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Clutch Fielding Gives Houston 3-1 Lead in NLCS
Houston Astros' Mike Lamb, center, watches as Astros' Willy Taveras slides into home plate and St. Louis Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina waits for the throw on a sacrifice fly by Astros' Morgan Ensberg during the seventh inning in Game 4 of their National League Championship Series in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005. Taveras was pinch running for Orlando Palmeiro. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip - AP)
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"I thought there was time called," Lidge said. "Apparently there wasn't time called. I turned my back to second base."
Second baseman Eric Bruntlett, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement to start the inning, yelled but could not be heard because of the crowd noise. Walker easily advanced, and once again the Cardinals had the tying run at home plate with less than two outs and were just a sacrifice fly away from sending the game to the bottom of the ninth.
"The crowd noise I used to my benefit," Walker said. "Once he handed the ball off to Lidge I knew I could make it. It could have been a really dumb play, too. If I get thrown out, I'm an idiot."
So there stood Walker at third, and Lidge could only take a deep breath and hope that he could get a ground ball for a double play. So with John Mabry at the plate, Lidge threw a slider. The ball was hit slowly to Bruntlett.
"At first I thought it might have been hit too slowly," Lidge said.
"I wasn't sure," Bruntlett said. "I knew at least we'd get the runner on second base. That was an amazing turn. That's one of the best I've ever seen."
Bruntlett quickly threw to shortstop Adam Everett. He later said it was the hardest throw to second on a double play he had ever made in his life.
"Everything fell into place, it was unbelievable," Everett said. "When he threw it to me, I just winged it."
First baseman Lance Berkman reached for the ball. Mabry crossed the base a quick moment after Berkman caught the ball. It seemed close. Berkman said it wasn't. Replays showed it was.
"It's probably one of the best double plays I've seen in my life," Berkman said. "I haven't seen too many people capable of turning that double play."
Garner had decided to put Bruntlett at second base. It was Garner who had put in Willy Tavares to pinch-run in the seventh inning. He scored on a relatively shallow fly ball. Tavares then made a catch in center field in the eighth that saved a run.
"He's a genius," Bruntlett said of Garner. "He seems to know all the right moves."
When the double play was turned, the Houston bench emptied and players ran on the field and hugged one another. They can feel it now. It is close.
"It was because of the nature of how things unfolded," Lidge said. "We are an extremely emotional group.
"It just seems amazing now. But we've got to concentrate on tomorrow."
