game 3 with a sore neck and back, hit a bouncer to third, and Ensberg made a nice play to cut down Pujols at the plate.
But with nobody covering, Walker alertly dashed to third, putting runners at the corners again, this time with one out.
The Astros argued that they had called time out, but the umpires let Walker remain at third.
Double play ends game
Lidge got John Mabry to hit a slow grounder to Bruntlett at second base, and shortstop Adam Everett turned a difficult double play that ended the game.
ST. LOUISHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Eckstin ss2100Biggio 2b3000
Edmnd cf3010Lidge p0000
Rdrgez ph1000Burke cf3000
Tguchi cf0000Brkmn lf2000
Pujols 1b3021Ensbrg 3b3021
LWalkr rf3010Lamb 1b4000
RSndrs lf4000Wheelr p0000
Mabry 3b4000Brntlett 2b0000
YMlina c3000Lane rf3121
Grdzln 2b3010Asmus c4000
Suppan p2000AEvrtt ss4010
Mrquis p1000Backe p2000
Gallo p0000
Qualls p0000
OPlmro ph0000
Tveras cf1110
Totals29151Totals29262
St. Louis000100000--1
Houston00010010x--2
E--Marquis (1). DP--Houston 2. LOB--St. Louis 5, Houston 11. 2B--Edmonds (1). HR--Lane (1). S--Biggio. SF--Pujols, Ensberg.
IPHRERBBSO
St. Louis
Suppan531135
Marquis L,0-1331031
Houston
Backe5 2-321137
Gallo1-300000
Qualls W,1-0100000
Wheeler110000
Lidge S,3120000
Umpires--Home, Phil Cuzzi; First, Larry Poncino; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Tim McClelland; Left, Greg Gibson; Right, Wally Bell. T--3:11. A--43,010.