ATLANTA – There’s more to the Houston Astros than just pitching.

Morgan Ensberg had five RBI, Andy Pettitte overcame a couple of homers for his record-tying 14th postseason win, and the Astros got started on what they hope will be another October conquest of Atlanta, beating the Braves 10-5 in Game 1 of their NL playoff series yesterday.

“We’ve still got some pretty good bats here,” said Craig Biggio, a leftover from the Killer Bs who was in the middle of things the entire game. “We just have to manufacture things a little differently.”

The good-pitching, weak-hitting Astros – they led the National League in ERA but ranked 11th in runs – had no trouble scoring on the Braves. Atlanta passed up the chance to start the playoffs with John Smoltz, who came in as the winningest pitcher in postseason history.

Now, Smoltz will start against Roger Clemens in Game 2 tonight.

“We need to win one here, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “But it’s pretty easy to shake off. We’ve got Smoltzie going tomorrow.”

Pettitte moved into a tie with Smoltz for most postseason wins, improving to 14-8. The Houston left-hander pitched four-hit ball over seven innings – more than good enough the way the Astros were hitting.

Still concerned about Smoltz’s ailing shoulder, Cox tapped another 14-game winner, Tim Hudson, for the opener. But the right-hander was roughed up for five runs in 6 2/3 innings – the most he had allowed since a June 13 loss at Texas, which preceded a stint on the DL.

Hudson’s control was a major problem. He walked five, tying a season high, and hit a batter with a pitch.

Not on this day, and Houston turned a 5-3 game into a blowout with five runs in the eighth against the shaky Braves bullpen.

Biggio, at 39, played the role of lead off hitter to perfection. He had two hits, a sacrifice fly, a sacrifice bunt, and a walk in six trips to the plate. He scored three times.

A year ago, the Astros knocked off Atlanta in the division series for the first postseason victory in franchise history. Pettitte wasn’t around for that one, sitting out after season-ending elbow surgery. He came back to have a dominant season, winning 17 games and posting the second-best ERA in the NL behind Clemens.

Ensberg tied a Houston postseason record with his five RBI. He had a run scoring single in the first, a two-run single in the third, another RBI single in the seventh, and walked with the bases loaded in the eighth, when the Astros sent 11 batters to the plate.

Atlanta got homers from Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones – usually a formula for success. The Braves went 44-6 when both connected during the regular season.