Houston – Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros gave a whole new meaning to the word “longevity.” The 43-year-old Rocket came out of the bullpen to rescue the Astros and Chris Burke ended the longest postseason game in baseball history with a home run in the 18th inning, lifting Houston over the Atlanta Braves 7-6 Sunday and into the NL championship series.
The Braves took a five-run lead into the eighth, and were poised to send this first-round series back to Atlanta for a decisive Game 5 Monday night. Instead, Lance Berkman hit a grand slam in the eighth and Brad Ausmus tied it with a two-out homer in the ninth barely beyond center fielder Andruw Jones’ outstretched glove.
Then, at 6-all, the Braves and Astros began the real endurance test that wound up lasting 5 hours, 50 minutes. The previous longest postseason game also occurred in Houston – the New York Mets clinched the 1986 NLCS with a 16-inning win at the Astrodome.
With Clemens pitching three innings in his first relief appearance since 1984 – and this time atoning for a poor start in Game 2 – the Astros advanced to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS starting Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.
It will be the first NLCS rematch since Pittsburgh and Atlanta played in 1991-92. Last October, the Cardinals beat Clemens in Game 7, denying the Astros their first World Series appearance.
Burke entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch-runner. He came up with one out in the 18th against rookie Joey Devine, and launched a drive over the left-field wall.
Burke was mobbed his teammates at the plate after only the sixth series-ending home run in history, and the first since Aaron Boone sent the Yankees over Boston in the 11th inning of Game 7 in the 2003 ALCS.
Batting just before Burke, Clemens took a mighty swing and missed against Devine before striking out. Clemens has never hit a home run in the majors.
Clemens first entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 15th, and had a sacrifice bunt after a leadoff walk by Craig Biggio. But after another walk, Morgan Ensberg grounded into an inning-ending double play.
“I’m sure proud of the guys,” Clemens said. “It’s been a lot of work for us. How ’bout the kid?” Standing next to Clemens, the 25-year-old Burke was beaming.
“I’m just glad I could do my part,” Burke said. “It was draining, mentally draining.” “It’s kind of a microcosm of our season,” he said.
The Astros started off 15-30 before rallying to claim the wild-card spot, though they finished 11 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central.
