Houston ? Brad Lidge got over his second bad outing of the postseason much easier than the first one.

Six days after giving up Albert Pujols’ go-ahead homer in Game 5 of the NLCS, the Houston closer threw a fastball that Scott Podsednik crushed into the right-field stands on Sunday night, lifting the White Sox to a 7-6 win in Game 2 of the World Series.

“This one wasn’t very hard for me to put away,” Lidge said Monday. “The pitch I threw to Pujols was a mistake and this one wasn’t. That’s the pitch I want in that situation. He just did a great job with it.”

Lidge had a 2.29 ERA and a career-high 42 saves during the regular season. He’s 0-2 with three saves and a 4.82 ERA in the playoffs, but says his confidence hasn’t been shaken by his recent flops.

“Certain times, you go through certain scenarios where you have back-to-back bad games,” he said. “Unfortunately, the timing of it right now is magnified. I’m not really planning on changing anything. I’m just going to keep doing what I do and be really aggressive the next time out.”

The Astros still have faith in him, too.

“He’s going to be fine,” Jeff Bagwell said. “Every closer goes through a little bit of a glitch where things don’t go their way. Those were Brad’s two games. The first one didn’t cost us, we won that series, and hopefully this one won’t cost us, either.”

¢ Hobbled Roger: Roger Clemens may be able pitch again in the World Series.

The Houston ace lasted only two innings in Game 1 after re-aggravating a strained left hamstring that has bothered him since September.

On Monday, Astros manager Phil Garner said he planned to start Clemens if there was a Game 5 on Thursday night in Houston. Garner said either Wandy Rodriguez or Ezequiel Astacio would get the nod if Clemens wasn’t healthy.

But Garner seemed certain that Clemens would be ready.

“Roger Clemens is pitching the fifth game right now,” Garner said.

¢ Immortalized bat: The bat Scott Podsednik used to end Game 2 of the World Series is headed to the Hall of Fame.

The White Sox left fielder’s line-drive homer to right in the bottom of the ninth lifted Chicago to a 7-6 victory on Sunday night.

The Hall of Fame requested the bat and on Monday, White Sox officials were preparing to send it to Cooperstown.