Neither team scored in the first four innings of the Game 5 of the NLCS, but the two pitching performances during that time were quite different. While Josh Beckett allowed only one base runner, giving up a walk to Aramis Ramirez in the second, Carlos Zambrano stranded seven runners over the first four innings. Chicago's only hope against Beckett seemed to be to try to wear him down and get him kicked in the late innings with a high pitch count. On the other hand, Florida seemed poised to crack Zambrano. Mike Lowell found the pitch he wanted in the fifth inning, homering to left. Miguel Cabrera was on first after a walk, so the Marlins went up 2-0.

In the top of the sixth, the Cubs pinch hit for Zambrano, who'd already thrown 112 pitches. However, Tom Goodwin merely added to Beckett's ever-growing strike out total. Dave Veres made it through the sixth without allowing the Marlins to build on their lead but returning to the mound in the seventh he gave up a solo homer to Ivan Rodriguez, making the score 3-0.

With the help of a fairly generous strike zone on the part of home plate umpire, Larry Poncino, Beckett struck out eleven Cubs while only giving up one walk and two hits in a complete game shutout in which he threw 115 pitches.