Clemens to Pitch Game 4

Phil Garner winked, and now the Atlanta Braves might want to say a prayer.

The Houston Astro manager tabbed Roger Clemens to start Game 4 of the National League division series Sunday at Minute Maid Park, first clueing in Clemens with a wink on Thursday and then confirming his selection to the media Friday.

Atlanta now faces the unsettling prospect of facing the Astro ace, who beat them in Game 1 while battling the lingering effects of a stomach virus, at close to full strength while buoyed by a crowd that has cheered Houston in 18 consecutive home victories.

Two days after saying he didn’t “think the numbers suggest bringing pitchers back on short time works,” Garner opted for Clemens over Pete Munro, who was rocked for six hits in only 2 2/3 innings in his last outing, Oct. 1 against the Colorado Rockies.

Clemens has had mixed results pitching on three days’ rest, going 6-4 with three complete games and a 4.74 earned-run average in 11 starts.

“You’ve got to make pitches and execute. It has nothing to do with three days,” said Clemens, who last pitched on short rest in April 2002 with the New York Yankees. “Everyone wants to overanalyze it.”

Atlanta’s Russ Ortiz, a 15-game winner who ended the regular season in a tailspin -- he had a 7.71 ERA in his final five starts -- will oppose Clemens.

Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said he elected to go with Ortiz instead of Game 1 starter Jaret Wright because Wright had never pitched on short rest and was still recovering from line drives that pelted his ankle and shin, among other issues.

“You have to understand, he’s had some arm surgery through the years and probably doesn’t bounce back as well as some of the guys,” Cox said of Wright. “Just right now I think it’s the smart thing to do.”

Ortiz went 0-1 in two starts this season against the Astros, though the right-hander pitched well in each game, giving up two runs in 6 2/3 innings May 9 during Houston’s 2-1 victory and two runs in seven innings Aug. 3 during Houston’s 3-2 triumph.

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Cox said he spoke Friday with Garner regarding the controversy in Game 2 when Garner came onto the field in the seventh inning to tell umpires that the dugout phone wasn’t working, creating a delay of several minutes as Brad Lidge warmed up in the bullpen.

“If there’s one guy in this profession of managing that I would believe, it would be Phil Garner,” said Cox, whose initial reaction was to play the rest of the game under protest. “Phones get slammed once in a while, especially in bullpens and dugouts. It was probably off the hook.... It was legit.”

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After Lidge gave up the tying run during a season-high 2 2/3 -inning appearance in Game 2, Garner insisted that his closer had entered in the seventh inning several times earlier this season. In fact, Lidge had never entered in the seventh of a save situation, and the only time he had been used in the seventh in any situation was during a loss to Atlanta on Aug. 5.... Atlanta closer John Smoltz, who pitched three innings Thursday for the first time since Sept. 23, 2001, might be limited to one inning in Game 3, Cox said.... Rafael Furcal’s walk-off homer in Game 2 was the second in Brave postseason history and first since Eddie Mathews delivered one Oct. 6, 1957, for the Milwaukee Braves.