Clemens, Astros Power Past Braves

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The New York Sun

ATLANTA – Roger Clemens and the powerful Houston lineup made sure the Astros got off to a good start in their quest to finally win a playoff series.


Picking up where they left off in the regular season, the wild-card Astros routed NL East champion Atlanta 9-3 in Game 1 of the NL division playoffs yesterday.


Clemens continually pitched out of trouble against the Braves, while Brad Ausmus, Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran, and Jason Lane homered for the Astros, who set a franchise record for runs in a postseason game.


The Astros are 0-for-7 in the postseason, losing three of their last four series to the Braves. Much of the blame fell on Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell – the heart of the “Killer B’s.”


Bagwell finally came through with his first postseason extra-base hit, an RBI double that put the Astros ahead for good in the third inning. But he and Biggio played a secondary role in beating Atlanta, who hardly looked like a team that won its 13th straight division title.


The Astros carried over their momentum from the regular season, which they closed by winning 36 of 46 games to claim an improbable wild card.


Game 2 is today at Turner Field, with Houston sending 20-game winner Roy Oswalt to the mound against Mike Hampton. If the visitors win again, they’ll have two chances to wrap up the series at Minute Maid Park,where Houston has an 18-game winning streak.


The Astros trailed 1-0 when Ausmus led off the third with the first of Houston’s three homers off Jaret Wright, sparking a four-run inning. Bagwell’s RBI double was followed by Berkman’s two-run homer into the Braves bullpen.


Beltran knocked out Wright in the fifth with another two-run homer.


Clemens showed the effects of a stomach virus that kept him from making his last start of the regular season. The Hall of Famer-to-be walked six – all in the first four innings and the most he’s given up in a game since 1998.


But Clemens displayed plenty of grit in winning a Game 1 start for the first time in his career.The Braves stranded nine runners in the first four innings. Clemens lasted seven innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs, while striking out seven.


When Atlanta loaded the bases in the first on Berkman’s error and two walks, Clemens limited the damage to Johnny Estrada’s sacrifice fly.


The Braves put runners at second and third with one out in the second. Rafael Furcal, playing just hours after appearing in court on a probation violation stemming from a drunk-driving arrest, struck out and Marcus Giles grounded out.


Clemens walked the bases loaded in the third, but escaped by striking out rookie Charles Thomas looking.


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