How They Matchup

ASTROS’ ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS: None of the other playoff participants has as much momentum as the Astros, who won 36 of their final 46 games and edged out the San Francisco Giants in a wild-card race that went down to the last day of the regular season. Future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens and 20-game winner Roy Oswalt, who will start Games 1 and 2, were a combined 38-14 with a 3.25 earned-run average. They will put pressure on the Braves to win at least one of the first two games before the series shifts to Houston, where the Astros have a franchise-record 18-game winning streak. Houston has won its last seven games overall under Manager Phil Garner, who replaced Jimy Williams at the All-Star break. Closer Brad Lidge set a National League record with 157 strikeouts by a relief pitcher.

WEAKNESSES: Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell’s 14-year run as teammates -- longest in the majors -- has been marred by playoff disappointments. The pair has been to the playoffs four times and has yet to reach the second round. Biggio is hitting only .130 in the playoffs, Bagwell .174. As hot as the Astro lineup has been, it has also displayed a tendency to go into extended funks. Shortstop Adam Everett, still bothered by a broken wrist bone suffered in early August, is headed to the instructional league and won’t rejoin the Astros unless they make it to the next round.

KEY RESERVES: 3B Mike Lamb (.288, 14 HR, 58 RBI); OF Jason Lane (.272, 4, 19); OF Orlando Palmeiro (.241, 3, 12).

TEAM BATTING: .266, tied for 7th in NL.

TEAM ERA: 4.05, 6th in NL.

KEY TO THE SERIES: Given the Astros’ recent success at Minute Maid Park, the Braves might need to win the first two games to advance to their first National League championship series since 2001. That means the Braves might have to knock Clemens or Oswalt out early, or receive top-notch performances from Wright and Hampton, two reclamation projects who have already exceeded expectations. The Astros also can take hope from the fact that the last two World Series winners were wild-card entrants.