Astros vs. Cardinals

CARDINALS’

JEFF SUPPAN

vs.

ASTROS’

ROGER CLEMENS

*--* THE MATCHUPS 2004 2004 VS OPP TEAMS/PITCHERS W-L ERA TEAM W-L IP ERA St. Louis/Suppan (R) 16-9 4.16 21-10 1-4 30.2 4.11 Houston/Clemens (R) 18-4 2.98 23-11 2-0 26.2 2.36

*--*

Minute Maid Park, 1:15 p.m.

TV -- Channel 11. Radio -- KSPN (710).

Update -- Clemens will try to boost the Astros back into the series after they dropped the first two games at Busch Stadium. Houston will look to build on the momentum it has recently generated at Minute Maid Park, where it has won 19 of its last 20 games there, including a three-game sweep of the Cardinals on Sept. 27-29. But Suppan has excelled on the road this season, going 10-1 with a 3.55 earned-run average during the regular season and limiting the Dodgers to two runs in seven innings in Game 4 of the National League division series.

*

THE SERIES

St. Louis leads best-of-seven National League championship series, 2-0:

GAME 1 St. Louis 10, Houston 7

* Albert Pujols homers in the first, and Cardinals score six runs in sixth to trump four Astro homers.

GAME 2 St. Louis 6, Houston 4

* Pujols and Scott Rolen homer in the eighth inning as the Cardinals win in a steady downpour.

GAME 3 Today, St. Louis (Suppan, 16-9) at Houston (Clemens, 18-4), 1:15 p.m., Channel 11

GAME 4 Sunday, St. Louis (Marquis, 15-7) at Houston (Oswalt, 20-10), 1:30 p.m., Channel 11

GAME 5* Monday, St. Louis at Houston, 5 p.m.,Channel 11

GAME 6* Wednesday, Houston at St. Louis,1 p.m., Channel 11

GAME 7* Thursday, Houston at St. Louis, 5 p.m., Channel 11

* if necessary; all times Pacific

*

-- Ben Bolch