Cardinals punch ticket to Series

ST. LOUIS -- It has turned out to be a Red October.

Put an end to all the pinstripes talk. The St. Louis Cardinals now stand between the Red Sox and their first World Series title since 1918.

The Cardinals marched into the franchise's 16th World Series, its first since 1987, with a 5-2 triumph over the upstart Houston Astros in Game 7 of a thrilling National League Championship Series that didn't take center stage until last night -- after the Red Sox humbled New York in the ALCS.

The win sets up a rematch of the 1946 and 1967 World Series, both won by St. Louis in seven games. It also marks the second time in four seasons that a Boston-area pro sports team will meet a St. Louis team for a championship. The Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams to capture their first Super Bowl title in February 2002.

Game 1 of the World Series is tomorrow night at Fenway. Woody Williams will take the mound for St. Louis against Tim Wakefield.

Scott Rolen went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs, including a go-ahead home run in the sixth against Roger Clemens (1-1), the former Red Sox and Yankees ace who shut down the Cardinals in Game 3 to spark a Houston rally from a 2-0 series deficit.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, and earned Most Valuable Player honors in a series in which he hit .500 with 10 runs, 4 home runs, and 9 RBIs. He had 14 hits and tied the Yankees' Hideki Matsui (who had 14 hits against the Red Sox) for an LCS record.

Prior to his Game 3 triumph, Clemens spoke about the possibility of facing either the Yankees or Red Sox should the Astros advance to the first World Series in franchise history, but cautioned those eager to see such a matchup against looking past St. Louis. He was correct to do so.

Last night was Clemens's first loss against St. Louis in five starts this season, and it left Houston 1-8 in games in which it could clinch a series, with the lone win coming in Game 5 of this year's Division Series against Atlanta.

Another former Red Sox pitcher, journeyman Jeff Suppan (1-1), got the win as he shook off a leadoff home run by Craig Biggio in the first inning and was helped by a solid Cardinals defense. Suppan allowed 3 hits, 2 runs (one earned), 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts over 6 innings.

St. Louis withstood early dominance by Clemens, who gave up one hit over the first four innings. But the future Hall of Famer was touched for three runs on three hits in the sixth as the Cardinals erased a 2-1 Houston lead.

Pinch hitter Roger Cedeno led of the St. Louis sixth with a single to center, and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Edgar Renteria. Cedeno moved to third on a ground out by right fielder Larry Walker and scored when Pujols laced a double into the left-field corner to tie the game, 2-2.

Then Rolen sent the sellout Busch Stadium crowd of 52,140 into bedlam with a two-run homer on the first pitch that gave the Cardinals their first lead, 4-2. It was Rolen's third home run of the series.

"Roger had us right in the ballgame," said Astros manager Phil Garner. "He gave us plenty of opportunities to stay ahead and add some to it, and we weren't able to do it."

St. Louis added an insurance run in the eight, and in the ninth, Jason Isringhausen got Jeff Kent to pop out to second, Morgan Ensberg to fly to center, and Jose Vizcaino to ground to second, setting off a raucous celebration.

"We knew coming home [Tuesday] we wanted to give it everything we had and push it to Game 7 and here we are," said Pujols. "We won the pennant and that's what it's all about."

St. Louis's march to the Series culminates a year in which it finished the regular season with a major league-best 105 wins. The Cardinals have yet to lose at home this postseason.

"I look at the four we won here, as well as the three Houston won there," said St. Louis manager Tony La Russa. "No doubt, the enthusiasm of the crowd in both places were a factor in the games. Adrenaline starts kicking in and you get stronger and faster. Even though we lost three games [in Houston] you had to appreciate how much passion there was, but we knew we had it, too."

It marks the first time La Russa has taken St. Louis to the World Series since being hired as manager after the 1995 season. He won the title as manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1989.

"There are only three guys on our club who have rings and a lot of guys who have never played in the World Series before, and that has great meaning," he said. "That is motivation enough to play as hard as you can."

Biggio's home run was the lone extra-base hit for Houston, which suffered a disheartening end to a season in which it rebounded from a dismal start behind Garner, who took over as manager from Jimy Williams following the All-Star break.

"I told my players that without question this is one of the greatest runs in the history of the game," said Garner. "This just makes us more determined, the whole organization, to take the next step."