10/01 2005 Roger Clemens adds career win number 341 and career strikeout number 4,500 while Craig Biggio sets a personal best with his 26th homer of the year in a 3-1 victory over Chicago. More importantly, the triumph snaps a two-game skid and clinches a tie for the N.L. Wild Card spot. Clemens also becomes the fifth Astro hurler to claim the league ERA title (1.87). The next day, Roy Oswalt clinches with his 20th victory, a 6-4 thriller that ends when Brad Lidge notches his 42nd save 
.
10/01 1998 Bill Spiers singles home Ricky Gutierrez in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 victory over San Diego in Game Two of the N.L.D.S. Jeff Bagwell brings home the first three runs while Derek Bell adds a solo shot. A two-run homer by Jim Leyritz ties it for the Padres, setting up the dramatic end. The series is tied at 1-1.
10/01 1997 Atlanta clubs the Astros, 13-3, to take Game Two of the N.L.D.S. The Braves go up, 2-0, in the series. Eight walks from Mike Hampton does not help Houston's cause.
10/01 1980 A bases-loaded double by Terry Puhl keys a 5-2 victory over Atlanta. Vern Ruhle fires his third straight complete game to increase his record to 12-4. Houston leads the Dodgers by two games with four to play.
10/01 1965 A liner by pitcher Robin Roberts falls between outfielders Curt Flood and Mike Shannon. The two collide and infielder Dal Maxvill has to run down the ball. Roberts gets a two-run double out of it which keys a 4-2 triumph over St. Louis. It's the 281st career win for the future Hall-of-Famer. The Astros would finish the year with a 65-97 record and draw over two million fans in their first year at the Dome.
10/02 2015 
Dallas Keuchel wins his 20th game of the year in grand style. The lefty was supported by a club record 21 runs at Arizona . Carlos Correa sets a franchise rookie record with his 22nd homer of the season and he's joined by George Springer, Colby Rasmus and Luis Valbuena with long balls in the 21-5 blowout. Houston would finish at 86-75 and earn the second AL wild card spot, their first postseason appearance in ten years.
10/02 2004 Roy Oswalt becomes the National League's only 20-game winner with a 9-3 triumph over Colorado. Craig Biggio smashes two homers to set a career high. Jeff Kent goes yard to set a career record for home runs by a second baseman with 278. More importantly, the win clinches a tie for the wild card spot when ex-Astro Steve Finley belts a walk-off grand slam to give the Dodgers a 7-3 verdict over the Giants. The next day, Brandon Backe clinches the berth for Houston with a 5-3 victory, giving the Astros a 92-70 mark . They finished the year winning 36 of their last 46 games and 18 straight at home.
10/02 1999 Jose Lima wins his 21st game as he and Billy Wagner team to blank the Dodgers, 3-0. The victory, combined with a Cincinnati loss in Milwaukee, clinches a tie for the N.L. Central title. Craig Biggio homers off Chan Ho Park 
then Bill Spiers adds a pinch two-run single to provide the winning margin. Wagner gets his 39th save, a team record at the time.
10/02 1986 Mike Scott strikes out eight batters in a 2-1 victory over the Giants, finishing the season with 306 strikeouts. His bid for a second consecutive no-hitter is broken up with a leadoff double in the seventh by Will Clark. Houston rallies with a run in the ninth then a solo homer by Bill Doran for the game-winner.
10/02 1982 Astros hand the Reds their 100th loss of the season, the first time in their storied 114-year history. Starter Frank DiPino has the honors with a 4-2 victory. Harry Spilman gets the key hit, a two-run single in the four-run fourth. Astros would win the next day to finish with a 77-85 campaign, in fifth place ahead of only Cincinnati.
10/02 1976 J.R. Richard becomes Houston's second 20-game winner and he does it impressively, a 13-strikeout complete game 10-1 thrashing of the Giants. Richard add three hits at the plate, including a home run, and drives in three. It wraps up an 80-82 season, a 15-1/2 game improvement in Bill Virdon's first full year at the helm.
10/03 1999 The Astros play their last regular-season game at the Astrodome and finish in style. A 9-4 triumph over the Dodgers clinches the N.L. Central crown . Mike Hampton becomes the first 22-game winner in club history. Daryle Ward's bases-loaded double in the first provides an early lift. Craig Biggio hits his 56th double. Afterwards, members of the 1965 Astros appear as well as the All-Time Astros squad before an enthusiastic packed house.
10/03 1998 Houston loses another 2-1 heartbreaker to the Padres in Game Three of the N.L.D.S. A walk to Craig Biggio forces home Carl Everett for their only run off Kevin Brown. Mike Hampton has a no-hitter for the first five innings but is touched for a run in the sixth. Jim Leyritz homers off Scott Elarton for the decisive run. 2-1 is also San Diego's lead in the series.
10/03 1997 Atlanta makes quick work of Houston's post-season. John Smoltz hurls a three-hitter for a 4-1 clincher in Game Three of the N.L.D.S. A solo shot by Chuckie Carr is the lone Astro run .
10/03 1992 Mike Simms drives home Craig Biggio in the 13th for a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers. Jose Cruz (#25) and Mike Scott (#33) have their jersies retired, the first two not to be honored posthumously by the ballclub.
10/03 1988 Hal Lanier is fired after three seasons. Having won Manager of the Year honors in 1986, Hal closes his run with a 254-232 record.
10/04 2019 Justin Verlander tosses seven shutout innings to lead the Astros to a 6-2 victory over Tampa Bay in the A.L.D.S. opener in Houston. Jose Altuve's two-run blast in the sixth opens the scoring. Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel add two hits each.
10/04 2001 After being walked eight times in the three-game series, San Francisco's Barry Bonds belts his record-tying 70th home run of the season off Wilfredo Rodriguez in the ninth inning of a 10-2 rout at Enron Field. The Astros, in a six-game tailspin, are booed by the home fans both for pitching around Bonds and for threatening to miss the playoffs after having almost sewn it up a week ago.
10/04 1998 San Diego shuts the door on Houston's first 100-win season with a 6-1 verdict in Game Four of the N.L.D.S. to claim the series, 3-1. After a Jim Leyritz homer, Jeff Bagwell plates Craig Biggio with a single to tie it. An error by Sean Berry gives the Padres the lead before they break it open with four runs in the eighth.
10/04 1996 Larry Dierker, the Astros' former player and broadcaster, is named the new manager despite having no previous coaching or managing experience. Terry Collins is relieved after three years, posting a 224-197 record marred by late-season collapses.
10/04 1992 Astros sweep Los Angeles, 3-0, to finish a surprising 81-81. Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Steve Finley play in all 162 games. Doug Jones notches a record 36th save . He also leads the staff with eleven wins and a 1.85 ERA.
10/04 1981 Houston finishes the strike-ravaged season with a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers. Scott Loucks and Alan Knicely star as Dave Smith is the winning pitcher. The Astros win the second-half N.L. West title with a 30-23 record. Their full-season record is 58-52, third best in the division behind Cincinnati and first-half champion Los Angeles, who they will meet in a first-ever divisional playoff series.
10/05 2020 Carlos Correa homers twice and drives in four while George Springer smacks four hits to lead Houston past Oakland, 10-5, in Game 1 of the A.L.D.S., held in Los Angeles. A four-run outburst with two outs in the sixth flips a 5-3 deficit to a 7-5 lead . Houston's shaky bullpen is a quiet hero, tossing five hitless innings in relief of Lance McCullers.
10/05 2019 Gerrit Cole fans 15 while pitching 7-2/3rd innings of shutout ball as Houston downs Tampa Bay, 3-1, to take a 2-0 lead in the A.L.D.S. Alex Bregman takes Blake Snell deep while four Astros enjoy multi-hit games.
10/05 2018 Houston opens their postseason championship defense with a 7-2 Game 1 victory over the Cleveland Indians as Justin Verlander outduels Corey Kluber. Home runs by Alex Bregman, George Springer, Jose Altuve and Martin Maldonando spark the offense. The Astros would sweep the series with wins of 3-1 and 11-3 to advance to the LCS against Boston.
10/05 2017 Jose Altuve smashes three home runs to pace the Astros to an 8-2 triumph over Chris Sale and the Red Sox in Game One of the A.L.D.S. Alex Bregman homered to start the scoring while Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann each drove in a pair to support Justin Verlander.
10/05 2005 Morgan Ensberg drives in five runs on three singles and a bases-loaded walk to pace a 10-5 victory in Atlanta in Game One of the N.L.D.S. Andy Pettitte allows four hits over seven innings for his 14th career postseason win. The .081-hitting Pettitte adds a double and two sacrifice bunts that lead to runs. Craig Biggio scores three times.
10/05 1999 Astros get the jump on Atlanta in Game One of the N.L.D.S. with a 6-1 victory. Tony Eusebio gives Houston an early lead with an RBI single off Greg Maddux. The Braves tie it but Daryle Ward takes Maddux deep for a 2-1 edge. Ken Caminiti's three-run bomb in the ninth ices the game . Shane Reynolds gets the win.
10/06 2017 Carlos Correa homers and drives in four to pace an 8-2 victory over Boston in Game Two of the A.L.D.S. George Springer also goes deep. Houston leaves town with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
10/06 2015 In a one-game Wild Card playoff, the Astros travel to New York and eliminate the Yankees, 3-0, behind the three-hit pitching of Dallas Keuchel over six innings and three innings of shutout relief. Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez provide the offense with solo homers off Masahiro Tanaka.
10/06 2004 Houston gets the jump on Atlanta in Game One of the N.L.D.S. with a 9-3 rout behind Roger Clemens and four home runs. Brad Ausmus, Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran and Jason Lane provide the long balls . Clemens, pitching while recovering from the stomach flu, lasts seven innings. Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, goats of postseasons past, both deliver hits to start the series.
10/06 1981 Alan Ashby, as if waiting a year for revenge, slams a two-out two-run homer off Dave Stewart in the ninth to stun the Dodgers, 3-1, in Game One of their divisional playoff series . Tony Scott had driven in Terry Puhl earlier but Los Angeles ties it up on a solo shot from Steve Garvey, one of just two hits given up by Nolan Ryan.
10/06 1980 Astros win the N.L. West for the first time with a 7-1 playoff victory in Los Angeles . Joe Niekro gets his 20th win on a six-hitter. Art Howe is the offensive star with four RBIs on a two-run homer and a two-run single . Craig Reynolds adds three hits. Alan Ashby is kneed by Dodger catcher Joe Ferguson after a violent collision in the fourth. Ashby's rib is broken and he'll miss most of the N.L.C.S.
10/07 2021 In a matchup of the two oldest managers in postseason history, 72-year-old Dusty Baker's Astros challenge 77-year-old Tony LaRussa's White Sox in the best-of-five A.L.D.S. Lance McCullers sees to it the Astros get off on the right foot, blanking the Pale Hose for 6-2/3rd innings in a 6-1 triumph. Yordan Alvarez leads the offense with a home run and a double. Houston would use a five-run seventh the next day to grab a 9-4 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.
10/07 2004 A two-run homer in the 11th by Rafael Furcal off Dan Miceli gives Atlanta a 4-2 decision over Houston in Game Two of the N.L.D.S. to tie the best-of-five series. The Braves outlast Roy Oswalt then attack the bullpen late. Solo homers by Jeff Bagwell and Raul Chavez give the Astros their only runs.
10/07 2001 Shane Reynolds wins his 100th game as an Astro and it comes at the best possible time. He drops St. Louis, 9-2, to claim Houston's fourth division title in five years . Richard Hidalgo blasts a two-run homer in the second off Darryl Kile and the Astros never look back . While the two clubs share 93-69 records, the Astros claim the title by winning nine of 16 head-to-head matchups.
10/07 1981 Denny Walling delivers a bases-loaded single in the 11th inning for a 1-0 triumph over the Dodgers at the Astrodome. Joe Niekro, Dave Smith and Joe Sambito combine for the shutout. The victory puts the Astros ahead, 2-0, in their five-game divisional series. Like the year before, Houston needs to win just one of three in Los Angeles to advance to the N.L.C.S.
10/07 1980 The first post-season game in Astros history is a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia in Game One of the N.L.C.S. Houston gets the first run when Gary Woods singles off Steve Carlton to score Jose Cruz. A two-run bomb by Greg Luzinski off Ken Forsch puts the Phillies ahead to stay.
10/08 2020 Michael Brantley homers twice and Carlos Correa drives in five to pace an 11-6 thrashing of Oakland at Dodger Stadium to complete the A.L.D.S. series victory, three-games-to-one . Houston advances to the LCS for the fourth consecutive year.
10/08 2015 In Game 1 of the A.L.D.S. in Kansas City, Collin McHugh gives the Astros a leg up in the series with a 5-2 victory. The Astros jump on Yordano Ventura for three runs in the first two innings before a 49-minute rain delay. George Springer and Colby Rasmus later go deep . McHugh works around the raindrops for six innings of four-hit pitching before a quartet or relievers close it out.
10/08 2005 Mike Lamb homers and Craig Biggio swats three doubles to pace the Astros in a 7-3 triumph over the Braves to take a 2-1 edge in the N.L.D.S. Roy Oswalt goes seven innings for the win. Houston smacks seven doubles in all to tie a league postseason record. Eight of their 12 hits go for extra bases.
10/08 1999 Astros lose a heartbreaking 12-inning affair to the Braves, 5-3, at the Dome. Brian Jordan is the star of Game Three, driving in all five Atlanta runs with a three-run homer and the game-winning double. Bill Spiers ties it up late before Walt Weiss makes the most memorable play, stabbing a smash by Tony Eusebio with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth and throwing out Ken Caminiti at the plate to prevent an Astros win.
10/08 1986 Mike Scott outduels Dwight Gooden for a 1-0 victory at the Astrodome in Game One of the N.L.C.S. Scott fans 14 Mets on his way to a complete game shutout. Glenn Davis supplies all the offense with a second-inning home run . New York complains about Scott scuffing the ball but the umpires find nothing wrong. The next day, the Mets even the series with a 5-1 decision as Bob Ojeda outduels Nolan Ryan.
10/08 1980 Houston tastes their first post-season win. It's a 7-4 ten-inning victory in Philadelphia to even the N.L.C.S. at 1-1. Frank LaCorte pitches out of a jam to send the game into extras at 3-3. Jose Cruz and Cesar Cedeno drive in runs in the tenth before Dave Bergman lashes a two-run triple to put the game out of reach .
10/09 2017 Houston comes from behind to nip the Red Sox, 5-4, in Game Four of the A.L.D.S. to claim a 3-1 series victory. Alex Bregman homers and Carlos Beltran delivers a key double in the comeback while Ken Giles shrugs off a flukish inside-the-park homer to finish the save.
10/09 2005 In the longest game in postseason history, Chris Burke's solo homer off Joey Devine in the bottom of the 18th gives the Astros a 7-6 victory over the Braves, winning the N.L.D.S., three games to one . Trailing 6-1 in the eighth, Lance Berkman puts Houston back in it with a grand slam homer off Kyle Farnsworth. With two outs in the ninth, Brad Ausmus blasts a solo home run off Farnsworth to left center than just clears the yellow line and just eludes the reach of Andruw Jones . The belt ties the game at six apiece. After the bullpen is spent, Roger Clemens enters in the 15th and gets the victory. Burke had hit just five homers all season.
10/09 2004 The Astros hold on for an 8-5 triumph over the Braves in Game Three of the N.L.D.S., taking a 2-1 lead in the series. Morgan Ensberg drives in three while Carlos Beltran drives in a pair with a homer and a double . Brandon Backe works the first six innings for the victory but watches the bullpen struggle again.
10/09 1999 In the last major league game held at the Astrodome, the Astros run out of gas in a 7-5 loss to the Braves, ending the N.L.D.S. by dropping three of four . Houston falls behind, 7-0, before making a late charge. Tony Eusebio and Ken Caminiti belt home runs to make the game close but the Astros come up short.
10/09 1981 Burt Hooton spins a three-hitter as the Dodgers take a 6-1 verdict in Game Three of their best-of-five division playoff. The Astros still lead the series, 2-1. Art Howe's solo shot is the only Houston heroics. Steve Garvey's two-run blast in the first puts Los Angeles ahead to stay.
10/10 2023 Jose Abreu homers twice and drives in five to pace a 9-1 blowout in Game 3 of the A.L.D.S and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman also go yard. Starter Cristian Javier allows just one hit and fans nine over five innings for the win.
10/10 2019 After two losses in St. Petersburg, Houston pulls out Game 5 of the A.L.D.S. with a 6-1 triumph over Tampa Bay to advance to the next round. Gerrit Cole strikes out ten while spinning eight innings of two-hit ball. Houston breaks out with four runs in the first off Tyler Glasnow then added the finishing touches in the eighth with home runs by Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve.
10/10 2004 Craig Biggio pops his first postseason home run and Houston leads Atlanta, 5-2, in Game Four of the N.L.D.S. with a chance to advance. Then Chad Qualls gives up a three-run homer to Adam Laroche and the Braves push across the winning run in the ninth to steal a 6-5 verdict and fly back to Atlanta for a decisive fifth game. Jeff Kent rolls into a double play with two men on in the bottom of the ninth to end a painful day - made worse by the news of ex-teammate Ken Caminiti's death in New York at age 41.
10/10 1981 Fernando Valenzuela outpitches Vern Ruhle in a 2-1 decision in Los Angeles. Only eight hits are registered, four by each side, but a homer by Pedro Guerrero and an RBI single by Bill Russell trump last-inning heroics by Terry Puhl and Tony Scott. The series is knotted at two games apiece.
10/10 1980 Denny Walling delivers Rafael Landestoy with a sacrifice fly as Houston wins their first post-season home game, 1-0, over Philadelphia . The Astros lead the best-of-five N.L.C.S., 2-1. Joe Morgan slams a Tug McGraw fastball high off the right field fence in the 11th inning for a triple and comes out for Landestoy. Joe Niekro blanks the Phils for ten innings before Dave Smith enters to get the win.
10/10 1961 The Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets choose in the first National League expansion draft. Among the Colt selections are Bob Aspromonte and Dick Farrell (both from L.A.), Hal Smith and Roman Mejias (Pit.), Ken Johnson (Cin.), Al Spangler (Mil.) and Bob Lillis (St.L.). Houston's first pick is infielder Eddie Bressoud but he is traded before the inaugural season begins.
10/11 2022 Behind the entire contest against Seattle during Game 1 of the A.L.D.S., Yordan Alvarez wins it with a dramatic three-run walk-off homer into the upper deck of the right field stands to post an 8-7 shocker. Justin Verlander allowed six runs early but Houston chipped away as Alvarez poked a two-run double, Yuli Gurriel went deep and Alex Bregman cracked a two-run homer to trail, 7-5, before Alvarez' two-out bomb in the ninth.
10/11 2015 The Astros take a 2-1 edge in the A.L.D.S. after Dallas Keuchel tames the Royals, 4-2, before 42,674 at Minute Maid Park. Jason Castro's two-run single in the fifth put Houston ahead to stay (no audio). An RBI single by Carlos Gomez and a solo homer from Chris Carter add insurance. The Astros need win just once more to move on to their first A.L.C.S.
10/11 2004 In their eighth try, the Astros finally win a postseason series, blowing out the Braves, 12-3, in Game Five of the N.L.D.S. Carlos Beltran steals the show with two home runs and five RBIs in a four-hit performance . Craig Biggio adds three hits while Jeff Bagwell slams a two-run shot. Roy Oswalt, on short rest, goes five gutty innings for the victory. The win is even sweeter, having vanquished a foe that had beaten them nine-games-out-of-ten in three previous postseason matchups.
10/11 1986 Len Dykstra homers off Dave Smith in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mets a 6-5 decision over the Astros in New York. The Mets lead the best-of-seven N.L.C.S., 2-1. Houston had an early 4-0 advantage, keyed by a Bill Doran homer , but New York ties it with a three-run blast from Darryl Strawberry.
10/11 1981 Jerry Reuss of the Dodgers shuts out the Astros on a five-hitter, 4-0, winning the divisional series, 3-2. Nolan Ryan is reached for three runs in the sixth while Houston's bats, as one writer put it, died in their sleep. The Astros manage just twelve hits and two runs over three days of one-win-to-clinch baseball.
10/11 1980 In a game of bizarre moments, Philadelphia beats Houston, 5-3 in ten innings, to even the N.L.C.S. at 2-2. Pete Rose crashes into Bruce Bochy at home plate to score the winning run . The game features a fourth-inning triple play by Houston that was reduced to two outs after pitcher Vern Ruhle grabs a soft liner by Garry Maddox and tosses to first . Houston also loses a run when Gary Woods is called out for leaving third base early on a sixth-inning fly ball by Luis Pujols. In addition, an Astro outfield assist is ruled to occur just after Rose crosses the plate, allowing his run to count.
10/12 2021 Chicago fans cheer and jeer as Jose Altuve is hit by a pitch early in Game 4 of their A.L.D.S with the White Sox. They shouldn't have done that. Altuve responds by scoring four times and delivering a capping three-run homer in a 10-1 series clincher. There was bad news too as starter Lance McCullers hurt his right forearm and would be unavailable for the rest of the playoffs.
10/12 2015 Minute Maid is jumping as the Astros build a 6-2 lead with six outs to go in order to wrap up the A.L.D.S. but Kansas City decimates the Houston bullpen for seven runs to take a 9-6 verdict and force a decisive Game 5. Carlos Correa drilled two homers and a double with four RBIs while Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez smashed solo shots before the retractable roof caves in, adding to the city's legacy of excruciating postseason collapses.
10/12 2005 Andy Pettitte is hit by a line drive during warmups and struggles through a 5-3 loss to St. Louis in Game One of the N.L.C.S. Reggie Sanders powers a two-run blast in the first off Pettitte as the Cardinals build a lead they would never surrender. Chris Burke stays hot for Houston with a pinch-hit two-run shot of his own.
10/12 2001 Astros are swept by the Braves at Turner Field, 6-2, to close out another disappointing N.L.D.S, their third such fate at the hands of Atlanta in five years. Former Houston backup Paul Bako homers off Shane Reynolds and drives in three. Daryle Ward's two-run blast is the only response for the Astros.
10/12 1986 Mike Scott tames the Mets again with a 3-1 triumph to even the N.L.C.S. at 2-2. Alan Ashby and Dickie Thon swat home runs to account for all of Houston's runs . While not as sharp as his Game One win, Scott continues to master New York with a complete-game three-hit, five-strikeout victory .
10/12 1980 Houston has a 5-2 lead and needs six outs to reach the World Series. Nolan Ryan is on the mound. Philadelphia surges back to win in ten innings, 8-7, and take the National League pennant before a drained Astrodome crowd. Manny Trillo's triple caps a five-run Phillie rally but the Astros tie it on hits from Rafael Landestoy and Jose Cruz . Garry Maddox's sinking double breaks the tie then he snares Enos Cabell's fly to break Houston hearts. The ten-inning game is the fourth consecutive extra-inning game of the series.
10/13 2019 Carlos Correa's 11th-inning walk-off homer against former Astro J.A. Happ evens the A.L.C.S at one game apiece in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees. Correa earlier plated a run with a double and George Springer launched a solo homer. Justin Verlander was followed by five relievers with Josh James getting the win.
10/13 2018 Astros open the A.L.C.S. with a 7-2 triumph over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Carlos Correa's RBI single in the sixth breaks a 2-2 tie then homers by Josh Reddick and Yuli Gurriel in the ninth seal the win.
10/13 2017 Dallas Keuchel twirls seven innings of four-hit shutout ball to silence the Yankees, 2-1, in Game One of the A.L.C.S. at Minute Maid. Jose Altuve produced half of Houston's six hits while Marwin Gonzalez saved a run with a strong throw from left field to nab Greg Bird at home plate.
10/13 2005 Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge combine to silence St. Louis, 4-1, to even the N.L.C.S. at one game apiece . Chris Burke stays hot with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. A solo shot by Albert Pujols in the sixth accounts for the only Cardinal run.
10/13 2004 A six-run sixth inning puts the Cardinals out of reach as they outslug the Astros, 10-7, in Game One of the N.L.C.S. in St. Louis. Brandon Backe and Chad Qualls are torched by the league's most potent offense, despite receiving home run support from Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman, Jeff Kent and Mike Lamb .
10/13 1961 Houston makes their debut as a major league franchise through an Arizona instructional league team based in Scottsdale dubbed the "Colt .22s".
10/14 2020 Down 3-0 to Tampa Bay in the A.L.C.S, Houston avoids a sweep with a 4-3 victory played in San Diego. George Springer's two-run homer in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie as Zack Greinke, Cristian Javier and Ryan Pressly held down the Rays.
10/14 2018 Boston evens the A.L.C.S with a 7-5 decision over Houston. The Red Sox bullpen protected a lead for 4-1/3rd innings while Jackie Bradley Jr. drives in three to lead the Boston assault.
10/14 2017 Jose Altuve slides across with the game-winner as Carlos Correa doubles against Aroldis Chapman for the 2-1 triumph over New York that puts Houston ahead, 2-0, in the A.L.C.S. Justin Verlander tosses a complete-game five-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Correa had also homered in the fifth for the Astros' only other run.
10/14 2015 Kansas City eliminates the Astros with a 7-2 verdict in Game 5 of the A.L.D.S. to close out Houston's Cinderella season. Luis Valbuena takes Johnny Cueto deep as the Astros build an early 2-0 lead but the Royals roar back against Collin McHugh then tee off against Dallas Keuchel who appears on short rest. The Royals roll on to win the World Series.
10/14 2004 The Cardinals build a 2-0 lead in the N.L.C.S. with a 6-4 verdict in the rain. Houston's 3-0 lead, buoyed by homers from Carlos Beltran and Morgan Ensberg, is washed away in a four-run Redbird fifth inning. Dan Miceli then serves up the decisive runs on back-to-back blasts by Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen in the eighth.
10/14 1986 Fred Brocklander's name becomes infamous in Houston as the Mets defeat the Astros in twelve innings, 2-1. Brocklander calls Craig Reynolds out at first for the third out while a teammate is crossing home plate. Replays show Reynolds beat the throw . Nolan Ryan is perfect until allowing a homer to Darryl Strawberry in the sixth to tie the game. Charley Kerfeld is the victim when Gary Carter drives home Wally Backman with the game-winner. New York leads the N.L.C.S., 3-2, as they fly back to Houston.
10/15 2022 History repeats itself as the Astros close out an LDS with an 18-inning marathon. This time, it was a 1-0 shutout over Seattle with rookie Jeremy Pena supplying the game's only run with a blast into the seats in left center. Luis Garcia, normally a starter, works the last five innings of relief to sweep the A.L.D.S., 3-0. The six-hour-22-minute contest is the longest shutout game in playoff history.
10/15 2021 In a rematch of 2018, the Astros take on Boston in the A.L.C.S. Houston gets the first punch in a 5-4 comeback victory. Jose Altuve blasts a two-run shot to tie the game at three apiece then Carlos Correa drills a solo homer in the seventh to push ahead.
10/15 2020 Carlos Correa drills a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth over the centerfield fence to cap a 4-3 triumph over Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the A.L.C.S. and stave off elimination for another day . George Springer also homers.
10/15 2005 Houston grabs a 2-1 lead in the N.L.C.S. with a 4-3 triumph over St. Louis. Mike Lamb doubles and homers to key a pair of two-run rallies while Roger Clemens, Chad Qualls and Brad Lidge hold the Redbirds to seven hits. Craig Biggio adds a pair of hits.
10/15 1986 In the one of the most thrilling games in baseball history, the Astros and Mets battle 16 innings at the Astrodome before the Mets prevail, 7-6, to win the National League pennant. Houston scores three in the first while Bob Knepper blanks New York for eight innings. The Mets rally to tie in the ninth and take the lead in the 14th. Billy Hatcher knots it again with a dramatic solo homer that hits the foul pole down the left field line . New York scores three more in the 16th but the Astros answer with two runs of their own. Finally, Kevin Bass strikes out with a runner aboard for the final out of the season.
10/15 1961 An All-Star exhibition game is held at Busch Stadium (formerly Buff Stadium) in Houston as a prelude to major league play the next year. 5,600 fans turn out to see the National Leaguers triumph, 6-1, over the American League squad. Bill White of St. Louis rips a home run. Bob Aspromonte, one of the newly-drafted Houston players, also gets into the game.
10/16 2021 Red Sox sluggers J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers rip grand slam homers in consecutive innings to pace a 9-5 Boston massacre that evens the A.L.C.S. at 1-1. It was the first time in postseason history that two slams were hit in the same game. Two days later at Fenway, Kyle Schwarber joins the club with a grand slam during a 12-3 drubbing in Game 3.
10/16 2020 A four-run fifth propels Houston to a 7-4 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 6 of the A.L.C.S., evening a series that the Astros once trailed 0-3, making them the second team in MLB history to overcome such a deficit in the postseason (following Boston, 2004). Kyle Tucker homers. Ex-Astro Charlie Morton would shut down the Astros in Game 7 the following night in San Diego, ending Houston's surprising postseason run in a 4-2 loss.
10/16 2018 Jackie Bradley Jr. belts a grand slam off Roberto Osuna to complete an 8-2 Boston verdict over Houston to take a 2-1 lead in the A.L.C.S. A double by Alex Bregman tied the contest at 2-2 before the bullpen collapse.
10/16 2017 C.C. Sabathia and three relievers handcuff Houston on four hits to take an 8-1 verdict over the Astros in Game 3 of the A.L.C.S. at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge and Todd Frazier drive in six of New York's eight runs. Houston still leads the best-of-seven series, 2-1.
10/16 2005 Jason Lane homers and Morgan Ensberg hits the decisive sacrifice fly to nip the Cardinals, 2-1, giving Houston a 3-1 edge in the N.L.C.S. Brandon Backe and four relievers hold St. Louis to just five hits. Frustrations spill over for the Redbirds as skipper Tony LaRussa and slugger Jim Edmonds are ejected for arguing pitches with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi. Sparkling defense ends the ninth when Eric Bruntlett and Adam Everett turn a double play on John Mabry's roller.
10/16 2004 Roger Clemens cools off the Cardinal bats with seven innings of four-hit ball as the Astros win Game Three of the N.L.C.S., 5-2. Jeff Kent homers in the opening frame and Houston nurses a 3-2 advantage until Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman drill solo shots to give the bullpen some breathing room . St. Louis still leads the best-of-seven series, 2-1.
10/17 2019 Three-run homers by George Springer and Carlos Correa pace an 8-3 victory over the Yankees at New York to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the A.L.C.S. The Yanks commit four errors in a late breakdown. Alex Bregman scores twice.
10/17 2018 In a see-saw Game 4 of the A.L.C.S., Boston outlasts the Astros, 8-6, for a commanding 3-1 series lead. Controversy erupts when Jackie Bradley Jr.'s glove collides with a fan in the right field seats as he attempts to grab Jose Altuve's fly ball. The umpire ruled it was fan interference, negating a two-run homer. Bradley also stays hot with a two-run blast of his own. George Springer and Tony Kemp take Rick Porcello deep. A final ninth-inning rally fails when Andrew Benintendi makes a diving stab of Alex Bragman's liner with the bases full.
10/17 2017 New York's Aaron Judge blasts a homer off Lance McCullers that opens the floodgates for a 6-4 Yankee win in Game Four of the A.L.C.S. to tie the best-of-seven series. The Houston bullpen surrenders leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in the process. Yuli Gurriel drives in three for the Astros.
10/17 2005 Houston is ready to explode, one out away from the World Series but Albert Pujols slams a three-run homer in the ninth off Brad Lidge to stun the Astros, 5-4. Houston wastes a three-run shot by Lance Berkman that could have made history . They still lead the Cardinals in the N.L.C.S., three games to two and, like last year, will need to win one more back in St. Louis to advance.
10/17 2004 Carlos Beltran homers off Julian Tavarez in the seventh to give the Astros a 6-5 triumph in Game Four of the N.L.C.S., evening the series at 2-2 . It is Beltran's seventh straight postseason game with a home run, setting a new record. It's also his eighth in this postseason to tie him with Barry Bonds for that mark. Houston tied it the inning before on a solo shot by Lance Berkman and a run-scoring single by Raul Chavez. Dan Wheeler and Brad Lidge silence the Redbirds after Roy Oswalt pitched the first six innings.
10/17 1960 The Houston Sports Association secures a National League franchise for the City of Houston in Chicago. R.E. "Bob" Smith and Judge Roy Hofheinz spearhead the effort along with Craig Cullinan and George Kirksey. Giddy civic leaders welcome the victorious men back to Houston, dreaming of one day watching a World Series in their hometown. In Washington, Sen. Lyndon Johnson also expresses joy. Baseball fans have these men to thank for the team they follow today.
10/18 2023 After dropping the first two games to the Rangers at home in the A.L.C.S., Houston bounces back with an 8-5 victory in Arlington in Game 3. Martin Maldonado gets the scoring started with a two-run single off Max Scherzer. Mauricio Dubon adds three hits and Jose Altuve blasts his 25th postseason home run, second on the all-time list. The next day, the Astros even the series with a 10-3 rout as Jose Abreu blasts a pair of home runs.
10/18 2018 Boston closes out the A.L.C.S. with a 4-1 Game Five decision at Minute Maid Park. A solo homer by Marwin Gonzalez prevents the shutout. Former Astro J.D. Martinez homered off Justin Verlander then Rafael Devers drilled the deciding three-run shot off Verlander in the sixth. Boston went on to win the World Series over Los Angeles.
10/18 2017 Masahiro Tanaka combines with Tommy Kahnle on a four-hit shutout of Houston, 5-0, as the Yankees claim a 3-2 lead in the A.L.C.S., needing one win to advance to the World Series. Gary Sanchez homers and drives in a pair to pace the New York offense.
10/18 2004 In a classic postseason pitching duel, Houston's Brandon Backe and St. Louis' Woody Williams trade one-hit performances over the first seven innings. Backe keeps his no-hit bid until a two-out single by Tony Womack in the sixth and allows just that for eight innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Jeff Kent belts a mammoth three-run homer off Jason Isringhausen to send the crowd into delirium, a 3-0 triumph in Game Five and a 3-2 lead in the N.L.C.S., needing just one win in Missouri to reach the World Series.
10/18 2001 Larry Dierker resigns as manager, ending a five-year run. His 448 wins rank second to Bill Virdon. The good news was four division crowns in five years. The bad news was a 2-12 postseason record, failing to escape out of the first round of the playoffs each year. But the numbers don't begin to capture Dierker's story, one as unique as the Hawaiian-shirted lanky Californian that has spent practically his entire adulthood with the franchise.
10/18 1961 Colts purchase righthander Hal Woodeshick from the Detroit Tigers. A starter his first year in Houston, Woodeshick develops into a closer the next two seasons and makes the All-Star team in 1963.
10/19 2022 Three Astros homer while Justin Verlander fans eleven in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees in Game One of the A.L.C.S. Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Pena take New York pitchers deep.
10/19 2021 Down 2-1 in the A.L.C.S. and on the road, the Astros get off the mat in Boston to even the series. Jose Altuve ties the contest at 2-2 with an eighth-inning bomb. Next, Houston explodes for seven runs in the ninth for a 9-2 triumph. Jason Castro's RBI pinch-hit single opens the floodgates.
10/19 2019 CELEBRATE AGAIN! After a two-run homer ties A.L.C.S. Game 6 in the top of the ninth, Jose Altuve wins the series in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run walk-off homer for a 6-4 triumph over the Yankees, giving the Astros their second American League pennant in three years. Altuve is named the Series MVP. Yuli Gurriel adds a three-run homer.
10/19 2005 CELEBRATE! For the first time in 44 seasons, Houston is champion of the National League! Behind series MVP Roy Oswalt, the Astros claim the N.L.C.S. with a 5-1 triumph in St. Louis . In the last game played at Busch Stadium II, Brad Ausmus leads the attack with three hits while Jason Lane goes deep off Mark Mulder. Houston will face the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. Chicago fans have waited since 1959 to return to the Fall Classic. That was the same year Houston joined the Continental League in the Houston Sports Association's first attempt at a big league franchise.
10/19 1987 In one of his final acts as General Manager, Dick Wagner decides to exercise a contract option on Nolan Ryan. It was a strange year for the Express, leading the league in strikeouts and ERA but suffering an 8-16 record. The Astros could have either paid the 40-year-old righthander an estimated $1.3 million or released him to free agency.
10/19 1965 Astros deal catcher Jerry Grote to the New York Mets for pitcher Tom Parsons and cash. Although batting just .182 with the Colt .45s, the San Antonio native goes on to several All-Star seasons in New York while Parsons never catches on in Houston.
10/20 2023 Jose Altuve drills a three-run homer in the ninth for a 5-4 victory over the Rangers and a 3-2 lead in the A.L.C.S. Unfortunately, the Astros drop both remaining games in Houston, watching yet another team celebrate a title on their home turf.
10/20 2022 Framber Valdez escapes trouble then he and the Houston bullpen lock down the Yankees, 3-2, in Game Two of the A.L.C.S. for a 2-0 series lead. Alex Bregman's three-run homer provides all of the Astros' offense. Valdez lasts seven innings, allowing the two unearned runs from his own miscue.
10/20 2021 Framber Valdez spins eight innings of three-hit ball leading the Astros to 9-1 thumping of the Red Sox at Fenway in the critical Game 5 of the A.L.C.S. Yordan Alvarez smacks a homer and a double. Yuli Gurriel also drives in three.
10/20 2017 Justin Verlander hurls seven innings of shutout ball as Houston ties the A.L.C.S. at three games each with a 7-1 victory over the Yankees. Verlander scatters five hits while striking out eight. Jose Altuve homers and drives in three to lead Houston's offense.
10/20 2004 Jeff Bagwell ties the Cardinals, 4-4, with a clutch two-out single in the ninth in Game Six of the N.L.C.S. but Jim Edmonds gives St. Louis the 6-4 decision with a two-run homer off Dan Miceli in the 12th to tie the series at three games each. Pete Munro was the surprise starter, lasting just 2-1/3 innings and giving up four runs, but the shaky Houston bullpen holds off the Redbirds until the fatal twelfth.
10/20 1999 Off-seasons can be hazardous to your health. Ken Caminiti finds this out falling out of a deer stand while hunting near Laredo. He fractures three vertebrae and will spend the next two months healing his aching back.
10/21 2017 In just their fifth year in the American League, the Astros capture the A.L. pennant with a thrilling 4-0 Game Seven shutout over the Yankees. Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers combine on a three-hitter. Evan Gattis homered off C.C. Sabathia in the fifth to open the scoring while Jose Altuve went deep the next inning. Houston advances to the World Series for just the second time in franchise history.
10/21 2004 Heartbreak again. Houston owns a 2-1 lead with Roger Clemens on the hill in the decisive Game Seven of the N.L.C.S. but Albert Pujols ties it with a double in the sixth then Scott Rolen unties it on the next pitch with a two-run homer. The Cardinals tack on an insurance run and win the series, 5-2, behind Jeff Suppan. Craig Biggio started the night perfectly with a solo homer . While not as close as the 1980 World Series, the Astros were in sniffing distance of this one before falling short. Still, they could look back on an improbable season that featured an amazing streak to make the playoffs and the first postseason series win in their history.
10/21 1960 Franklin Stubbs is born in Richlands, NC. He might best be remembered in Houston as the answer to the trivia question "Who played first base for the Astros in between Davis and Bagwell?" His lone year in Houston was 1990 when he contributed a .261 average along with a career-best 23 homers and 71 RBIs.
10/21 1941 Ron Davis is born in Roanoke Rapids, NC. The outfielder makes his debut as a 20-year-old with the Colt .45s in 1962 then reappears in 1966 to play as a reserve for three more seasons. Overall, he bats .239 with ten homers while in Houston. He died in Houston just before his 51st birthday in 1992.
10/22 2022 Cristian Javier and five relievers blank the Yanks, 5-0, to take Game Three of the A.L.C.S. and earn a dominant 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. New York is limited to three hits. An opposite field homer by Chas McCormick off former Astro Gerrit Cole gives Houston the lead. A dropped fly by Harrison Bader keys a three-run sixth to put the game away.
10/22 2021 CELEBRATE! Houston takes Game 6 of the A.L.C.S. to win Houston's third American League championship in five years. Rookie Luis Garcia and the bullpen tames Boston on two hits in a 5-0 shutout. Houston nurses a small lead all night before Kyle Tucker crushes a three-run shot in the eighth to put the series on ice. Yordan Alvarez is named the series M.V.P.
10/22 2005 In the first World Series game of their 43-year history, 43-year-old Roger Clemens starts for the Astros but lasts only two innings in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Clemens' hamstring tightens in the 50-degree weather. Mike Lamb homers and Lance Berkman spanks a two-run double to highlight the Houston attack . Jermaine Dye and Joe Crede go deep for the Sox. On two occassions, speedy Willy Taveras leads off an inning with an extra-base hit but the heart of the Astros lineup cannot drive him in.
10/22 1969 Astros sell pitcher Danny Coombs to San Diego. After bouncing between the minors and Houston for seven seasons, the lefthander leaves with an 8-7 mark and two saves in 90 appearances.
10/22 1956 Frank DiPino is born in Syracuse, NY. The lefthanded reliever wins 13 games and saves 43 for the Astros in a five-year stretch. His top season was in 1983 when he won three and saved 20 with a 2.65 ERA in 53 appearances.
10/22 1916 Harry "The Hat" Walker is born in Pascagoula, MS. The 1947 N.L. batting champ manages the Astros from 1969 to 1972 and skippers both the team's first non-losing season and the team's first winning season. He passed away in 1999 after many years as a college coach in Birmingham, AL.
10/23 2022 CELEBRATE AGAIN! Houston sweeps the Yankees in the A.L.C.S with a 6-5 triumph in Game 4 to earn a trip to the World Series. A three-run homer by Series MVP Jeremy Pena ties the game in the third but New York's Harrison Bader homers for a 5-4 lead in the sixth. RBI singles by Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman plate the decisive runs.
10/23 2005 Scott Podsednik homers off Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth to give the White Sox a 7-6 thriller, putting them up 2-0 in the World Series. Jose Vizcaino had just rapped a two-run single in the top of the inning to tie it . Earlier, Morgan Ensberg hit a solo shot for Houston while Paul Konerko smacked a grand slam for Chicago. The game is played in rain and 45-degree temperatures.
10/23 1997 Craig Biggio is named the winner of the sixth annual Branch Rickey Award for outstanding community service. Biggio lends his name and time to several charitable organizations in Houston, particularly those who help with childrens diseases.
10/23 1995 Amid rumors that the Astros will be sold and moved to Virginia, General Manager Bob Watson resigns and takes the same position with the New York Yankees. His short tenure in Houston breaks the color bar for blacks in the General Manager ranks but in New York he gets the World's Championship ring that he long coveted.
10/23 1975 Kazuo Matsui is born in Osaka, Japan. The infielder becomes the first Japanese player in franchise history when he signs a three-year deal with the Astros after the 2007 season.
10/23 1953 Michael Duane "Bo" McLaughlin is born in Oakland, CA. The righthander wins nine and saves eight during his four years as an Astro. His promising 1976 campaign (2.85 ERA in 79 innings) fails to blossom much beyond that until he is traded in 1979.
10/24 2017 Justin Turner drills a two-run homer off Dallas Keuchel to give Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles a 3-1 decision in Game One of the World Series. Alex Bregman took Kershaw deep in the fourth for a short-lived tie. Kershaw and the Dodger bullpen allowed just three Houston hits.
10/24 2001 Bill Spiers announces his retirement. Back problems limit the versatile utilityman from continuing a career that saw its heyday in Houston after stops in Milwaukee and New York. He bats .288 with 21 homers and 199 RBIs during six years as an Astro, and is best known for his clutch hitting and solid infield play.
10/24 1975 Houston acquires pitcher Joaquin Andujar from Cincinnati for two players. The excitable Dominican pays dividends, winning 42 games during six seasons, splitting time between starting and the bullpen. Andujar's best years come after he is traded to St. Louis but he is still remembered in Houston for his colorful antics and his catchphrase "youneverknow" during interviews.
10/24 1974 Astros purchase outfielder Jose Cruz from the Cardinals. Unable to crack the St. Louis lineup, the 27-year-old stars for the next 13 seasons in Houston. The best Astro player in the 1980s, Cruz has six seasons hitting over .300 and leads the team in RBIs seven times.
10/24 1952 Omar Moreno is born in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. A free agent signee in 1983, the speedy centerfielder bats just .242 before a midseason trade to the Yankees. During his 12 big league seasons though, he is one of baseball's most feared base stealers.
10/25 2017 The Astros tie the World Series with a come-from-behind 7-6 triumph in 11 innings at Dodger Stadium. Down 3-1 in the eighth, Carlos Correa singles home Alex Bregman against closer Kenley Jansen. Next Marwin Gonzalez ties it up with a homer in the ninth. Solo homers by Correa and Jose Altuve in the tenth put Houston ahead but the Dodgers tie it against Ken Giles. George Springer belts a two-run blast in the 11th then the Astros survive a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning to claim their first World Series game victory in their sixth try.
10/25 2005 Ex-Astro Geoff Blum breaks Houston's heart with a 14th-inning homer off Ezequiel Astacio to win the longest game in World Series history for the White Sox, 7-5, to take a 3-0 lead over the Astros in the first Series game held on Texas soil . Roy Oswalt loses an early 4-0 lead but the Astros tie it in the eighth on Jason Lane's double. Houston squanders numerous other chances to score (aided by a dozen walks) until Blum decides the outcome.
10/25 1991 George Brunet dies of a heart attack in Poza Rica, Mexico at age 56. The lefthander made 22 appearances for the Colt .45s in their first two seasons as part of a 15-year major league career. After that, he continued to pitch in the minors and then in Mexico until he was 54.
10/25 1960 Gabe Paul resigns as General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds to join the new Houston National League organization in the same capacity. Paul brings with him a young assistant, Bill Giles, son of N.L. President Warren Giles. Paul will clash with Judge Roy Hofheinz before the Colt .45s actually take the field, moving on to the Cleveland Indians six months later but Giles remains.
10/25 1955 Danny Darwin is born in Bonham, TX. The "Bonham Bullet" was equally reliable as a starter and a reliever. He has two stints with the Astros, posting a 47-35 record along with a dozen saves and a 3.21 ERA over six seasons.
10/26 2023 Dusty Baker resigns as manager after four seasons, having reached the LCS in all four campaigns. He posted a 320-226 (.586) record in the regular season while winning two American League pennants and one World Championship as their skipper. The 74-year-old retires as seventh on the All-Time managerial wins list.
10/26 2021 Atlanta takes Game 1 of the World Series in a 6-2 fashion. The Braves score five times in the first three innings off Framber Valdez. Meanwhile, Atlanta starter, and former Houston hero Charlie Morton suffers a broken leg after he is hit by a line drive in the fourth.
10/26 2005 The Astros finally get to the World Series but are swept by the Chicago White Sox in four games as former Astro farmhand Freddy Garcia blanks Houston over 7-2/3rds innings to pace a 1-0 shutout. Sox shortstop Juan Uribe makes two defensive gems to clinch the title . Series M.V.P. Jermaine Dye's RBI single off Brad Lidge in the eighth scores Willie Harris with the only run. The offense wastes a gutty seven-inning performance by Brandon Backe. For Chicago, it ends an 88-year drought between Major League championships. For Houston, it is a nice ride with a bitter end, outscored by just six runs in the four-game sweep.
10/26 1987 Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams announces his NFL team will not leave Houston for Jacksonville, after agreements are made to increase seating capacity and add luxury suites to the Astrodome. This sets the wheels in motion that would change the appearance of the Dome, removing the giant centerfield scoreboard and Judge Hofheinz' now-vacant right field apartment.
10/26 1980 Al Rosen is named as General Manager. The former Cleveland slugger comes from the New York Yankees' front office where owner John McMullen used to be a minority partner. Tal Smith is fired as President and General Manager, days before he is awarded Major League Executive of the Year for building the Astros in five seasons into their first pennant-winner. Angry HSA partners force a reorganization, reducing McMullen's power to make executive decisions without their consent.
10/27 2021 Houston responds with a 7-2 victory over Atlanta in Game 2 of the World Series. Jose Altuve leads the way with a homer and a double while Jose Urquidy and four relievers hold the Braves offense in check. The Series heads to Atlanta in a 1-1 tie.
10/27 2017 Astros ambush Yu Darvish for four runs in the second inning then hold on for a 5-3 victory in Game Three of the World Series for a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven classic. Lance McCullers and Brad Peacock combine to allow just three hits. Yuli Gurriel homers then is shown afterwards in the dugout making a gesture some believed to be a racial slur against the Japanese star. The result is a five-game suspension to open the 2018 season.
10/27 2007 Newly-retired Astro Craig Biggio receives the Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing humanitarian efforts, at Game Three of the World Series in Denver. Clemente, who died in a plane crash while assisting Nicaraguan earthquake victims in 1972, was one of the players Biggio passed on the 3,000-hit list. Biggio has worked for over a decade with the Sunshine Kids, a group that helps children with cancer.
10/27 2006 Joe Niekro, the first pitcher in Astro history to post consecutive 20-win seasons, dies of a brain aneurysm in Tampa, FL at age 61. He threw in Houston for 11 seasons (1975-1985). At the time of his passing, he was the franchise leader in wins with 144.
10/27 1994 Jeff Bagwell is named the unanimous winner of the National League Most Valuable Player Award. He's the third winner to gain every first-place vote and the first winner in franchise history. The players' strike, which cut short the season, helped Bagwell since his hand was broken just before the strike commenced, not allowing time for other players to steal the spotlight in September.
10/28 2022 Justin Verlander, winless in World Series play despite his excellent career, is given a 5-0 lead over the Phillies in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. But the Phils get it all back in the fourth and fifth innings. The game settles into a 5-all tie until the 10th inning when J.T. Realmuto blasts a solo homer off Luis Garcia for a 6-5 decision. Kyle Tucker smoked two homers for four RBIs before the roof fell in.
10/28 2017 Los Angeles blows open a tight 1-1 duel to score five times in the ninth, dropping the Astros, 6-2. Joc Pederson's three-run homer off Joe Musgrove was the big blow. The World Series is tied at two games each.
10/28 2005 Thousands attend a victory rally near City Hall to celebrate the Astros' first pennant in their 43-year history. Getting swept in the World Series did little to dampen the enthusiasm. Owner Drayton McLane says "give us one more year" to bring a World Championship to Houston.
10/28 2004 Houston agrees to pick up the contract option on outfielder Craig Biggio, assuring him an 18th season in an Astros uniform. Biggio owns franchise records in several categories and is coming off a season where he hits .281 with 24 home runs.
10/28 2000 Andujar Cedeno dies in an automobile accident in his hometown of La Romana, DR, at age 31. The shortstop arrives with high expectations and hits .250 with 31 homers during five seasons but he has trouble fulfilling his potential and is included in the mega-trade with San Diego, eventually returning from Detroit for three final big league games in 1996.
10/28 1966 Tim Bogar is born in Indianapolis, IN. He provides steady infield help for three division champions in Houston but bats just .207 when he gets a chance to start regularly in 2000.
10/29 2022 Astros even the World Series at a game apiece with a 5-2 triumph over the Phillies in Houston. Three straight doubles off Zack Wheeler get the Astros started in the first. Alex Bregman adds a two-run shot in the fifth. Framber Valdez worked 6-1/3rd innings for the win.
10/29 2021 Ian Anderson tosses five shutout innings and four Atlanta relievers do the rest in a 2-0 shutout during Game 3 of the World Series, pushing the Braves to a 2-1 advantage over all. Houston could manage just two hits, singles by Alex Bregman and Aledmys Diaz.
10/29 2017 Some have called it the greatest World Series game ever played. Whether so or not, the 5+ hours of play was like a heavyweight prizefight. Houston took Game Five in ten innings, 13-12, with the Astros coming back from deficits of 4-0 and 7-4 while the Dodgers bounced back from a 12-9 hole in the ninth to send the classic into overtime. The Astros bash five homers (Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Brian McCann) yet it is a short single to left by Alex Bregman that plates pinch-runner Derek Fisher with the game-winner.
10/29 1974 Astros deal Bob Gallagher to the Mets for infielder Ken Boswell. Gallagher bats .230 as a reserve outfielder for two years in Houston. Boswell becomes a spot starter and pinch-hitter deluxe over the next three seasons.
10/30 2021 Cristian Javier allows homers to Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler as Atlanta nips Houston, 3-2, taking a 3-1 lead in the World Series. The Astros' lone highlight in Game 4 is Jose Altuve moving into second place all-time in postseason homers (23) with a solo shot off Kyle Wright.
10/30 1997 Five years to the day after officially acquiring the ballclub, owner Drayton McLane, Jr. is on hand for groundbreaking ceremonies on a new downtown stadium. It's tentatively named the "Ballpark at Union Station" where the former train depot was located. The stadium is funded in a number of ways and the sale of naming rights will be part of the process.
10/30 1962 Mark Portugal is born in Los Angeles, CA. The righthander spends five of his 15 big league seasons in Houston, compiling a 52-30 record with one save and a 3.34 ERA while watching the club change from a veteran contender to a young rebuilding club from 1989 to 1993.
10/31 2021 Houston keeps their World Series dreams alive with a 9-5 comeback win over Atlanta in Game 5 of the World Series. Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel have three hits apiece while light-hitting Martin Maldonado drives in three. The Astros overcome a four-run deficit to bring the Fall Classic back to Houston, trailing 3-2.
10/31 2017 Game Six of the World Series is no treat as Justin Verlander fails to nail down the Dodgers and clinch the title. An early homer from George Springer gives Houston the lead but a double by Chris Taylor keys a two-run Dodgers sixth then Joc Pederson takes Joe Musgrove deep for a 3-1 Los Angeles verdict that send the Series to a decisive seventh game.
10/31 1973 Lefthander Jerry Reuss is traded to the Pirates for catcher Milt May. Reuss has an inconsistent two seasons in Houston, posting a 25-26 record with one save, but he improves on his way through a major league career that lasts 22 years. May, stuck behind Manny Sanguillen in Pittsburgh, bats .265 in two seasons before leaving for Detroit during a rebuilding purge. Also on this date, reliever Tim Byrdak is born in Oak Lawn, IL. The lefthander works out of the bullpen from 2008 to 2010 with a 3.53 ERA.
10/31 1968 Ed Taubensee is born in Beeville, TX. The big lefthanded hitting catcher splits time behind the plate with Scott Servais during his two seasons as an Astro before he is dealt to the Reds.
10/31 1951 Frank LaCorte is born in San Jose, CA. The righthanded reliever compiles an even 18-18 mark with 32 saves during his five seasons in Houston and has his career year in the title-winning 1980 campaign with eight wins, eleven saves and a 2.82 ERA.