ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros entered the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals concerned about their rotation. They left Game One with questions surrounding their bullpen.

Jim Edmonds ' three-run double highlighted a six-run sixth inning as the Cardinals pounded their way to a 10-7 triumph over the Astros in the opener of their best-of-seven series.

After being forced to five games by the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series, Houston did not have the luxury of setting its rotation against the team with best record in baseball. Instead of Cy Young Award contender Roger Clemens or 20-game winner Roy Oswalt , the Astros started Brandon Backe , who worked just 4 2/3 innings but left with a 4-3 lead.

With runners at first and second and two outs in the fifth, Astros manager Phil Garner went to his bullpen, calling on Chad Qualls to face slumping Scott Rolen , who promptly snapped an 0-for-12 postseason slide with a game-tying single.

Qualls continued into the sixth but allowed back-to-back singles and a sacrifice. Pinch hitter Roger Cedeno snapped the tie with a groundout and Qualls (1-1) could not limit the damage, allowing an RBI single to Tony Womack that made it 6-4.

A throwing error by shortstop Jose Vizcaino on an infield hit by Larry Walker plated another run. After a walk to Albert Pujols , Garner went to Chad Harville . Rolen walked on five pitches and Edmonds put the game out of reach with a line drive into the right field corner.

"I was locating well," Harville said. "It was just one of those innings they put the ball in play. You have to go out there and make the guys put the ball in play. I walked Rolen to load the bases and then gave up that double. I was trying to pitch Rolen tough and Edmonds got the big hit."

"Backe kept us in the ballgame and he did a good job," Houston interim manager Phil Garner said. "I was pleased with what he did. We were right there until the game got away from us in the sixth inning."

Houston pitching coach Jim Hickey tried to put the bullpen struggles in perspective.

"I wouldn't call it a shell-shocked kind of thing. It was not even one game, it was pretty much one inning. The inning Chad Qualls went out there he made pitch after pitch after pitch. Heck, I think only Renteria's base hit off of him even left the infield. He got in on guys, he made some good pitches and balls just landed in the perfect spot to go for base hits."

"It was just a fluke night for the pitching staff," Qualls said. "It was just a bad game all around. My inning where they score six runs, if that was a zero we win the game. The way they did it was very unusual."

Red-hot Carlos Beltran , Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman had two-run homers for Houston.

The Cardinals are hoping recent history holds true as the team that has won Game One has gone on to win the last 11 NLCS. Game Two is Thursday with St. Louis throwing ace Matt Morris against Houston's Pete Munro - who hasn't even logged an inning this postseason.

"We want to get a win tomorrow," Biggio said. "We just came up a little short today. It was a good game. You have to give them credit they swung the bats well."

"With the lineup we have we're going to put balls in play, hit some balls hard, score some runs," Walker said. "Unless it's a crazy lead, it's not insurmountable for us to come back. (Being down) 2-0 wasn't close to that."

St. Louis has dropped the first two games at home in the 2000 and 2002 NLCS. They went on to lose both series.

"It's only one, you need three more," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "But you know with what we've done with those other two Championship series at home (2000 and 2002), you lose the first game it's disappointing. You go 0-2, it's bitter. It really makes it difficult. At least now we're in better shape than we were in the other two."

Woody Williams (2-0) did not pitch particularly well, allowing two-run homers to Beltran and Kent. He allowed four runs and four hits in six innings. He walked just one and struck out five.

Houston looked like it was going to give its pitchers plenty of room for error as Craig Biggio opened the game with a single and Beltran ripped his fifth home run of the postseason.

"I felt good, I didn't feel real good after the first two hitters of the game by any stretch of the imagination," Williams said. "I think I settled in pretty good. It was what I thought it was going to be going in, it was going to be a battle and both sides never giving up."

"Our club likes playing behind him because he's a competitor," La Russa said. "Woody is never going to stop competing and that's why he is a good choice whenever he pitches."

Backe gave back the lead in the bottom of the inning as Walker tripled with one out and Pujols homered over the wall in right.

Kent made it 4-2 in the fourth with a homer that scored Jeff Bagwell , but Williams helped his cause in the fifth with a double that ignited a two-run rally.

Kiki Calero logged a scoreless inning in the seventh in relief of Williams but Dan Haren struggled in the eighth. Beltran opened the inning with a single and, one out later, Berkman greeted Ray King with a homer to left.

Julian Tavarez got the first two outs in the ninth before allowing a double to Biggio. Closer Jason Isringhausen came to retire Beltran on a ground ball to first for the save.