ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols took turns carrying St. Louis during the regular season. In a span of two pitches, they lifted the Cardinals to the World Series for the first time since 1987.

Pujols ripped a game-tying double in the sixth inning and Rolen followed with a two-run homer as the Cardinals rallied for a 5-2 triumph over the Houston Astros in Game Seven of the National League Championship Series.

In completing a best-of-seven series in which the home team won every game, St. Louis captured its 16th NL pennant and advanced to the World Series for the first time in nine years under manager Tony La Russa .

While the crowd of 52,140 at Busch Stadium was celebrating, Houston's Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell remained in search of a World Series appearance. The longest-tenured teammates in professional sports, the duo has spent the last 14 years with the Astros, who never have reached the World Series in 43 years.

"I'm proud as heck of this club, I will never forget this team," Bagwell said. "This is definitely the best team I've ever played on as far as overall belief in each other and picking each other up."

"I am more proud of this team than any of them just from all the adversity we had to overcome," Biggio said. "Pretty much everybody wrote us off in the middle of August and that's when we got it going. ... We have a lot to be proud about. The guys in this clubhouse have really worked hard and overcame a lot of stuff."

Houston had its hopes pinned to ace Roger Clemens (1-1), who interim manager Phil Garner held out of Game Six in preparation for a potential decisive series finale. Clemens pitched well early but appeared to tire in the sixth.

Roger Cedeno hit for starter Jeff Suppan and delivered a base hit up the middle. Edgar Renteria got down a bunt, but Clemens retired Larry Walker on a groundout. As he has all season, Pujols - who was named Most Valuable Player in the series - came through with a double into the left field corner.

"In that moment you just want to get a good pitch to hit," Pujols said. "You don't think about how many times you struggle. You know the guy is the best out there. You want to do your best; don't try to do too much. You see the ball and hit it, like I always say. That's what happened. I didn't think at all."

Before Clemens and the Astros had a chance to regroup, Rolen ripped a line drive just over the left field wall. Injured most of the final month of the regular season, Rolen was called out for a curtain call by the rabid St. Louis fans and thrust his fist in the air from just outside the dugout.

"I was seeing the ball well. I was trying to be aggressive," Rolen said. "I mean, that's one of the best competitors in the world right there. If you're not up for the challenge and you're not ready to compete, he's going to beat you."

"They got a couple base hits, I tried to buckle down, I felt good, we made some good pitches, and they hit some good pitches. I was just trying to continue to focus and make good pitches," Clemens said.

The Cardinals thought it was fitting that their two offensive leaders delivered in the clutch.

"How fitting was it that Scotty and Albert are the guys that came up with the big hits and drove in the big runs," St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny said.

"They go out and do what they need to do everyday," St. Louis left fielder Reggie Sanders said. "They are the catalyst of this ballclub."

Suppan (2-1), who was 1-4 against the Astros in the regular season and lost to Clemens in Game Three, allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. He walked two, struck out six and helped himself by getting down a squeeze.

"You really have to go against the hitters and attack them," Suppan said. "I was just trying to stay out of the big inning and I just really battled and gave everything I had."

Kiki Calero, Julian Tavarez and closer Jason Isringhausen held Houston hitless over the final three innings. For Isringhausen, the save was a measure of revenge after losing Game Five and blowing the save in Game Six.

Game One of the World Series will be Saturday night at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Sox are starting Tim Wakefield , while the Cardinals are expected to go with Woody Williams .

St. Louis improved to 9-4 in Game Sevens and has won all six of its series when trailing 3-2 after five games.

Clemens allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. He did not walk a batter, struck out six and fell to 1-1 in four career Game Seven starts.

"Winning, still to this point, never gets old; losing still hurts just the same," Clemens said. "Especially when you just throw your heart out there and expose your heart to everyone out there involved and you know there are so many people out there depending on this right arm to get it done. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had, I'm disappointed because there are some seniors in this room I wanted to have the opportunity to experience a World Series."

Biggio helped the Astros to a quick start by opening the game with a homer to left. Houston threatened in the second, putting two aboard when Gold Glove center fielder Jim Edmonds made a diving catch on Brad Ausmus ' drive.

"To be honest I think it probably changed the game," Ausmus said. "Not because of momentum but because if that gets by him you probably have two runs in and a man on second and now it's a 3-0 game. I think it was a spectacular play, nothing out of the ordinary for Jimmy Edmonds, I think that may have saved the game for them."

"I was just running after the ball," Edmonds said. "I was just trying to catch it. I knew if I didn't catch that ball we'd be down 3-0. I didn't want that to happen."

Carlos Beltran , who may have been in line for MVP honors had the Astros won, used his speed to manufacture a run in the third. After a one-out walk, he stole second, tagged up on a fly ball and scored on a throwing error by Edmonds.

Suppan allowed the first two batters to reach in the fourth but made key pitches, retiring Jose Vizcaino on a bouncer to first and striking out Ausmus and Clemens.

After St. Louis took a 4-2 lead, Tavarez - who won twice in the series - retired Beltran, Bagwell and Lance Berkman without the ball leaving the infield.

Pinch hitter Marlon Anderson doubled and scored on Larry Walker 's single in the eighth.

Isringhausen, who allowed four runs in his last two appearances in the series, cruised through the ninth. When Vizcaino grounded to second for the final out, first baseman Pujols raised his hands and raced to the pile surrounding Isringhausen near the mound.