The drama of Game 5 didn’t carry over for the Cardinals in Game 6 of the NLCS. Behind the strong pitching of Roy Oswalt, the Astros topped the Cardinals 5-1, to advance to their first World Series. Oswalt mowed down everyone in his path over the first four innings. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but saw it end when Yadier Molina singled to right with no outs and Mark Grudzielanek on first. Grudzielanek led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Rookie John Rodriguez pinch hit and drove in the Cardinals’ first run with a sacrifice fly to center, sending Grudzielanek home. But that run merely dented the Astros’ dominance, cutting their lead to 3-1.After retiring the first six batters he saw, Cardinals’ starter Mark Mulder allowed two runs in the top of the third. Astros catcher Brad Ausmus led off the inning with a single, then Adam Everett reached on an infield single. Pitcher, Roy Oswalt, moved them over, giving the Astros runners at second and third with no outs. The first run of the game came when a pitch got past Molina and Ausmus scored from third. Biggio then laced a single to left field to score Everett from third to give Houston a 2-0 lead.Houston extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth with a solo home run to left from Jason Lane.Mulder’s troubles continued in the fifth, when he gave up a two-out base hit to Astros center fielder Willy Taveras, then walked Lance Berkman. In that at-bat Mulder threw another wild pitch. Rookie Brad Thompson entered the game and got the Cardinals out of the jam, when Morgan Ensberg popped out to Mark Grudzielanek. The Astros regained their three-run advantage in the top of the sixth, when Jason Marquis allowed singles to Jason Lane and Brad Ausmus. Adam Everett’s grounder to third was enough to get Lane in from third base and Houston led 4-1. In the seventh inning, the Astros took advantage of a Jim Edmonds miscue to go up 5-1. With Biggio on second base, Morgan Ensberg hit a single to center field, as Ensberg made his way to third, Edmonds let the ball get by him and Biggio raced home without at play. Oswalt, who also got the win in Game 2, was named the NLCS MVP. He lasted seven innings on Wednesday, allowing one run off three hits. With the win the Astros will face the White Sox in the World Series.
