ST. LOUIS - Roy Oswalt has pitched plenty of games like this for the Houston Astros, even if he was more pumped up than usual.

But Chris Burke? No one could have expected what he's done this postseason.

The hero of an opening-round victory over Atlanta, the rookie outfielder kept it up through the first two games of the NL championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

A pinch-hit, two-run homer in Game 1. Then, in his first postseason start, Burke scored two runs and drove in another while Oswalt was pitching seven stellar innings in Houston's 4-1 victory Thursday night.

The Astros evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece, with the next three contests in Houston. Game 3 is Saturday afternoon.

"Well, I was hardly the hero tonight," said Burke, who's 5-for-8 with two homers and four RBIs in the playoffs. "Roy was great - seven innings pitched and one run. He bailed us out quite a few times. Luckily, I was able to get a couple knocks."

The only knock off Oswalt was a 438-foot homer by Albert Pujols, cutting Houston's lead to 2-1 in the sixth.

But Oswalt made every other big pitch - none more important than his 108th - and last - of the night.

With two runners on in the seventh, Oswalt retired dangerous left-handed hitter Jim Edmonds on a grounder to first. Oswalt took the toss from Lance Berkman, touched the bag and pumped his fist - an unusual show of emotion for the laid-back, 20-game winner.

Overall, the Cardinals were 0-for-6 against Oswalt with runners in scoring position.

"I was pretty pumped up," he said. "It's a key game, for sure, to leave here with a split and go home to play three games."

Edmonds also took a called third strike from Oswalt to end the fifth with two runners aboard.

"Stuff-wise, he's as good as it gets in this league," Edmonds said.

Burke ended baseball's longest postseason game - and the opening-round series against the Braves - with an 18th-inning homer last Sunday. He's clearly on a roll, though manager Phil Garner said he hasn't decided whether to give the rookie another start in Game 3.

"Oh, I'm just trying to get through tonight," Garner said. "We'll think about that a little bit later."