The Astros, one of six teams to have never played in the World Series, break the franchise’s 43-year drought and advance to the Fall Classic, beating the Cardinals in the NLCS, 5-1. Houston had been close before, coming up short five times in their history in a game with the NL flag on the line, including being one strike away in Game 5 before Albert Pujols dashed the hometown dreams by hitting a two-strike, two out three-run ninth-inning homer, forcing a Game 6 in St. Louis.