Houston and Atlanta exchanged blows through the first four games of the series before Houston laid the final haymaker in a 12-3 blowout win in Game 5 at Turner Field.

A five-run seventh and three-run eighth were the difference-maker in that one, as Carlos Beltran hit two homers in the clincher.

Beltran finished the series with a 10-for-22 line that featured two doubles, nine runs, four homers and nine RBIs. Atlanta's Andruw Jones matched him with a 10-for-19 performance including two doubles, two homers and five RBIs.

Path to the NLDS: Houston (92-70) finished second in the NL Central and won the Wild Card; Atlanta (96-66) won the NL East by 10 games 

Managers: Phil Garner, HOU; Bobby Cox, ATL