The 2004 National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 13 to 21, 2004 to determine the champion of the National League, between the Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals and the wild-card qualifying Houston Astros. This marked the first time in either major league that two teams from the Central Division met in a Championship Series.
In a series in which all seven games were won by the home team, the Cardinals won 4-3 to advance to the World Series against the American League champion Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox reached their first World Series since 1986, with the Cardinals playing in their first since 1987.
Umpires: Tim Welke , Eric Cooper , Gary Darling , Mike Winters , Angel Hernandez , Ed Rapuano
In the series opener at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, the Cardinals break open a 4-4 game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and hold on for a 10-7 win over the Astros.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| Houston
| 2 | 0 | 0
| 2 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 2 | 1
| 7 | 10 | 1
|
| St. Louis
| 2 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 2 | 6
| 0 | 2 | x
| 10 | 12 | 0
|
| W: Woody Williams (1-0) L: Chad Qualls (0-1) S: Jason Isringhausen (1)
|
The Cardinals beat the Astros 6-4 and take a 2-0 lead in the series. The Cardinals break a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with back-to-back home runs from Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen; Rolen also hit a game-tying homer in the fifth inning.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| Houston
| 1 | 1 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 2 | 5 | 0
|
| St. Louis
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 4 | 0
| 0 | 2 | x
| 6 | 9 | 0
|
| W: Julian Tavarez (1-0) L: Dan Miceli (1-0) S: Jason Isringhausen (2)
|
In the first game of the series played in Houston's Minute Maid Park, the Astros defeat the Cardinals 5-2 behind home runs by Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltrán, and Lance Berkman. Roger Clemens pitches seven innings for the win, which leaves the Astros trailing 2-1 in the series.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| St. Louis
| 1 | 1 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 2 | 5 | 0
|
| Houston
| 3 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 2 | x
| 5 | 8 | 0
|
| W: Roger Clemens (1-0) L: Jeff Suppan (0-1) S: Brad Lidge (1)
|
The Astros even the series with the Cardinals at two games apiece with a 6-5 win. Carlos Beltrán supplies the winning margin with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Beltrán ties records for the most home runs in a single postseason (eight) and most consecutive postseason games with a home run (five).
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| St. Louis
| 3 | 0 | 1
| 1 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 5 | 9 | 0
|
| Houston
| 1 | 0 | 2
| 0 | 0 | 2
| 1 | 0 | x
| 6 | 9 | 0
|
| W: Dan Wheeler (1-0) L: Julian Tavarez (1-1) S: Brad Lidge (2)
|
The Astros defeat the Cardinals 3-0. Jeff Kent drives in the winning runs with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. Astros starter Brandon Backe takes a perfect game into the fifth inning, when he walked Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds, and allows only one hit (a single to second baseman Tony Womack ) in eight innings. Houston leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| St. Louis
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 1 | 0
|
| Houston
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 3
| 3 | 3 | 0
|
| W: Brad Lidge (1-0) L: Jason Isringhausen (0-1)
|
Returning to St. Louis, Matt Morris starts game 6 for the Cardinals, as does Pete Munro for the Astros. The scoring begins with Carlos Beltrán coming home in the top of the first off of a sacrifice fly. The Cardinals respond in the second with a 2 run homer by the red-hot Albert Pujols. In the third, Jeff Bagwell his a double for Astros, bringing Carlos Beltrán back home and putting another one for the Astros. Again, the Cardinals respond when Edgar Renteria hits a single scoring Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen.
In the top of the ninth inning, 2 outs from losing, Bagwell hits a miracle single, scoring the tying run in Morgan Ensberg . The game goes into extra innings, but the Astros' good fortune turned sour when Jim Edmonds hits a walk-off homer in the bottom of the twelfth, sending the series to a Game 7 showdown.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| 11
| 12
| R
| H
| E
|
| Houston
| 1 | 0 | 1
| 1 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 4 | 10 | 0
|
| St. Louis
| 2 | 0 | 2
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 2
| 6 | 15 | 0
|
| W: Julian Tavarez (2-1) L: Dan Miceli (0-2)
|
Game 7 was held on October 21, at St. Louis in Busch Stadium at 7:19 pm.
| Team
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| Houston
| 1 | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 2 | 3 | 0
|
| St. Louis
| 0 | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 | 3
| 0 | 1 | x
| 5 | 9 | 1
|
| W: Jeff Suppan (1-1) L: Roger Clemens (1-1) S: Jason Isringhausen (3)
|
