Backe boosts Astros in hunt for wild card
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HOUSTON - The crowd was on its feet, beckoning the latest slugging surprise in the Houston Astrosâ vaunted offense to re-emerge from thedugout.
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Brandon Backe&#39;s arm and Jeff Kent&#39;s bat have gotten the Houston Astros within a game of where the franchise has never been before - the World Series.
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The News Sports Writer. HOUSTON -- Brandon Backe grew up an Astros fan in Galveston. He returns to that familiar role today, yelling and screaming his head off from Houston&#39;s dugout.
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Pardon the Houston Astros if this &quot;backs against the wall&quot; thing feels familiar. The team faces another winner-take-all game on Thursday, this time in the National League Championship Series against the St.
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WASHINGTON,  - Brandon Backe allowed two runs in five-plus innings, as Houston seized Major League Baseball&#39;s final playoff spot with a 5-3 triumph over the Colorado Rockies.
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HOUSTON -- The Braves forced their first-round series back to Atlanta, coming back from a three-run deficit against the Houston Astros after Roger Clemens came out of the game.
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ST. LOUIS The Houston Astros are ahead of St. Louis 2-to-1 over St. Louis after three innings of Game Seven of the National League Championship Series.
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Astros pitcher Brandon Backe hit his first career homer, a two-run shot, and allowed one run in seven innings to keep Houston in the thick of the NL wild-card chase with an 11-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
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Roger Clemens won his 327th career game with seven strong innings, and the Houston Astros kept pace in the wild-card race by holding on for a 7-5 victory over the Cardinals last night in St. Louis.
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The Houston Astros used a Jeff Bagwell  home run and a gutsy pitching effort by its bullpen to beat the  Colorado Rockies 4-2 Friday and hold on to its lead in the  National League wild card race.
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Brandon Backe wasn&#39;t pleased when the Devil Rays, for the 2001 season, switched the minor-leaguer from outfield to pitcher. Considering how it worked out, Backe should give Tampa Bay a big thumbs up.
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In order for the Houston Astros to make it to the postseason, they are probably going to have to do what they did on Sunday a few more times: score lots of runs in games not started by Roy Oswalt or Roger Clemens.
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Houston is hoping the future Hall-of-Famer keeps taking them along for the ride as the Astros continue their playoff push against Cincinnati at Minute Maid Park.
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PHILADELPHIA -- In 2001, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays converted Brandon Backe from an outfielder to a pitcher. In 2004, the Houston Astros converted him from a reliever to a starter.
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HOUSTON - The Houston Astros charged into the playoffs with their 18th consecutive home victory, capping an incredible turnaround by beating Colorado 5-3 Sunday to win the NL wild card.    Brandon Backe filled in admirably for an ailing Roger Clemens, pitching five strong innings and driving in two runs...
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BASEBALL Astros righthander Brandon Backe underwent ligament replacement surgery on his pitching elbow yesterday, and his recovery is expected to last a year to 18 months. Backe was 3-2 this season with a 3.77 ERA. He is 19-14 in 42 career starts. He pitched seven shutout innings in Game 4 of last year's World Series, which the White Sox won ...
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HOUSTON Houston pitcher Brandon Backe used his arm and his bat to lead the Astros past Cincinnati 11-to-5. Backe allowed one run in seven innings while on the mound and belted a two-run homer, his first in the majors.