Astros Beat Cards, Take NLCS Series Lead  On a night when pitching suddenly took over the NL playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit. Fortunately for the Houston Astros, Jeff Kent stepped up. After Brandon Backe and Woody Williams dueled in the greatest games of their careers — and among the best in postseason history — Kent launched a three-run homer in the ninth inning Monday night that lifted the Astros over St. Louis 3-0 for a 3-2 edge in the NL championship series.