Beltran's record-tying eighth post-season home run Sunday capped Houston's 6-5 comeback victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals to tie the best-of-seven National League Championship Series 2-2.
Backe, who couldn't escape the fifth inning in Game 1 in St. Louis, tends to fare better at Houston's Minute Maid Park, site of Game 5.
The native of Galveston, Tex., is 5-1 with a 2.66 earned-run average in 18 games at home this season and 1-2 with a 6.68 ERA in 17 games on the road.
Brandon Backe, who struggled in Game 1 of the NLCS against St. Louis, will start Game 5 Monday night. (AP Photo)
And pitching in big games isn't foreign to Backe. The 26-year-old got the decision in Houston's 5-3 win over Colorado to secure the NL wild card and beat the Braves in Game 3 of the division series.
"He's obviously pitched in some big ball games for us, and he's pitched well," Garner told reporters. "He'll give you a good effort. You never have to be concerned about that."
The same goes for Beltran, whose seventh-inning homer off Julian Tavarez moved the Astros centre-fielder into a tie with Barry Bonds for most homers in a single post-season.
Beltran also went deep in Houston's 5-2 win in Game 3 Saturday and is batting .538 in the NLCS with four homers and five runs batted in. The soon-to-be free agent leads all hitters with 14 RBIs in nine games this post-season to go with a .486 average.
"I actually think Carlos gives you more dimensions than Bonds does," Astros closer Brad Lidge said. "Carlos is swinging the bat right now just like Bonds can, but Carlos is such a great threat defensively and on the base paths."
Beltran soon could receive treatment normally reserved for Bonds, who drew a record 232 walks this season.
However, Cardinals starter Woody Williams may think twice with power hitters Bagwell and Lance Berkman hitting behind Beltran in Houston's lineup.
Berkman had two hits Sunday, a two-run double in the third inning and a solo homer in the sixth that helped the Astros wipe out a 4-1 deficit.
Williams, a Houston native, beat Backe in the NLCS opener to improve to 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in this post-season.
He last pitched at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 27 when the 12-year veteran lasted only three innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs in a 10-3 rout. Williams earned the decision in a 10-3 Cardinals win in Houston on May 29 and allowed four earned runs over six innings on April 12 in St. Louis.
Cardinals starter Jason Marquis surrendered three runs on five hits in four-plus innings in Game 4.
Houston ace Roy Oswalt laboured through six innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits and walking four.
The Astros are looking to become only the third team to reach the World Series after dropping the first two games of an NLCS.
The series returns to St. Louis for Game 6 Wednesday afternoon. Game 7, if necessary, is slated for Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET.
