By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

AUBURN – When closer Brad Lidge got whiplash watching Albert Pujols’ mammoth, three-run home run leave the yard with the Houston Astros one out away from their first-ever ticket to the World Series, Auburn’s Bert Roberge felt his pain.

Retroactively, anyhow.

“I went to bed right before that,” Roberge said of the St. Louis Cardinals’ dramatic win Monday night in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. “I heard about it on the radio, so it took me most of the next day to find out what happened.”

Pitching-rich Houston bounced back two nights later, thanks to a start for the ages from Roy Oswalt, and never needed to lean on Lidge to win Game 6.

That set up a Fall Classic between two notoriously starcrossed franchises, one you can bet a certain retired relief pitcher will watch with a knowing eye and divided rooting interests when it gets underway Saturday night.

Roberge, 51, pitched for three different teams in six Major League seasons, wearing the uniforms of both the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox.

Houston reached its first World Series after 44 years and a few legendary near-misses, including one during Roberge’s career. Chicago’s world championship drought dates back to 1917, a year before Boston and the Bambino won their last crown together.

“My allegiance is with the Astros,” said Roberge. “They’re the ones who gave me a chance.”

The Astros selected Roberge in the 17th round of the 1976 amateur draft. He made his Major League debut in 1979 and enjoyed a stellar rookie season, going 3-0 with four saves and a 1.69 ERA.

Roberge, who was born the same day as Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, spent portions of three seasons with Houston before signing with the White Sox as a free agent on December 5, 1983.

In Roberge’s one summer with the White Sox, they collapsed from division champion to sixth place in the seven-team AL West. The stint in Second City did produce one of the 6-foot-4 right-hander’s most cherished diamond days, however.

He entered a game at Fenway Park in the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Rick Miller led off, with Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Tony Armas and Jim Rice waiting in the wings. Catching for the Pale Hose was Carlton Fisk.

“Fisk came out to the mound and said, Let me call the game, OK?’ And it was six up, six down,” Roberge recalled. “Then Mike Easler was going to lead off the 11th for Boston, so (then-White Sox manager) Tony LaRussa pulled me for Jerry Don Gleaton because he was a left-handed pitcher. And Easler hit the first pitch out of the park.

“It was a great day for my family. They all got to see me pitch to Carlton Fisk at Fenway, I pitched well, and the Red Sox won.”

In 1980, the Astros swept three road games from the Los Angeles Dodgers on the final weekend to tie for the NL West title, then dispatched the Dodgers in a one-game playoff.

Nolan Ryan and the Astros took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning of the deciding game in the NLCS before the Philiadelphia Phillies rallied to an 8-7 victory in 10 innings. Roberge didn’t appear in the series.

“Of course it was a lot different then,” said Roberge. “It was only two division champions and best-of-five.”

While the Yankees, Red Sox and Cardinals drew most of this year’s national attention, Roberge wasn’t surprised that Chicago and Houston’s pitching prevailed.

Roberge played in the annual Mike Bordick Golf Tournament at Martindale Country Club in the first week of October. When master of ceremonies Ernie Gagne introduced Roberge and pressed him for a prediction in the Boston-Chicago division series, the local businessman and father of three didn’t hesitate.

“I said the White Sox would win. I got booed for it,” said Roberge, “but I knew they were going to the Series.”

After Chicago, Roberge spent two seasons in Montreal before retiring at the end of 1986 with a career record of 12-12 and 10 saves with a 3.57 ERA in 146 appearances, all in relief. He struck out 119 in 219 1/3 innings.

One of only 11 University of Maine pitchers to make it to the majors, Roberge set school records in ERA (1.82) and shutouts (six) while with the Black Bears from 1974 to 1977.

As part of its 50th anniversary promotion, Sports Illustrated selected Roberge as one of Maine’s 50 Greatest Sports Figures. He was inducted into the Auburn/Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and is a longtime youth baseball coach.

“This was the first year I didn’t coach since I’ve been retired,” said Roberge, “so I had time to watch a lot of games on TV.”

His educated pick, then?

“I think the Astros will win,” he said, “but I expect it to be a really good, seven-game series.”

One that might even keep him awake until the final out.