Astros draw even with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS -- In a matter of a minutes, the St. Louis Cardinals lost Mark McGwire's home run record and fell into a tie for the NL Central lead.

Lance Berkman hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning and a go-ahead RBI double with two outs in the ninth of the Houston Astros' 2-1 victory Friday night.

The win wasn't sealed until Billy Wagner got Placido Polanco to hit into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded. Houston had lost six straight.

Both the Cardinals and Astros would clinch the playoffs if San Francisco lost later Friday against Los Angeles.

The Cardinals, who had won seven of eight and 16 of 19, need to win the last two games of the season-closing three-game series to repeat as Central champions.

Word spread of Barry Bonds' record 71st homer in San Francisco as McGwire, who struck out all four at-bats, was at the plate in the eighth.

The Busch scoreboard briefly flashed that Bonds had hit No. 71. But it had happened so fast that most fans didn't even see it.

The switch-hitting Berkman hit a rare right-handed homer off a 2-0 pitch from little-used left-hander Jeff Tabaka, who has thrown only 3 2-3 innings. Berkman has 34 homers, but only two batting right-handed, the other coming May 9 against Bruce Chen of the Phillies.

Craig Biggio walked to lead off the ninth, advanced on Julio Lugo's sacrifice and scored on Berkman's opposite-field double off Gene Stechschulte (1-5).

Mike Jackson (5-3) had a walk and two strikeouts in the eighth and Wagner got his 39th save in 41 chances.

Woody Williams threw seven scoreless innings for the Cardinals, who are 49-25 since the All-Star break.

Polanco, who entered the game in a 3-for-39 slump and was benched the previous game, hit an RBI single off Wade Miller in the fifth for St. Louis. Williams, a .195 hitter this year with seven RBIs, scored the run after singling with one out and advancing on a wild pitch.

Williams is 5-0 in his last six starts with a minuscule 0.94 ERA. He struck out six and walked four and was at his best in the sixth when he worked out of a two-on, none-out jam.

Williams was in trouble at the start of the sixth when Jeff Bagwell singled off the left-field wall, with a quick relay by Albert Pujols holding him to one base. Lance Berkman followed with a double. But Williams, who has a 2.28 ERA since joining the Cardinals Aug. 2, then struck out Moises Alou and got Richard Hidalgo to pop out to short.

Vinny Castilla was intentionally walked to load the bases. And with the crowd on its feet and chanting "Woody! Woody!" he retired Brad Ausmus on a soft pop to second.

Miller gave up one run on three hits in six hits. He struck out seven and walked three.