07/01 1998 Sean Berry raps four hits, including a homer, to pace a 10-4 triumph over the Chicago White Sox. Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou also go deep. Houston plays "deuces wild", scoring two runs in five separate innings to complete the scoring.
07/01 1995 Houston explodes for eight runs in the fifth inning while blanking the Pirates, 11-0. Brian Hunter delivers two hits and scores twice in the inning as well as doubling in a pair. Craig Biggio singles twice on the night to record his 1000th hit. Shane Reynolds hurls a six-hit shutout.
07/01 1984 Jerry Mumphrey cracks two home runs and drives in six as the Astros maul the Phillies, 13-1. Denny Walling also homers. Jose Cruz has a four-hit night and scores four times. Craig Reynolds and Terry Puhl chime in with triples. Joe Niekro scatters six hits in an easy victory.
07/01 1978 Catcher Joe Ferguson is traded to the Dodgers for two players to be named later (outfielder Jeff Leonard and infielder Rafael Landestoy). On the field, the Astros split a twinbill against the Padres, winning 9-4 and losing 9-3. Wilbur Howard stars in the opener with three hits and three RBIs.
07/01 1963 Ernie Fazio scores on a single from Rusty Staub in the 11th inning for a 4-3 victory over St. Louis. It is Staub's second RBI of the game. Hal Woodeshick wins his eighth, all in relief. Johnny Temple drives in the Colts' other two runs with a single in the eighth inning.
07/02 2009 A 7-2 Astros victory in San Diego is delayed 52 minutes in the top of the ninth when a swarm of bees moves into left field and begins nesting in the jacket of the ballgirl. A local bee expert is brought in to kill and capture the queen and her nest, dispersing the others. "Killer B's" Geoff Blum, Lance Berkman and Michael Bourn delivered six hits, six runs and six RBIs between them.
07/02 2004 Morgan Ensberg, who had smacked 25 homers the year before, belts his first homer - 213 at-bats into the season 
. The blast is a dramatic two-run bomb over the railroad tracks in left field in the eighth to give Houston a 7-5 comeback victory over the Texas Rangers. Ensberg swats a grand slam the next night in a 10-8 win that overcomes a five-run deficit.
07/02 1987 Glenn Davis belts a three-run homer with two out in the ninth to stun the Phillies, 7-6. It comes off Steve Bedrosian who had just set a record by converting 13 consecutive save appearances. Davey Lopes also homers. Dave Smith saves it for Larry Andersen.
07/02 1986 Denny Walling blasts two home runs and drives in six on a four-hit afternoon to bomb the Padres, 8-1. That's plenty for Mike Scott who scatters six hits while striking out just three.
07/02 1976 Cesar Cedeno drives in both game-winners in a doubleheader sweep of Cincinnati. Cesar goes 7-for-11 in the twinbill, including a single that is his 1,000th career hit 
. His two-run bomb in the 14th off Rich Hinton wins the opener, 10-8. The 25 hits collected in the game ties a team record set just months earlier. Cedeno delivers an eighth-inning double off Fred Norman to plate the winning run in the 3-2 nightcap.
07/03 2022 Jeremy Pena launches his second homer of the day to complete a sweep of Anaheim with a 4-2 walk-off win. Pena totals four hits on the afternoon. Framber Valdez plus relievers Hector Neris, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly combine for a franchise-record 20 strikeouts.
07/03 2005 Roger Clemens tosses seven shutout innings on his way to a 9-0 whitewash in Cincinnati for his 335th career win. He shrinks his ERA for the season to 1.41. Clemens adds two hits of his own including an RBI single. To top off his day, Roger is named to the All-Star team for the 11th time, his second as an Astro. Closer Brad Lidge is also named to represent Houston. Morgan Ensberg, who swats his 22nd homer, and Roy Oswalt are later added as injury replacements.
07/03 1995 Andres Galarraga of Colorado goes 6-for-6 with two homers and five RBIs as the Rockies take a 15-10 slugfest over Houston at Coors Field. Derek Bell and James Mouton go deep for the Astros but it's not enough to offset the 21-hit assault of Colorado.
07/03 1994 Ken Caminiti slugs an inside-the-park homer while Craig Biggio and James Mouton belt the traditional kind as the Astros trap the Cubs, 12-6. Caminiti and Biggio are named to the N.L. All-Star team along with Jeff Bagwell, Doug Drabek and John Hudek (none as starters) to total a club-record five All-Stars in one season.
07/03 1993 Darryl Kile slams a home run and a double, as well as pitching a six-hit shutout, to subdue St. Louis, 6-0. The homer comes against Omar Olivares. Eric Anthony contributes a two-run shot while Ken Caminiti punches three hits.
07/03 1971 Jack Hiatt singles home Jim Wynn with the game-winner in a 4-3, 13-inning thriller over Cincinnati at the Dome. The two had also teamed up in the ninth to preserve the tie when Wynn snared a sinking liner in center field then gunned down Buddy Bradford at the plate with Hiatt supplying the tag.
07/04 1999 Surprising everyone by batting lefthanded against lefty Steve Avery, switch-hitter Carl Everett blasts a two-run homer to spark a 5-3 win in Cincinnati that pulls Houston into a tie for the division lead . Derek Bell also goes deep.
07/04 1995 Craig Biggio slams two home runs and Jeff Bagwell drives in five during a 16-8 donnybrook at Colorado. Biggio scores five times, setting a club record that still stands. He also steals a base and drives in three. Derrick May and Phil Nevin contribute three hits apiece.
07/04 1994 Tony Eusebio gets four hits, including a double and a triple to pace a 13-6 spanking of the Cardinals. Eusebio and Andujar Cedeno drive in four runs each. Brian Williams is the easy winner.
07/04 1980 Nolan Ryan strikes out Cesar Geronimo for his 3000th career strikeout but Cincinnati prevails, 8-1. Ryan fans six but walks seven in just over four innings of work. A solo shot by Cesar Cedeno is the lone Astro tally.
07/04 1979 Fireworks in Cincinnati. The upstart Astros nip the Reds, 3-2, to take their first-ever ten-game divisional lead. Jose Cruz and Jeff Leonard drive home runs in the seventh to lead the come-from-behind victory. Joaquin Andujar and Ray Knight, ex-teammates in the Cincy farm system, start a bench-clearing brawl after hurling insults across the diamond. Joe Sambito cools the Reds with two shutout innings for the save .
07/05 2001 Roy Oswalt finds a groove, striking out eight in a 5-1 victory over Arizona at Enron Field. Lance Berkman, Vinny Castilla and Craig Biggio support him with home runs. The rookie righthander runs his record to 7-1 and shrinks his ERA to 2.26.
07/05 1992 Eric Anthony tags Jeff Innis with a two-run bomb as Houston blanks the Mets, 2-0, in ten innings. Four Astro pitchers share the four-hit shutout. Rob Murphy gets the win. Luis Gonzalez gets half of Houston's six hits.
07/05 1985 Kevin Bass launches two solo homers to pace a 4-2 triumph over Montreal. Jose Cruz drives in the other two runs to set a new franchise mark for RBIs (783), since broken by Jeff Bagwell.
07/05 1982 Joe Niekro gives up homers to Omar Moreno and Johnny Ray to start the game, then settles in for a 6-4 complete-game victory in rainy Pittsburgh. Jose Cruz and Phil Garner bail Niekro out with a home run and three RBIs apiece.
07/05 1968 Ex-Brave Denis Menke tags ex-Astro Claude Raymond with a three-run bomb in the ninth to topple Atlanta, 13-9. Doug Rader follows with a solo shot. John Bateman and Rusty Staub had earlier home runs. Another former Brave, Wade Blasingame, shuts the door in the ninth.
07/06 2021 In his first game back from paternity leave, Yordan Alvarez blasts two homers and drives in five as Houston recovers from a four-run deficit to topple the Athletics, 9-6. A two-run single by Jose Altuve in the sixth provide the winning runs. The victory pushes the Astros' division lead over Oakland to 4-1/2 games, best of their season to that point.
07/06 2002 Daryle Ward becomes the first player to smash a home run into the Allegheny River as Houston bombs the Pirates, 10-2, at PNC Park. It's a grand slam too. Lance Berkman and Jeff Bagwell tag back-to-back shots. Nelson Cruz wins with six shutout innings.
07/06 1984 Bill Doran singles five times in the second game of a doubleheader against Montreal, a 7-5 loss. Houston takes the opener, 8-2, as Joe Niekro wins his seventh straight in a complete-game performance.
07/06 1977 After being called out on strikes by umpire Paul Pryor, Jose Cruz belts the game-winning homer in the 14th inning to give Houston a 2-1 triumph in Los Angeles. Cruz argues he has only two strikes on him and Pryor admits his mistake. Jose promptly sends the next pitch from Mike Garman into the right field stands.
07/06 1973 Leo Durocher pulls Jerry Reuss with a cozy 7-1 lead in the doubleheader opener in Montreal. The Expos storm back for a 12-8 decision then thump the Astros again, 14-6, in the nightcap. Reserve catcher John Boccabella blasts two home runs in one inning for five RBIs. Ron Fairly also goes deep twice in the nightcap. Giddy Canadians taunt Durocher. Reuss fumes afterwards.
07/07 2001 Jeff Bagwell ties a club record with seven RBIs in a 10-8 slugfest in Kansas City. His day starts with a three-run shot off Paul Byrd and finishes with a two-run double in the eighth to give the Astros breathing room. Lance Berkman strokes four safeties to run his hitting streak to 20 games.
07/07 1986 Glenn Davis drills two home runs and drives in five as the Astros put a 12-1 hurt on the Expos. Kevin Bass caps the scoring with a grand slam. Mike Scott, soon to be named to the N.L. All-Star team, pockets the easy victory.
07/07 1982 Don Sutton notches his 250th career win, a 5-1 four-hit victory over the Cubs. It's Sutton's ninth of the year. Phil Garner drills a two-run shot and Jose Cruz plates the other two tallies.
07/07 1971 Houston erupts for ten runs in the fourth inning as they pound the Giants, 18-4. Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson both rap two hits in the inning. Cedeno drives in four for the day on a pair of two-run doubles. Larry Dierker picks up his 12th win and is named to the N.L. All-Star team but declines to appear due to a sore elbow.
07/07 1966 After playing half the season with an artificial turf infield and a spray-painted dead grass outfield, the Astros depart for twelve days while the grounds crew rips up the sod and replaces the outfield with Astroturf. The last chunk of green dirt is boxed and shipped to Chicago's Leo Durocher, a vocal critic of the new surface.
07/08 2010 Roy Oswalt fires a one-hitter at the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-0 complete game shutout. It comes as rumors swirl about trading the pitching ace before the deadline on July 31st. Lance Berkman provides all the offense with two solo homers into the Crawford Boxes as part of a three-hit afternoon.
07/08 2001 Scott Elarton is ejected after he hits the first batter and misses a 14-5 thrashing by the Astros in Kansas City. After Craig Biggio and Julio Lugo are plunked to start the game, umpires warn both teams. After Elarton hits Rey Sanchez with his fifth pitch of the day, he and skipper Larry Dierker get the thumb. Jeff Bagwell and Mendy Lopez bash three-run homers in the game. Lance Berkman (.365) and Moises Alou (.362) take the league's top two batting averages into the All-Star break.
07/08 1980 J.R. Richard becomes the first Astro to be the starting pitcher in an All-Star Game . He fans three in two innings of work during a 4-2 National League win. While the short stint causes no pain in his tired right arm, Richard plans to have Dr. Frank Jobe examine it while he's in Los Angeles.
07/08 1973 Tommy Helms' two-run single caps a ninth-inning comeback for a 9-7 victory in Montreal. Cesar Cedeno clubs two home runs and Doug Rader adds a solo shot. Bob Watson breaks SS Tim Foli's jaw while sliding into second, causing a shower of debris to fall from Parc Jarry when Watson returns to left field.
07/08 1965 Joe Morgan sets a club record, going 6-for-6, but the Astros lose in Milwaukee, 9-8, in twelve innings. Morgan launches two bombs, scores three times, drives in three and steals a base. The Braves counter with five solo homers then push three more across in the ninth to tie it. Don Bolling singles home Mike de la Hoz for the game-winner and it was good timing for them - Morgan was due up the next inning.
07/09 2000 Jose Lima snaps a personal 13-game losing streak with a 9-6 victory over Kansas City. Lance Berkman powers two homers and drives in four while Bill Spiers spanks two doubles and a triple. Moises Alou also goes deep.
07/09 1988 
Nolan Ryan wins his 100th game as an Astro, dropping the New York Mets, 6-3. Only Cy Young before him had won 100 games for two teams in two separate leagues. A four-run fifth inning is the difference as RBI singles by Glenn Davis, Buddy Bell and Billy Hatcher surround four walks.
07/09 1976 Larry Dierker tosses the fifth no-hitter in franchise history, a 6-0 gem over Montreal . He supports his own cause with a sacrifice fly while batterymate Ed Herrmann drives in two, one on his first National League homer . Dierker fans Pepe Mangual and Jim Lyttle before Mike Jorgensen taps out to first for the final out.
07/09 1968 Houston is host to its first All-Star Game. True to the Astrodome's nature, the game is a pitcher's duel. Willie Mays of the Giants scores in the first inning on a double play and the Nationals make it stand for a 1-0 victory. Mays is named Most Valuable Player. Rusty Staub pinch-hits as the lone Astro representative .
07/09 1964 Colts shock the Dodgers with four in the ninth for a 6-5 triumph. Nellie Fox bloops a single to plate the tying and winning runs. Earlier, Jerry Grote had belted a two-run homer off Don Drysdale.
07/10 2003 Houston explodes for nine runs in the first inning (a franchise record) and coasts to an 11-2 blast over Cincinnati, completing a four-game sweep. Geoff Blum gets two hits and two RBIs in the opening frame. Craig Biggio becomes the 40th player in major league history to reach 500 doubles in his career . Richard Hidalgo drives in four as the Astros extend their lead in the weak Central Division to two games, even though they are just five games above the .500 mark.
07/10 1994 In just his third major league game, shortstop Orlando Miller launches two home runs and drives in three to pace a 5-3 victory in Chicago. He earns respect too, receiving two intentional walks as well. Ken Caminiti also goes deep while Craig Biggio pounds three hits including two doubles.
07/10 1993 Pete Harnisch hurls a one-hitter at Wrigley Field to begin a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs. Mark Grace's single in the seventh is the lone hit. Luis Gonzalez swats a double, triple and homer to drive in all four runs in the 4-0 opener. Gonzo belts another homer in the nightcap then Kevin Bass takes over to finish the 5-2 sweeper. Craig Biggio adds two doubles and a triple among his five hits.
07/10 1966 Mike Cuellar slams the door in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out to preserve a 6-5 triumph in St. Louis. Rusty Staub bashes two home runs and drives in four while Bob Lillis singles home the game-winner. It's a sweltering 104 degrees as the Great Plains bake in a killer heatwave. Cuellar induces a double play grounder from infielder Jimy Williams to end the contest - one of the 14 big league games in Williams' playing career.
07/10 1965 Joe Morgan stays hot, clubbing two home runs to lead a 10-1 thumping of the Mets in a 19-hit attack. Dick Farrell cruises through a five-hitter and is named to represent Houston at the All-Star Game for the fourth time.
07/11 2021 Down 7-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Houston erupts with six runs to shock the Yankees, 8-7. A three-run homer by Jose Altuve into the Crawford Boxes climaxes the rally which features three doubles and two singles before the walk-off blow. Yankee players had mocked Altuve over his controversial 2019 homer than won the ALCS. This time, Altuve allows his teammates to rip away his jersey at home plate, revealing there is no buzzer or any other aid taped to his body as New York conspiracy buffs alleged happened previously. This was Altuve's 20th homer of the season to lead the team. Houston also sets a club record by issuing 14 walks in the game.
07/11 1985 Nolan Ryan fans Danny Heep in the sixth inning to become the first player to reach 4,000 career strikeouts. Kevin Bass homers in the frame to give the Astros a 3-1 lead but miscues later let the Mets tie it. Bill Doran's fifth hit of the game, in the 12th, scores Dickie Thon for a 4-3 Houston victory.
07/11 1972 Chicago's Billy Williams goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader split against the Astros. He sets a league mark with ten consecutive hits. Jim Wynn and Lee May go deep as Houston wins the opener, 6-5. The Cubs roar back in the nightcap, 9-5, as Williams goes 5-for-5 and Rick Monday socks two homers.
07/11 1969 Cincinnati manager Dave Bristol launches a tirade for the ages during a 13-2 massacre by Don Wilson and the Astros. Bristol bumps umpire Augie Donatelli, steps on his shoes, berates the ump for several minutes then flings chairs and equipment upon returning to the dugout. And he was only behind 2-1 at the time! Good thing he didn't see the nine-run Houston sixth, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple from Denis Menke and two hits by Sandy Valdespino. Wilson fans ten and posts a six-hitter. He's also plunked twice at the plate.
07/11 1967 Jim Wynn becomes the first Houston player to get a hit in the All-Star Game . He singles in the ninth against Al Downing but does not score. Rusty Staub singles off Catfish Hunter in the 11th but also doesn't score. Mike Cuellar, the third Astro All-Star, pitches two shutout innings . Finally, Tony Perez of Cincinnati homers in the 15th to give the Nationals a 2-1 win.
07/12 2013 Rookie Jarred Cosart blanks the Rays over eight innings for his first big league win, a 2-1 victory. Carlos Corporan drives home a pair in the first against David Price which stands up the rest of the way. Jose Veras loses the shutout in the ninth but notches his 18th save.
07/12 1997 Pittsburgh's Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon team to no-hit the Astros, 3-0, in ten innings. Cordova is flawless through the first nine, but Chris Holt and Billy Wagner shut down the Pirates. After a perfect 10th from Rincon, John Hudek walks two then surrenders a three-run blast to Mark Smith.
07/12 1972 Jim Wynn bangs two home runs and drives in four to pace a 10-6 triumph over the Cubs. Norm Miller and Lee May also homer. Chicago's Billy Williams is retired in his first time up, snapping his consecutive hitting streak, but stays hot with a double and a home run.
07/12 1970 San Francisco's Gaylord Perry is met by two umpires and forced to towel down before the second inning of a game at the Dome. Minus the medicine, Perry gives up five runs as the Astros build an early lead. The Giants roar back to claim a 7-5 advantage before Houston tallies three in the ninth for an 8-7 triumph. Doug Rader singles home Jim Wynn with the game-winner.
07/12 1964 Nellie Fox singles home Eddie Kasko with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to end a wild 5-4 victory over the Giants at Colt Stadium. Tempers are hot as the Texas heat with players and managers from both teams getting run by umpire Lee Weyer. San Francisco's Billy O'Dell is thumbed as he makes warm-up tosses after arriving from the bullpen. An angry Gaylord Perry grabs Fox's bat when it's all over and smashes it to pieces before handing it to the batboy.
07/13 2004 Houston hosts the All-Star Game for the third time. Four Astros are named to the National League team and three start but the American League leaves with a 9-4 victory, buoyed by a six-run first inning off Roger Clemens. Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran single before the Minute Maid Park crowd while Lance Berkman mans center field . Local fans boo manager Jimy Williams when he is introduced. It will be the last time as he and two coaches are fired the next day. Former Astro infielder Phil Garner is named interim manager.
07/13 2001 Jeff Bagwell and Vinny Castilla bash two home runs apiece off Woody Williams in an 11-3 triumph over San Diego. Both get three hits. Castilla drives in five while Bagwell has four RBIs. Brad Ausmus also goes deep for good measure.
07/13 1983 Injury call-up George Bjorkman, in his third big league game, swats a three-run homer and drives in five to lead a 9-4 victory over Montreal. But his biggest thrill, he says afterwards, is catching Nolan Ryan. The Express fans five while winning his eighth straight decision.
07/13 1976 Cesar Cedeno becomes the first Houston player to homer in an All-Star Game . His two-run shot off Frank Tanana caps a 7-1 National League win in Philadelphia. Ken Forsch pitches a scoreless ninth to finish the game .
07/13 1962 Colt .45s ground into five double plays, still a franchise record, during a 4-0 meltdown in Pittsburgh. Shortstop Dick Groat starts three of them. Bob Friend defeats hard-luck Dick Farrell, who is wearing number "13" on Friday the 13th. It's the 16th loss in the past 18 games for the sinking Colts.
07/14 1995 Jeff Bagwell and Tony Eusebio deliver four hits apiece as the Astros outslug the Giants, 13-8. Bagwell's three-run shot gives him four RBIs while Eusebio and Dave Magadan bring home three runs apiece.
07/14 1978 Ken Forsch wins a pair of extra-inning contests against the Expos. Jose Cruz singles home the winning run in the 13th for a 4-3 victory in the opener after Reggie Baldwin tied it with a two-out single in the ninth. In the nightcap, Jesus Alou draws a bases-loaded walk for the game-winner in a 5-4, ten-inning triumph.
07/14 1974 Bob Gallagher drives in Milt May in the bottom of the 12th for a 7-6 win over the Cubs. It rains indoors! Workers forget to replace some tiles in the Astrodome roof and an evening downpour creates puddles in right and center fields while showering a few lucky outfield ticket-holders who are handed plastic trash bags for shelter.
07/14 1968 Don Wilson whiffs Johnny Bench for his 18th strikeout to tie, what was then, the major-league record held by Bob Feller and Sandy Koufax . It is part of a rain-soaked 6-1 nightcap that completes a doubleheader sweep in Cincinnati. Ron Brand scored Denis Menke for a 5-4, ten-inning victory in the opener.
07/14 1967 Eddie Mathews rips a three-run homer off Juan Marichal, the 500th of his major league career . It helps the Astros topple the Giants, 8-6. Mathews had a similar chance two innings before when a mouse dashed from the Candlestick grandstands and scurried until Willie Mays shooed it under the outfield fence. Mathews fanned but Norm Miller followed with a three-run shot. Dave Giusti picks up the win and gets the game-winning hit.
07/15 1998 Billy Wagner is KO'd when Arizona's Kelly Stinnett swats a line drive off the pitcher's head . After Houston climbed back from a 7-1 deficit to take an 8-7 lead, a stunned Jay Powell must replace Wagner and gives up a game-tying double. Mike Magnante surrenders the game-winner in a 9-8, eleven-inning loss. Wagner would not return to action until August 9th.
07/15 1997 Bill Spiers drills a pinch-hit three-run ninth-inning homer off Mel Rojas to stun the Cubs, 5-3. Darryl Kile wins his 12th of the season. The win puts Houston back at .500, a game behind Pittsburgh in the Central Division race.
07/15 1986 The Astrodome hosts its second and last All-Star Game, a 3-2 American League victory. Houston fans could cheer hometown stars Glenn Davis, Kevin Bass, Mike Scott and Dave Smith . They could also cheer Boston's Roger Clemens, another Texas legend, who is the winning pitcher and the game's Most Valuable Player.
07/15 1984 Alan Ashby singles home Jose Cruz in the 16th inning to outlast the Phillies, 3-2. Houston leaves 20 runners on base and ties a league record by drawing seven intentional walks, all after the 11th frame. A two-run blast by Mark Bailey provided the other runs.
07/15 1969 Astros erase a five-run deficit en route to a 10-7 triumph over Los Angeles. Norm Miller drives in three. Doug Rader has two RBI singles. Jim Wynn walks during the five-run fourth, breaking a league mark with his 11th straight game with a base on balls. Ex-teammate Eddie Mathews set the record in 1954.
07/16 2001 Vinny Castilla drives in four as Houston scores five times in the eighth to grab a 10-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians. The Astros greet John Rocker for four of those runs. Ron Villone grabs the win in relief.
07/16 1987 In his first major-league game, Ken Caminiti homers and triples, scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 triumph over Philadelphia. Another rookie, Gerald Young, singles off Mike Jackson with the bases loaded to send the fans home happy. Danny Darwin goes the distance on a four-hitter.
07/16 1980 Despite speculation that his problems are psychological, J.R. Richard is placed on the 21-day disabled list after complaining of a "dead arm". He took himself out during the fourth inning of a 2-0 loss to Atlanta two days before, although he got one of the two Houston hits in what would be his final major league at-bat.
07/16 1971 Astros turn the first triple play in their history during a 9-4 victory over Nolan Ryan and the Mets . Shortstop Roger Metzger takes a tap by Cleon Jones and steps on second, forcing Tommie Agee. His toss to first beats Jones to the bag. First baseman Denis Menke sees Ken Boswell make a belated dash to third so he fires across the diamond where Doug Rader completes the trifecta.
07/16 1967 Houston sweeps a twinbill against the Dodgers for the first time. Ron Davis bashes two run-scoring doubles while Don Wilson tosses seven shutout innings in the 4-1 opener. Eddie Mathews and Jim Wynn belt homers to lead the 8-2 nightcap win at Dodger Stadium.
07/17 2018 Tenth-inning solo homers by Alex Bregman and George Springer carry the American League All-Stars to an 8-6 win over the National League. A record ten bombs were hit. Only two Astros had homered in All-Star competition up to this time. Jose Altuve singles for his first All-Star hit. Bregman is awarded the game's M.V.P. award afterwards.
07/17 1994 A grand slam by Steve Finley highlights an eight-run third inning during a 9-0 whitewash in Pittsburgh. Orlando Miller adds three hits and two RBIs. Shane Reynolds takes over for Doug Drabek in the third and tosses seven innings of five-hit ball for the victory.
07/17 1984 Mark Bailey overcomes two questionable ninth-inning calls to lead a 3-2 triumph over the Mets. Jobbed by a bad call at the plate that gave New York a 2-1 lead in top of the ninth, Bailey gets revenge with a two-run blast off Doug Sisk that caps an emotional night where fines are passed out to players on both squads.
07/17 1982 Harry Spilman launches a tenth-inning bomb off Kent Tekulve to stab the Pirates, 4-3, at the Dome. Joe Niekro, for whom Spilman was pinch-hitting, goes the distance for the victory. Dickie Thon also homers.
07/17 1977 Mark Lemongello snaps a personal losing skid with a 3-1 victory over the Reds. Bob Watson and Enos Cabell swat solo homers for the winning margin. Joe Niekro hurls three innings in relief for the save.
07/18 2001 Jeff Bagwell hits for the cycle during a 17-11 slugfest over St. Louis at Enron Field. Bagwell's three-run homer is the crowning blow in an eight-run fifth after the Cardinals tallied six in the top half of the frame. Bagwell also doubles in the inning and triples in the seventh for the milestone. Moises Alou, Brad Ausmus and Craig Biggio leave the yard as well.
07/18 1994 Down 11-0 to the Cardinals, Houston explodes for eleven runs in the sixth inning to take a 15-12 shocker at the Dome. After chipping away at Allen Watson with two in the fourth and two in the fifth, the Astros erupt for five more before Mike Felder's two-run triple ties it. Kevin Bass gets his second hit in the frame to put Houston ahead to stay.
07/18 1976 Ed Herrmann goes 7-for-10 with a homer and seven RBIs in a twinbill sweep of the Expos, 7-6 and 10-1. Herrmann is a perfect 5-for-5 in the ten-inning opener. Greg Gross gets four hits to pace a 22-hit assault in the nightcap. Dan Larson tosses a complete game victory in his major league debut.
07/18 1972 A two-run inside-the-park homer by Cesar Cedeno highlights an 11-3 triumph over St. Louis . The young phenom raises his average to .351 with three hits. Jim Wynn drives in three while Jerry Reuss spins a four-hitter and adds two hits of his own.
07/18 1969 Back for the first time in over a month after an on-field collision with teammate Hector Torres put him in a hospital, Jesus Alou starts a four-run ninth-inning rally that topples the Reds, 7-4. Alou scores the tying run on a double by Sandy Valdespino then Joe Morgan plates Johnny Edwards with a squeeze bunt for the game-winner.
07/19 2013 Outfielder Brandon Barnes goes 5-for-5 and hits for the cycle but it is still not enough to upend Seattle in a 10-7 loss. Brad Miller counters with five RBIs for the Mariners. Houston falls to 33-62 on the season.
07/19 2006 Roger Clemens moves into eighth place on the all-time wins list with a 4-2 victory over Greg Maddux and the Cubs. He tosses six shutout innings to notch his 343rd career win. Craig Biggio leads off the game with a home run and Preston Wilson, on his 32nd birthday, smacks two key doubles to spearhead the offense..
07/19 2003 Lance Berkman, Richard Hidalgo and Morgan Ensberg spank back-to-back-to-back home runs off Jimmy Haynes in Cincinnati then hold on for a 9-8 triumph. Berkman has two homers and five RBIs. Ron Villone watches a 9-1 lead evaporate in the final two innings before Octavio Dotel fans the final two batters for the save.
07/19 1988 Glenn Davis belts a blooper pitch from Pascual Perez into the left field seats at Olympic Stadium in a 4-3 victory over the Expos . The 40-mph floater doesn't phase Davis who played slow-pitch softball as a youth. It is his 70th RBI of the season to lead the National League.
07/19 1986 Rick Aguilera, Ron Darling, Bob Ojeda and Tim Teufel are arrested in Houston after an early-morning fight with off-duty police officers. All are released in time for their scheduled game that evening. Mike Scott takes a two-hitter into the ninth but New York rallies to tie behind homers from Len Dykstra and Darryl Strawberry. With two out in the ninth, Craig Reynolds drills a Roger McDowell fastball into the right field seats to send the crowd home happy.
07/20 2003 Jeff Bagwell smashes two home runs, including the 400th of his career, as the Astros sweep the Reds, 6-3 . . Bagwell also provides a sacrifice fly to give him four RBIs. He becomes the 35th player in Major League history to reach the 400-HR mark, while extending his own franchise record.
07/20 1998 Doug Henry blows the save, allowing a two-run ninth-inning blast to Dante Bichette, but comes out the winner when Tim Bogar singles home Carl Everett for a 10-9 thriller over the Rockies. Everett touches home for the fourth time in the game, notching four hits and driving in three.
07/20 1997 Luis Gonzalez clobbers two home runs, including a grand slam, and drives in six to pace a 9-0 drubbing in Montreal. He completes a series where he goes 9-for-11 at the plate. Darryl Kile gets two hits of his own during a complete game four-hit shutout that drops his ERA to 1.99.
07/20 1986 Astros take three-of-four from New York with a wild 9-8 marathon in 15 innings. Houston's bullpen blows leads of 4-2 and 8-5 late to put the game into overtime. Bill Doran beats Keith Hernandez' throw to the plate for the game-winner. Bob Knepper wins in relief.
07/20 1962 Roman Mejias singles home the winning run in the ninth as Houston nips the Cardinals, 4-3, on "Stan Musial Day" in Houston . Dick Farrell admits the next day during a radio interview that he threw an illegal spitball at Musial, but the St. Louis legend drilled it for an RBI single. Farrell is fined and touches off a debate that mars his 12-strikeout performance.
07/21 2023 Kyle Tucker blasts three homers to carry the Astros to a 6-4 win over hapless Oakland. Houston is still three games behind the Rangers but currently own the last playoff berth.
07/21 2005 In their first game in our nation's capitol, the Astros top the Washington Nationals, 3-2. The team is the former Montreal Expos, still under ownership of Major League Baseball. Roy Oswalt tosses eight innings of shutout ball and plates two runs. Mike Lamb homers. The Astros, at 49-46, have won 34 of their last 50 to climb back into the Wild Card race, four games back of Washington.
07/21 1996 Derek Bell singles home James Mouton with the game-winner for the second straight night as the Astros clip the Braves, 4-3, in ten innings. Greg Maddux was the victim the previous night and Brad Clontz gets deja vu in this one. Mike Simms belts a two-run homer for Houston.
07/21 1992 Juan Guerrero blasts a 12th-inning homer off Roger Mason to stun Pittsburgh, 4-3. It's the only long ball in Guerrero's big-league career. Houston tallies three in the bottom of the ninth to set up the heroics, keyed by two sacrifice flies and a double by Pete Incaviglia.
07/21 1975 Joe Torre sets a National League record, grounding into four double plays as his Mets drop a 6-2 verdict to the Astros. Ken Forsch gets Torre all four times on sliders. Felix Millan is the victim at second base on all four twin-killings. Roger Metzger has a two-run triple and starts three of Torre's recurring nightmares.
07/21 1965 Bob Bruce outduels Bob Gibson as Houston blanks the Cardinals, 2-0. Bruce allows six hits. Gibson surrenders only four but one of them is a two-run double by Bob Lillis for the game's only tallies.
07/22 2019 While honoring the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Astros tally 11 runs to bomb Oakland, 11-1. Gerrit Cole wins his 11th while striking out 11. Rookie Yordan Alvarez homers and doubles in the rout, knocking in two to break the big league record held by Albert Pujols. The Cuban import has driven in 35 runs in his first 30 games. Fellow Cubans Yuli Gurriel and Aledmys Diaz also go deep. Gurriel has blasted 14 homers in his past 23 games as Houston expands their AL West lead to 7-1/2 games.
07/22 2009 Houston stuns closer Ryan Franklin with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to clip the Cardinals, 4-3, and sweep the three-game series from the division leaders. The Astros move within a game of first. Miguel Tejada strokes the game-winner after Chris Coste failed twice to lay down a bunt then spanked an RBI double to center. Jose Valverde wins in relief.
07/22 1995 John Cangelosi goes 4-for-4 while Jeff Bagwell drives in five, including a three-run homer, to pace a 7-6 victory over San Francisco. Mike Hampton gets an early cushion but needs help from Dave Veres and Todd Jones for the win.
07/22 1986 A pitcher's duel in the Dome. Nolan Ryan allows one hit in 9-1/3rd innings, striking out 14, but Montreal's Floyd Youmans yields just two hits and fans eight. Glenn Davis breaks the stalemate with a blast off Youmans into the left field seats for a 1-0, ten-inning triumph. Dave Smith gets the win in relief.
07/22 1979 Houston rallies for a 7-6 victory in St. Louis as Jose Cruz singles home Julio Gonzalez in the ninth for the game-winner. Terry Puhl homers. Enos Cabell and Jeff Leonard chime in with three hits apiece. Joe Sambito tosses two scoreless innings of relief for the win. It's just their second win in their past 14 games, shrinking what was a ten-game division lead two weeks ago down to four games.
07/23 2000 Bill Spiers drills two home runs and drives in six for a 15-7 triumph over St. Louis at Enron Field. His seventh-inning grand slam off Heathcliff Slocumb during a six-run frame puts this one out of reach. Lance Berkman also goes deep twice. Andy Benes is tagged for four Houston homers in the second inning - two-run shots by Spiers and Jeff Bagwell followed by solo blasts from Berkman and Richard Hidalgo.
07/23 1998 Down 6-0 in Los Angeles after the first inning, Houston rallies for five in the eighth to tie the game then tallies twice more in the tenth for an 8-6 comeback win. Moises Alou's two-run homer leads the charge. Ricky Gutierrez draws a bases-loaded walk for the game-winner then Derek Bell singles home an insurance run.
07/23 1994 Jeff Bagwell goes 4-for-4 with four RBIs, including his 30th homer, as the Astros maul the Pirates, 11-0. Bagwell becomes just the third Astro to reach that milestone. Shane Reynolds fires a four-hit shutout and fans eleven to run his season record to 8-4.
07/23 1988 A wild pitch by Bruce Ruffin plates Craig Reynolds with the winning run in the ninth as Houston upends the Phillies, 7-6. Two runs down in the eighth, the Astros rally on a pinch homer by Louie Meadows, a pinch triple by Terry Puhl and a sacrifice fly by Gerald Young. Dave Smith wins in relief.
07/23 1967 Jim Wynn clubs two homers in the 8-5 opener of a doubleheader split in Pittsburgh, including a mammoth three-run bomb that lands on a Little League diamond in back of Forbes Field. Houston has the league leader in each triple crown category (Wynn 25 HRs, 75 RBIs; Rusty Staub .358 BA) but sit, as a team, in last place. The Pirates get revenge in the nightcap, 15-2.
07/24 2007 On the day he announces his retirement effective at the end of the season, Craig Biggio blasts a grand slam homer off Rudy Seanez that breaks up a 3-3 tie and defeats the Dodgers, 7-4. It's the 3016th hit of his career. Jason Jennings wins for just the second time all season, assisted by four relievers.
07/24 1994 Jeff Bagwell bashes two home runs and drives in five during a 13-1 massacre of Pittsburgh at the Dome. Craig Biggio adds a grand slam. Bagwell's shots both come off Ravelo Manzanillo in consecutive innings.
07/24 1986 Kevin Bass has a 5-for-5 night to lead a 9-3 Houston win over the Phillies. The Astros put this one away early with eight runs in the third inning after winning the previous five games in their final at bat. Mike Scott fans 13 Philadelphians to notch his tenth victory.
07/24 1984 Enos Cabell, Phil Garner and Jose Cruz slug back-to-back-to-back homers off Mark Davis to highlight a nine-run inning that dooms the Giants, 10-3, at Candlestick Park. Cruz homers again to ice the cake. Shortstop Bert Pena gets his first two big league RBIs on two separate singles in the fateful fifth inning.
07/24 1967 Mike Cuellar tosses a two-hitter and notches a dozen strikeouts during a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia in eleven innings. Cuellar also scores the game-winner on a single by Jim Wynn. A sacrifice fly by Eddie Mathews plates the other Houston run.
07/25 2005 Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman set a franchise first by blasting back-to-back homers twice in the same game . It happens in the first and third innings against Cory Lidle during a 7-1 victory over Philadelphia. Jason Lane later blasts the fifth Houston homer. Andy Pettitte works seven solid innings for the win.
07/25 1995 Doug Drabek hurls a three-hitter and strikes out nine as he blanks the Dodgers, 4-0. Jeff Bagwell goes deep off Hideo Nomo while Craig Biggio spanks a solo shot off Jose Parra to account for half of Houston's runs.
07/25 1990 Danny Darwin goes the distance on five hits in a 5-1 victory in Atlanta. Eric Yelding goes 4-for-4, swipes two bases and drives home two as the offensive star. But it's Franklin Stubbs who enters the record books, becoming only the 15th major leaguer to play an entire game at first base without making a putout.
07/25 1980 Astros shock Montreal with seven runs in the ninth inning for a 9-8 triumph. Terry Puhl starts the rally with a blast off Steve Rogers then Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell and Alan Ashby each deliver two-run hits to complete the comeback. Ashby's double is his third hit. Frank LaCorte is the surprise winner.
07/25 1976 Bo McLaughlin, in his second big league start, fires a ten-inning six-hit shutout to nip the Giants, 1-0. Houston manages just four hits off Ed Halicki but Greg Gross doesn't need one to chase home pinch-runner Wilbur Howard with a sacrifice fly to send the fans home happy.
07/26 2006 Craig Biggio smacks the 50th leadoff homer of his career in an 8-5 victory over the Reds. Lance Berkman goes deep twice and drives in four. Berkman's 91 RBIs lead the league. However, the floundering Astros sit five games under .500, five games out of the wild card race and with five teams in between Houston and Cincinnati.
07/26 1976 As it ought to be. The 1,000th game in Astrodome history is a 7-0 shutout over San Diego as Larry Dierker spins a two-hitter. Bob Watson paces the offense with a home run and three runs batted in.
07/26 1974 Larry Milbourne scores in the 11th on a fielder's choice to give Houston an 8-7 triumph over Los Angeles. Roger Metzger has three hits and raps into the game-winner when the throw home by Davey Lopes is late. Cesar Cedeno socks two home runs and drives in four. His 79 RBIs lead the league while his 21 home runs are just one shy of ex-teammate Jim Wynn for the top spot in that category.
07/26 1968 Jim Wynn becomes the first player in franchise history to reach 100 homers. He does so with a three-run blast in the eighth inning off Frank Linzy to drop San Francisco, 4-1. The other run is driven in by Dick Simpson who leads the Astros with three hits. Denny Lemaster picks up the win.
07/26 1963 Bob Aspromonte hits another home run for blinded Bill Bradley who is able to watch this grand slam that beats the Mets, 7-3 . After three operations in two years, Bradley's sight is restored, allowing him to see the promised homer and to see his hero point to him as he rounded the bases. The blast capped a seven-run first inning which was all Turk Farrell needed to chalk up the victory.
07/27 2008 Geoff Blum smacks two homers and Brad Ausmus goes 4-for-4 to lead Houston out of the division cellar in an 11-6 win at Milwaukee. Randy Wolf makes his Astros debut but can't last long enough to qualify for the victory. Chris Sampson claims it in relief.
07/27 1992 The Astros begin a 28-day road trip with a 5-1 triumph in Atlanta. The 1,337-mile, eight-city odyssey is made to accomodate the Republican Party which is having their national convention at the Astrodome in August. Eric Anthony belts an 11th-inning grand slam off Alejandro Pena to get the excursion started on a positive note.
07/27 1982 Nolan Ryan notches the 200th win of his career, a five-hitter for a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati. Ryan strikes out 13. Ray Knight scores the winning run when Terry Puhl lines a drive off reliever Jim Kern that forces a wild throw from Ron Oester at second base. Knight hustles past third and beats the throw to the plate.
07/27 1965 The Braves smuggle their own fireworks from Milwaukee through Los Angeles and San Francisco just so they could challenge the Home Run Spectacular at the Astrodome. They get their chance when Joe Torre takes Larry Dierker deep, tossing firecrackers onto the field and lighting sparklers in the dugout. Houston fans applaud the gesture. Milwaukee wins, 7-1.
07/27 1959 Houston becomes major league - sort of. The same Houston group that would one day join the National League becomes one of eight franchises in the Continental League, a third league to rival the two established circuits. Although the league never plays a game, it offers a direct threat to the sport's leaders that expansion is inevitable, opening the door for big league baseball in Texas.
07/28 2006 Luke Scott hits for the cycle but it is not enough as the Astros fall to Arizona, 8-7, in 11 innings. Scott, a call-up earlier in the month from AAA, performs the feat backwards, smacking his first major league homer in the fourth, a triple in the fifth, a double in seventh and a single in the 11th just before the final out was made . Scott drives in five of the runs. Andy Pettitte makes his first relief appearance since 1998 and takes the loss.
07/28 2005 Brad Ausmus doubles home Orlando Palmeiro in the bottom of the ninth to nip the Mets, 3-2. Rookie Ezequiel Astacio battles Pedro Martinez to a draw, helped by a solo homer from Adam Everett and an RBI squeeze bunt by Ausmus. The win puts Houston into a tie with Washington for the wild card slot after starting the season with a 15-30 mark. All the excitement overshadows the return of 2004 postseason hero Carlos Beltran who then rebuffed the Astros and signed with New York. Beltran is booed relentlessly by the sellout crowd as he struggles through an oh-for-four night.
07/28 2001 A grand slam by Brian Giles off Billy Wagner caps a seven-run ninth as the Astros waste a three-homer performance by Vinny Castilla in a 9-8 loss to Pittsburgh at PNC Park. They make sure not to blow a similar lead in the nightcap of the twinbill, scoring four times in the ninth to seal a 12-3 victory.
07/28 1985 Craig Reynolds bangs out four hits as Houston bombs the Mets, 12-4. Mark Bailey and Jose Cruz contribute three hits each in the 19-hit effort. The New Yorkers are gracious hosts, giving the Astros four errors to work with. They ought to be since the Astros giftwrapped 16 unearned runs in a doubleheader fiasco the day before.
07/28 1979 Ken Forsch twirls a three-hitter as the Astros top the Dodgers, 5-2, but the talk is about a brawl that clears the benches. Cesar Cedeno spikes Steve Yeager during a play at the plate. Yeager later tosses a ball out to Cedeno at first who fires it back into the L.A. bench. Ken Brett then hits Enos Cabell with a pitch and away they go. Tommy Lasorda beat the rush, getting tossed three innings earlier.
07/29 2010 Astros deal ace pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Phillies for pitcher J.A. Happ and minor leaguers Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar. Gose is then sent to Toronto for first baseman Brett Wallace. Oswalt has a 143-82 record over ten seasons with Houston. He leaves unable to tie Joe Niekro for the franchise record for victories. Two days later, the Astros trade slugger Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees, sending away their last two stars from the 2005 World Series team.
07/29 1992 Jeff Bagwell hits only the seventh Club Level home run in the history of Atlanta-Fulton Country stadium, a 440-foot blast off of Tom Glavine. It comes in a 5-3 loss to the Braves. Jimmy Jones is unable to hold an early 2-0 edge.
07/29 1989 Craig Biggio becomes the first Houston catcher to bat leadoff in over twenty years and it seems to work out. He homers and singles in an 8-1 victory at San Francisco. Another blast is the first big league bomb for Eric Anthony. Glenn Davis and Ken Caminiti also go yard. Mark Portugal hurls a three-hit complete game, just his second win as an Astro.
07/29 1970 Disgruntled first baseman Joe Pepitone, who suddenly "retired" rather than play in Houston, is sold to the Cubs. He had belted 14 home runs during his four months in Texas. Bob Watson takes over at first as Larry Dierker is roughed up during a 9-2 loss at Wrigley Field.
07/29 1967 Bob Aspromonte drives in four as the Astros storm back to overcome the Pirates, 6-5, completing a four-game sweep. Julio Gotay, pinch-running for Aspro after his two-run double in the eighth, scores on a single by Bob Lillis for the game-winner. Larry Sherry shuts the door for winning pitcher Dave Eilers.
07/30 2015 Jason Castro belts a dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that knocks out Anaheim, 3-0, to push Houston two games in front in the AL West chase. Newly-acquired Scott Kazmir blanks the Halos for 7-2/3rd innings but it is Luke Gregerson who inherits the win. The Astros also ship four prospects to Milwaukee for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitcher Mike Fiers.
07/30 1980 J.R. Richard collapses from a stroke while working out at the Astrodome. He is rushed to Methodist Hospital where surgery saves his life. His distracted teammates lose in Philadelphia, 6-4. Richard would never regain the coordination needed to resume his career.
07/30 1975 The first Houston player to homer in his first major league at bat is...reliever Jose Sosa. The blast comes at the Astrodome, a three-run shot off Danny Frisella during an 8-4 victory over San Diego. And to top it off, Sosa also earns his first big league save. The other five runs come on a three-run homer by Jose Cruz and a two-run shot by Doug Rader, who is celebrating his 31st birthday.
07/30 1974 Don Wilson collects his 100th victory as an Astro, toppling the Reds, 8-4 . The righthander fans nine in eight innings of work. Lee May drives in three while Cesar Cedeno and Cliff Johnson support with solo homers.
07/30 1969 Denis Menke and Jim Wynn launch grand slams in the same inning as the Astros crush the Mets, 16-3 and 11-5 in a twinbill at Shea Stadium . The double slam was the first National League occurance in 79 years. So hot were Houston's bats that Larry Dierker took Nolan Ryan deep in the nightcap and Fred Gladding broke an oh-for-the-decade slump with a bloop single for the only hit in his career.
07/31 2019 Much like the deadline deal that brought Justin Verlander to Houston two years earlier, the Astros wait until the last minute to swing a trade with Arizona that nets former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and cash for four prospects. It caps a busy day for Jeff Luhnow who also dealt waived utilityman Tony Kemp to the Cubs to reacquire catcher Martin Maldonado. Outfielder Derek Fisher was sent to Toronto for pitchers Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini. Catcher Max Stassi was traded to the Angels for prospects. In the flurry, the Astros managed to hang on to top prospects Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley. On the field, Houston loses to Cleveland, 10-4, but remain eight games in front of Oakland in the AL West.
07/31 1999 Jeff Bagwell and rookie Lance Berkman swat two home runs apiece as the Astros club the Padres, 8-5. Berkman has three hits and steals a base. Derek Bell accounts for the other two runs with a double. Doug Henry gets the win in relief.
07/31 1998 Prospects John Halama, Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen are traded to Seattle for pitcher Randy Johnson in the most celebrated mid-season trade in team history. Before the midnight deal, the Astros upend the Pirates, 7-4, to take their record to 65-44 on the season, 3-1/2 games ahead of the Cubs in the Central Division.
07/31 1972 Houston edges San Diego, 3-2, on a gift run in the bottom of the ninth inning. It starts when Cesar Cedeno swings at a Steve Arlin pitch in the dirt for strike three. The catcher can't hang on and Cedeno is safe at first. Next, Cesar steals second and moves to third when the throw sails into center field. Two outs and two intentional walks later, Johnny Edwards takes ball four to bring Cedeno home.
07/31 1967 Bo Belinsky tosses eight innings of one-hit ball before running out of gas in a 3-2 triumph over the Mets. Larry Sherry notches the save. Ron Davis homers while Doug Rader gets an infield single in his first big league at bat . Bob Lillis singles home Bob Aspromonte with the deciding run.