Kent Is Simply Super for Astros

All Jeff Kent wanted to do when he stepped to the plate with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night was to become a member of the flight club.

He already had witnessed Albert Pujols and David Ortiz take game-winning home-run trots during these playoffs.

“Watching those guys do what they’re doing....” Kent said, “I wanted to be those guys.”

Kent got his wish when he launched a first-pitch fastball from St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen off the limestone facade above the left-field seats for a walk-off three-run homer at Minute Maid Park, propelling the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NL championship series.

Kent imitated the Boston Red Sox’s Ortiz when he flipped his batting helmet into the air before crossing home plate into a wall of jubilant teammates, having lifted the Astros to their first lead in a series they once trailed, two games to none.

“That’s the kid in me who loves to play this game,” Kent said after Houston took a 3-2 series lead. “I didn’t mean that to show anybody up.”

The Astros are one victory away from their first World Series appearance, with Pete Munro expected to pitch a potential series-clinching Game 6 on Wednesday in St. Louis and Roger Clemens in reserve if the series reaches a seventh game.

“I told them I’ll be ready to go whenever the boss wants me to,” Clemens said before Game 5 as Houston Manager Phil Garner remained noncommittal.

Kent’s blast rendered a gutsy seven-inning performance by Woody Williams meaningless after the Cardinal starter and his Houston counterpart, Brandon Backe, had put a muffler on a series that had spewed offense in its first four games, when the teams combined for 19 homers and 45 runs.

Backe became the newest Killer B by removing the sting from the potent Cardinal lineup during eight shutout innings in which he gave up one hit and two walks. Williams was nearly as masterful, giving up one hit and two walks despite straining a calf muscle running to first base on his third-inning popup.

“You’re not supposed to use the word ‘hero’ in sports,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said, “but that was a heroic performance with his calf bothering him the way it was.”

Isringhausen relieved Williams to start the eighth and retired the side in order, but Carlos Beltran ripped a single to right-center to lead off the ninth. After Jeff Bagwell flied out to center and Beltran stole second on a pitch that brought the count to 2-and-2 on Lance Berkman, La Russa ordered Isringhausen to intentionally walk Berkman.

“You have the double play in order,” La Russa explained. “Berkman is swinging the bat too well.”

Kent, having hit behind Barry Bonds for nearly six seasons with the San Francisco Giants, suddenly found himself in a familiar position.

“You can’t try to get mad at the opposing manager for doing something like that,” Kent said. “You just have to accept the challenge and give it your best shot.”

Kent’s 390-foot shot was in stark contrast to Beltran’s breathless homer the day before that had provided the winning margin. Houston closer Brad Lidge said “as soon as he hit it, we knew it was gone.”

Isringhausen said he merely left the pitch over the plate after rushing his delivery.

“I was trying to be quick,” he said, “and my body rushed out and left my arm behind.”

Lidge struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to record the victory after working his fifth inning in three days.

The Cardinals managed only one hit off Backe and Lidge but put a couple of heart-stopping scares into the Astros. Reggie Sanders led off the eighth with a drive that traveled about 430 feet to straightaway center before falling harmlessly into the glove of Beltran on the grassy hill in front of the 436-foot marker.

In the seventh, Edgar Renteria hit a pitch toward the gap in left-center before Beltran made a sprawling drive to nab it.

“If that had fallen, who knows what would have happened,” Backe said.

Backe retired the first 13 batters he faced, three by strikeout. He opened the fifth by winning a 10-pitch duel with Scott Rolen in which Rolen fouled off four consecutive 3-and-2 pitches before grounding out to third.

Backe then bounced ball four to Jim Edmonds, breaking up his bid for a perfect game, before Renteria and Sanders each popped out to end the inning.

Tony Womack, hitting .105 in the series when he stepped to the plate with two out in the sixth, finally broke through for the Cardinals with a sharp single through the right side. Backe walked Larry Walker on five pitches, prompting a visit from pitching coach Jim Hickey, before retiring Pujols on a soft popup to second baseman Kent.

“He was throwing everything for a strike,” Beltran said of Backe. “He kept them off balance the whole game.”

Williams was nearly as impressive as Backe was early, giving up one hit and two walks through 3 2/3 innings before unfurling a pitch that glanced off the top of Morgan Ensberg’s batting helmet in the fourth, putting two on with two out. Jose Vizcaino then tapped to first baseman Pujols, who flipped to Williams covering the bag for the last out.

The four combined hits by the teams were the fewest ever in a postseason game.

The Cardinals return home trying to avoid becoming only the third team -- after the 1984 Chicago Cubs and the 1985 Dodgers -- to lose a NL championship series after leading 2-0.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Isringhausen said. “This is a veteran team and we’re not in panic mode.”