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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- Daryle Ward, who started the season in Triple-A,
is making a big impact in October for the Houston Astros.
Ward's leadoff homer against Greg Maddux in the sixth inning
sent the Astros on their way to a 6-1 victory Tuesday over the
Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NL Division Series.
|  | | Ken Caminiti locked up the win with a three-run blast off Mike Remlinger in the ninth. |
The win provided hope that Houston will end its history of
playoff failures, and was a troubling start for a team with its own
postseason struggles.
"This is great, but we've got a long way to go," Houston's
Jeff Bagwell said. "It's only one game against the Atlanta Braves.
They can come back in a heartbeat."
The Braves have made an unprecedented eight straight playoff
appearances, with only one World Series title to show for it. Now,
they've got to win three of the next four games against Houston.
"The noose tightens a little quicker in the short series,"
Chipper Jones said. "It's important for us all to bring our 'A'
games to the ballpark tomorrow."
The Astros sealed the victory in the ninth with four runs
against reliever Mike Remlinger. Carl Everett had a sacrifice fly
before Ken Caminiti haunted the Braves again with a three-run
homer.
Playing for San Diego, Caminiti hit a 10th-inning homer against
Kerry Ligtenberg to win the first game of the 1998 NL Championship
Series. The Padres went on to a 4-2 victory over Atlanta.
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GAME 1 AT A GLANCE
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Every game a hero
The Astros hit much better against left-handed pitching, which is why they need the left-handed stick of rookie outfielder Daryle Ward to produce. He came through with the go-ahead home run, hitting the first pitch of the sixth inning off Greg Maddux for a 2-1 lead.
Key number
The Astros hit .167 in losing to the Braves in the first round in '97 and .182 last year against the Padres. They were 13-for-34 (.382) in Game 1.
Last word
"Two years in a row, we lost the first game. This gives us tremendous momentum."
--Houston's Jeff Bagwell
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The East champion Braves lost only their second division series
game since the format was instituted in 1995. Before Tuesday, they
were 12-1 overall, including 10 straight victories.
Houston, which clinched its third straight Central title on the
final day of the season, has never won in five playoff series,
including a 3-0 sweep by the Braves in 1997. The Astros won't get
swept this year, seizing the home-field advantage in the best-of-5
series.
"Two years in a row, we lost the first game," Bagwell said.
"This gives us tremendous momentum."
The Braves led the majors with 103 wins but drew the smallest
crowd in Atlanta's 44-game postseason history.
The turnout of 39,119 was nearly 11,000 short of capacity at
Turner Field and easily eclipsed the previous low of 42,117 for
Game 1 of the 1998 NL Championship Series. In the right-field upper
deck, only a few dozen people occupied seven sections of blue
seats.
"It was certainly disappointing," Jones said.
Game 2 is Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta before the series
shifts to Houston for Game 3 Friday.
Ward, the son of former major leaguer Gary Ward, was recalled
from the minors for the second time on July 20. He took over for
the slumping Derek Bell and came through with two of Houston's
biggest hits this season: a two-run homer against Cincinnati last
week and a three-run double Sunday in a 9-4 victory over Los
Angeles, securing the division title.
On Tuesday, he came through again, hitting the first pitch of
the sixth into the right-field seats against Maddux to break a 1-1
tie.
"There's not too much of a burden on me," Ward said. "No one
is expecting me to do too much."
His dad, by the way, hit .276 with 130 homers in a solid 12-year
career but never played in a postseason game.
The Braves managed seven hits against winner Shane Reynolds, who
went six innings and allowed the lone run. He pitched around Jones,
walking the MVP candidate twice on four pitches.
"He's kind of like Bagwell for us," said Reynolds, supported
by hitless pitching over the final three innings by a trio of
relievers. "He's the one guy in the lineup that you don't want to
beat you."
The Astros went ahead in the second when Everett led off with a
bunt single, Caminiti walked and Tony Eusebio drove in the run with
a line drive up the middle.
But Maddux escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam by pitching out
on an attempted squeeze bunt by Reynolds. Caminiti, breaking from
third, was tagged by Jones just short of home.
The Astros loaded the bases again with one out in the fifth, but
Caminiti grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Braves tied it in their half of the inning, Gerald Williams
driving home Jose Hernandez with a two-out single to center. The
Braves then loaded the bases, but Ryan Klesko struck out swinging
on a 90-mph fastball.
On the very next pitch, Ward homered into the first row of the
right-field seats to open the sixth.
The Astros didn't leave for Atlanta until late Monday night,
waiting at the Houston airport for the outcome of a wild-card
playoff in Cincinnati. When the New York Mets beat the Reds 5-0,
the chartered jet flew east.
Houston was a clear underdog against the powerful Braves, having
lost six of seven meeting during the regular season.
Atlanta clinched its division with a week to go, winning 11 of
its last 13 games. After a 12-game winning streak in September,
Houston lost nine of its last 15.
Maddux was 19-9 during the regular season and had the same
record lifetime against the Astros with a 2.30 ERA. But he also
surrendered a career-high 258 hits, a trend that continued in Game 1.
Maddux slipped to 9-9 lifetime in postseason play. He had been
4-0 in the Division Series.
Notes
Ernie Johnson, who retired after nearly four decades as a
Braves broadcaster, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The
pitchers for Game 2: Atlanta's Kevin Millwood (18-7) against
Houston's Jose Lima (21-10). ... Houston's Larry Dierker is only
the third manager in baseball history to lead his team to
first-place finishes in each of his first three seasons. The
others: Detroit's Hughie Jennings (1907-09), Ralph Houk of the New
York Yankees (1961-63).
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Sparse crowd, puny offense hurt Braves
Astros vs. Braves series page
Sutcliffe: Five keys for Astros-Braves
Team of the decade
RECAPS
NY Yankees 8
Texas 0
Houston 6
Atlanta 1
NY Mets 8
Arizona 4
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Astros starter Shane Reynolds says he needed a big game.
wav: 246 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Daryle Ward considers himself lucky.
wav: 129 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Ken Caminiti says the Astros had much to deal with.
wav: 196 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Greg Maddux is upset with Braves' loss.
wav: 179 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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