HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Roger Clemens led, Brad Lidge followed and the Houston Astros got back in their series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Clemens shook off a rough beginning to toss seven effective innings and Lidge polished off a five-hitter as the Astros posted a 5-2 triumph over the Cardinals in Game Three of the National League Championship Series.

Clemens (2-0) had to start twice in the Division Series, forcing Houston manager Phil Garner to hold the veteran until Game Three. With the Astros down two games to none, Garner needed a big effort from the 42-year-old righthander and got it.

After allowing solo homers to Larry Walker and Jim Edmonds in the first and second innings, respectively, Clemens settled in and surrendered just two singles thereafter.

"You really can't let it affect you," Clemens said of the early homers. "You just have to continue to bear down. They have guys throughout that lineup that can hit balls a long way."

"It was good to get seven good innings out of Rocket," Garner said. "This is the kind of thing he has done for us all year and he just got stronger as the game went on. We got the lead for him and he just got better and better. He's special."

Clemens' teammates admired his ability to bounce back.

"Early in the game (Clemens) was trying to get his legs under him," Houston catcher Brad Ausmus said. "I'm not sure his legs felt that great. Later in the game he got stronger. ... He's pitched for two decades and won games without his best stuff."

"That's why he's Rogers Clemens," Astros left fielder Craig Biggio said. "There's only one. He loves the limelight. He exceeded my expectations (this year) and, if you ask him, he probably exceeded his own."

When Clemens struck out pinch hitter Roger Cedeno to end the seventh, he left to a rousing ovation in the ballpark where he went 12-3 this year. In line for an unprecedented seventh Cy Young Award, he pitched the Astros back into this series.

"It's one game, we're back in it a little bit like I said," Clemens said. "It's one game. We need to come out here same time, same place and do it again with another huge, loud crowd. It's great being at home."

After Clemens was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh, Garner had Lidge start the eighth. Relying on curveballs rather than his trademark hard stuff, Lidge struck out five of the eight batters he faced.

"It felt good to have a starter give us seven and it was good to give Lidge the ball with the lead," Garner said. "I think he was a bit wild, but he was amped up a bit and ready to pitch."

"It's an awesome feeling (coming into the game)," Lidge said. "The roof feels like it's about to blow off. With that kind of electricity, you've got all your energy. I never felt tired."

St. Louis starter Jeff Suppan (1-1) gave up a two-out RBI single to Lance Berkman in the first before Jeff Kent homered to give Houston a 3-1 lead. Carlos Beltran added his seventh homer of the postseason, a solo shot off Dan Haren in the eighth.

Beltran tied a major league record by homering for the fourth straight postseason game. He is one shy of the record set by San Francisco's Barry Bonds in 2002.

"I'm not thinking about home runs," Beltran said. "I'm not thinking about records. It seems like every time I hit the ball it goes for a home run. Yesterday I was out with my wife and parents and people were coming up to me. In Kansas City nobody knew who I was."

Berkman added a solo homer, also in the eighth, to cap the scoring.

The Astros won for the 20th time in their last 21 games at Minute Maid Park. Houston swept St. Louis here during the final week of the regular season - arguably its most important three games during its charge to the NL wild card.

Game Four is Sunday, with the Astros looking to get even behind 20-game winner Roy Oswalt . The Cardinals hope to bounce back behind Jason Marquis , who was hit hard in his NLDS Game Two start against Los Angeles.

Suppan, who was 1-4 against Houston in the regular season, allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out three.

"(Suppan) is just a very cool customer," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "The game he pitched in (the Division Series) was just as big, if not bigger, considering if he doesn't win that one we have to play a deciding game. He's a cool guy and he does not get (rattled) out there."