Astros Know How This Scenario Goes

Having squandered a tantalizing opportunity to close out the Atlanta Braves in their National League division series -- with Roger Clemens on the mound, a supportive throng of 43,336 in the Minute Maid Park stands -- the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar situation heading into Game 5 today at Turner Field.

The Astros, who were 56-60 after an 8-3 loss to the Montreal Expos on Aug. 14, needed every one of their 36 victories over the final month and a half to win the wild-card berth on the final day of the regular season.

Now they need a victory or they’ll be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Braves for the fourth time in eight years.

“This isn’t a new situation,” Houston catcher Brad Ausmus said. “We’ve been on the cusp of being eliminated numerous times. We’ve seen the end of the plank. We’ve seen the shark-infested waters.”

Roy Oswalt, pitching on three days of rest for only the second time in his career, will try to provide the Astros with a life raft. The 20-game winner would like to match or exceed his performance in Game 2, when he gave up one run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings before the Braves rallied for a 4-2 victory in 11 innings.

“He can handle it,” Clemens, also victimized by a shoddy bullpen during Atlanta’s come-from-behind victory in Game 4, said of Oswalt. “He’s been our horse all year. We look for good things.”

The only other time he pitched on short rest, Oswalt gave up eight hits and three runs in six innings July 11 during a 7-4 loss to the Dodgers.

Jaret Wright, who gave up six runs and eight hits, including three home runs, through 4 1/3 innings in Game 1, will try to propel the Braves into the NL championship series for the first time since 2001.

“I threw a couple of mistakes and they hit them out,” Wright said. “I definitely want to make up for that.”

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Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox shook up his batting order before Game 4 in an attempt to jolt his team out of its doldrums on offense.

Cox flip-flopped struggling J.D. Drew and Marcus Giles, putting Drew in the No. 2 spot and batting Giles third. Andruw Jones, the only Brave to display much power in the series, with two homers, was moved up one spot to sixth.

Cox also started right-handed-hitting Eli Marrero against Clemens after starting left-handed-hitting Charles Thomas against the future Hall of Famer in Game 1, though Thomas’ right knee was still sore after being hit by a pitch in Game 3 on Saturday. After striking out in two of his first three at-bats and drawing a walk, Drew delivered the winning hit with his ninth-inning single that drove in Rafael Furcal.

“When you get a hit like that,” Drew said, “it makes everything else further in the past.”

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That cliche about the plane ride home being easier after a victory might not have held true Sunday evening, as the remnants of Tropical Depression Matthew continued to pelt Atlanta and much of the South with heavy rain and wind. The forecast called for more rain today, putting Game 5 in jeopardy.