The Sunshine Kids Foundation is a non-profit organization established in Houston, Texas in 1982 that provides a variety of free programs and events for children who are receiving cancer treatments in hospitals across the United States and North America .
138-574: Since 2001, the executive director of the Sunshine Kids Foundation has been actor G.W. Bailey , who has volunteered with the group for over fifteen years since being introduced to the organization by his goddaughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 1982. In 2004, the group had a total revenue of over $ 1.9 million, and spent nearly $ 1.3 million on program expenses. The best-known supporters of The Sunshine Kids are Bailey and retired Houston Astros legend Craig Biggio , who has been
276-682: A chino in Cuba, although he acknowledged knowing that the term was offensive in Japan from having played there. As a result, Rob Manfred , the Commissioner of Baseball , suspended Gurriel for the first five games of the 2018 MLB season without pay, but allowed him to continue playing in the World Series. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Houston Texans pass rusher J. J. Watt . The starting pitchers for Game 4 were Alex Wood for
414-743: A sign stealing scandal . They made later World Series appearances in 2019 against the Washington Nationals , 2021 against the Atlanta Braves , and 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies , winning their second title in the latter series. Often cited as the best team in the American League, the team's sustained success since 2015 has led some to declare the Astros a dynasty. They are the only team to win
552-644: A 2–3–2 format, with the Dodgers hosting Games 1, 2, 6, and 7; and the Astros hosting Games 3, 4, and 5. The Astros' victory was marred in 2019 after a league investigation revealed that they had illegally utilized a system to steal signs from opposing teams during their championship season. As a result, the Astros were fined $ 5 million and docked several top draft picks, while Astros manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year; both were subsequently fired. However, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred opted against punishing any of
690-491: A 66–96 record. The team was still building, trying to find that perfect mix to compete. The 1964 campaign began on a sad note, as relief pitcher Jim Umbricht died of cancer at the age of 33 on April 8, just before Opening Day . Umbricht was the only Colt .45s pitcher to post a winning record in Houston's first two seasons. He was so well liked by players and fans that the team retired his jersey number, 32, in 1965. Just on
828-485: A 9–0 win–loss record with a 1.23 earned run average . He was named the ALCS MVP . Houston won the series, 4–3. The temperature at the start of the game was 103 °F (39 °C), which made this the hottest World Series game ever recorded. Clayton Kershaw started Game 1 for the Dodgers, while Dallas Keuchel started for the Astros. Chris Taylor hit a home run for the Dodgers on Keuchel's first pitch of
966-483: A boost from pitcher Ken Forsch , who threw a no-hitter against the Braves the second game of the season. In May 1979, New Jersey shipping tycoon John McMullen had agreed to buy the Astros. Now with an investor in charge, the Astros would be more likely to compete in the free-agent market. The Astros were playing great baseball throughout the season. José Cruz and Enos Cabell both stole 30 bases. Joe Niekro had
1104-483: A color commentator until he retired from broadcasting in 1976. Elston continued with the Astros until 1986. The Colt .45s began their existence playing at Colt Stadium , a temporary venue built just north of the construction site of their permanent home, a domed stadium. Hofheinz and his partners believed a domed stadium was a must for MLB to be viable in Houston, given the area's oppressive humidity. The Colt .45s started their inaugural season on April 10, 1962, against
1242-399: A great year with 21 wins and 3.00 ERA. J. R. Richard won 18 games and set a new personal strikeout record at 313. Joe Sambito came into his own with 22 saves as the Astros closer. Things were going as they should for a team that could win the west. The Astros and Reds battled the final month of the season. The Reds pulled ahead of the Astros by a game and a half. Later that month they split
1380-449: A major slump throughout the next decade, the team was purchased by business owner Jim Crane in 2011 for $ 680 million. Under Crane's ownership, the Astros embraced sabermetrics and pioneered new analytical technologies in their transition to the American League, and by the mid-2010s transformed from a historically middling franchise into one of MLB's most dominant and successful clubs, as headlined by stars such as Jose Altuve . Since then,
1518-463: A member of the American League (which the team joined in 2013), as they became the first team in history to make it to the World Series as members of both National and American Leagues. The city of Houston in August 2017 suffered record flooding from Hurricane Harvey . The team began to wear patches which had the logo of the team with the word "Strong" on the bottom of the patch, as well as promoting
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#17327983393531656-491: A new pitch, the split-finger fastball. Scott, who was coming off of a 5–11 season, had found his new pitch and would become one of Houston's most celebrated hurlers. In June, Davis made the starting lineup at first base, adding power to the team. In September, Joe Niekro was traded to the Yankees for two minor league pitchers and lefty Jim Deshaies . The Astros finished in fourth place in 1985. After finishing fourth in 1985,
1794-536: A no-hitter on June 18. Wynn also provided some enthusiasm in 1967. The 5 ft 9 in Wynn was becoming known not only for how often he hit home runs, but also for how far he hit them. Wynn set club records with 37 home runs, and 107 RBIs. It was also in 1967 that Wynn hit his famous home run onto Interstate 75 in Cincinnati . As the season came to a close, the Astros found themselves again in ninth place and with
1932-525: A pair and the Reds kept the lead. The Astros finished with their best record to that point at 89–73 and 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 games behind the NL winner Reds. With Dr. McMullen as sole owner of the Astros, the team would now benefit in ways a corporation could not give them. The rumors of the Astros moving out of Houston started to crumble and the Astros were now able to compete in the free-agent market. McMullen showed
2070-444: A parade for the Astros on November 3, 2017, which Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed was "Houston Astros' Day". Schools in Houston were closed for the day. An estimated 750,000 to one million attended the parade. Springer and Altuve appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 's November 13, 2017, issue, with Altuve holding the Commissioner's Trophy and Springer holding a copy of a Sports Illustrated from 2014 that predicted
2208-474: A pinch-hit RBI single that scored Pederson in the sixth inning for the Dodgers' only run. They only had one hit in 13 chances with runners in scoring position in the game. Kershaw pitched four scoreless innings of relief in the game, and in the process, he broke Orel Hershiser 's Dodgers postseason record with his 33rd strikeout. Morton pitched four innings of relief to earn the win, as Corey Seager grounded out to Jose Altuve , who threw to Yuli Gurriel to end
2346-530: A postseason series in seven straight seasons. Their fifth pennant in 2022 made them the second team created in the expansion era to win five league pennants (after the Mets) and the fifth expansion team to have won two World Series championships. In 2024, the Astros clinched their AL West division title for the seventh time in eight years and became the first team to win the AL West division in four straight years since
2484-612: A prominent oilman and real estate magnate in Houston who like Cullinan was brought in for his financial resources, and Judge Roy Hofheinz , a former Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge who was recruited for his salesmanship and political style. They founded the Houston Sports Association (HSA) as their vehicle for attaining a big league franchise for the city of Houston. Given MLB's refusal to consider expansion, Kirksey, Cullinan, Smith, and Hofheinz joined forces with would-be owners from other cities and announced
2622-628: A run in the first inning, then held the Astros at bay until the sixth inning. An Astros lead was lost when Bob Boone hit a two-out single in the second, but the Astros tied the game in the sixth with an Alan Ashby single scoring Denny Walling . Houston took a 5–2 lead in the seventh; however, the Phillies came back with five runs in the inning. The Astros came back against Tug McGraw with four singles and two two-out runs. Now in extra innings, Garry Maddox doubled in Del Unser with one out to give
2760-572: A run in the top of the eighth inning, but McCann hit a home run in the bottom of the inning. That was the 21st home run of the series, tying the record set in the 2002 World Series . Puig broke the record with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. Down to their last strike, Chris Taylor drove in Barnes to tie the game with a single. In the tenth inning, McCann was hit by a pitch to put him on base with two outs. Subsequently, Springer walked on five pitches to move McCann to second base. McCann
2898-543: A scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen earned the save . The two-hour, 28-minute game was the shortest World Series contest since Game 4 in 1992 . The starting pitchers for Game 2 were Rich Hill for the Dodgers and Justin Verlander for the Astros. The Astros scored first when Bregman drove in Josh Reddick with a hit in the third inning. Hill struck out seven in four innings but was replaced by Kenta Maeda in
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#17327983393533036-454: A single World Series and setting a new record with 29 total bases in any postseason series. As in Game 3, Darvish lasted only 1 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings (tying the shortest outing of his career) and became the third pitcher with two starts of less than two innings in a World Series, and the first since Art Ditmar in the 1960 World Series. Morrow relieved Darvish and in the process became only
3174-559: A starter on the All-Star Team . The success did not last as they lost Jimmy Wynn for the season after he crashed into an outfield fence in Philadelphia and Morgan had broken his knee cap. The 1967 season saw first baseman Eddie Mathews join the Astros. The slugger hit his 500th home run while in Houston. He would be traded late in the season and Doug Rader would be promoted to the big leagues. Rookie Don Wilson pitched
3312-504: A three-run home run off of Collin McHugh in the top of the fifth to put the Dodgers back on top only for Altuve to hit his own three-run home run in the bottom of the inning off Maeda to tie it back up. Kershaw pitched 4 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings and allowed six runs on four hits and three walks. A triple by Bellinger on a line drive that Springer missed on a dive in the seventh inning off of Peacock scored Hernández from first base. In
3450-425: A two-run home run for the Astros off of Brandon McCarthy to retake the lead. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Charlie Culberson homered off of Chris Devenski , who later struck out Puig to end the game. This was the first ever World Series game in which a team hit home runs in the ninth, tenth and eleventh inning. The teams set a new record for combined home runs in a single World Series game with eight and this
3588-490: A winning percentage below .500. The team looked good on paper, but could not make it work on the field. April 15, 1968, saw a pitching duel for the ages. The Astros' Don Wilson and the Mets' Tom Seaver faced each other in a battle that lasted six hours. Seaver went ten innings, allowing no walks and just two hits. Wilson went nine innings, allowing five hits and three walks. After the starters exited, eleven relievers (seven for
3726-754: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston . The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division , having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL). They are one of two major league clubs based in Texas;
3864-667: Is the most for any World Series on record. This World Series set a new record for most players to hit a home run (14 to date in the World Series). With the teams combining to score 25 runs throughout the game, this was the highest scoring World Series game since the Florida Marlins defeated the Cleveland Indians 14–11 in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series . Game 5 lasted five hours and seventeen minutes, making it
4002-460: The 1964 Series , and tied Ken Clay for the longest hitless postseason save, first accomplished in the 1978 ALCS . Gurriel made a racially insensitive gesture in the dugout after his home run. He stretched the sides of his eyes and mouthing the Spanish word chinito , which translates to "little Chinese Boy"; Darvish is from Japan. Gurriel apologized, and said that anyone from Asia is called
4140-503: The 1988 NLCS , and the Dodgers' first World Series Game 7 since 1965 against the Minnesota Twins). It was also the first time since the 1931 World Series that a Game 7 occurred in a Series with both teams having won at least 100 games during the season. Besides, this was the first time since the 2001 World Series and 2002 World Series that back-to-back Fall Classics had a Game 7. The starting pitchers for this game were
4278-406: The 2022 World Series , while the Dodgers won in 2020 and 2024 . There have been quite a few chances at a much anticipated re-match between the two clubs in the World Series, especially in the wake of the sign stealing scandal , but this has not occurred as of 2024. In 2020, ESPN writer Sam Miller ranked the series the 23rd best World Series of all-time (and the fifth best since 2000), noting
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4416-524: The Astrodome , in 1965. The name honored Houston's position as the center of the nation's space program— NASA 's new Manned Spacecraft Center had recently opened southeast of the city. The Astrodome, called the "Eighth Wonder of the World", did little to improve the home team's results on the field. While several "indoor" firsts were accomplished, the team still finished ninth in the standings. The attendance
4554-495: The Cardinals was another big win. Cruz became a fixture in the Astros' outfield for several years and would eventually have his number 25 retired. Despite high expectations, 1975 was among the Astros' worst in franchise history. Their record of 64–97 was far worse than even the expansion Colt .45's and would remain the worst record in franchise history until 2011 . It was the worst record in baseball and manager Preston Gómez
4692-631: The Chicago Cubs with Harry Craft as the Colt .45s' manager. Bob Aspromonte scored the first run for the Colt .45s on an Al Spangler triple in the first inning. They started the season with a three-game sweep of the Cubs but eventually finished eighth among the National League's ten teams. The team's best pitcher, Richard "Turk" Farrell , lost 20 games despite an ERA of 3.02. A starter for
4830-583: The Houston Rockets won back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 . The Astros earned $ 30,420,155.57 from postseason pool money to split among team personnel; each share was worth $ 438,901.57. The Dodgers received $ 20,280,103.72, with shares of $ 259,722.14 The sportsbooks in Nevada lost $ 11.4 million in November 2017, a record for baseball-related betting. The city of Houston held
4968-609: The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers (known as the Lone Star Series ), as well as a recurring postseason rivalry with the New York Yankees . From 1962 through the end of the 2024 season, the Astros' all-time record is 5,009–4,965–5 (.502). In addition to having the most postseason appearances by an expansion team, they are the only expansion era team with an all-time winning record. In 2024,
5106-648: The Southeastern United States (as well as those in the Toledo market) were unable to watch the World Series. This dispute would eventually be resolved in January 2018. According to Nielsen ratings , this series was the third highest rated since 2005, trailing only the 2009 World Series and the 2016 World Series . For the second straight year, a World Series game, Game 5, beat out NBC Sunday Night Football in ratings. ESPN Radio broadcast
5244-675: The Texas Rangers belong to the same division. Established as the Houston Colt .45s , the Astros entered the National League as an expansion team in 1962 along with the New York Mets . The current name, reflecting Houston's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center , was adopted three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome , the first-ever domed sports stadium and the so-called "Eighth Wonder of
5382-693: The #2 seed in the AL. In the American League Division Series , they defeated the 3rd-seeded Boston Red Sox in four games and then defeated the 4th-seeded New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in seven games. This was their second World Series appearance, first since 2005 , when they were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox and first appearance as
5520-511: The 1969 season with a record of 81 wins, 81 losses, marking their first season of .500 ball. In 1970 , the Astros were expected to be a serious threat in the National League West. In June, 19-year-old César Cedeño was called up and immediately showed signs of being a superstar. The Dominican outfielder batted .310 after being called up. Not to be outdone, Menke batted .304 and Jesús Alou batted .306. The Astros' batting average
5658-557: The 1971–1975 Oakland Athletics . The Astros maintain an ardent fanbase and strong global recognition, in part due to their penchant for scouting and signing international players, but have also attracted enmity in the wake of the sign stealing scandal. While in the National League, the Astros held rivalries with the Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals , but since their transition to the American League, have come to hold divisional rivalries with
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5796-483: The 1980s. Spearheaded by the Killer B's , a collection of prominent hitters that included the Astros' only Hall of Fame members Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell , the Astros began reaching major prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with four further division titles and two Wild Card appearances, culminating in their first World Series appearance in 2005 where they were swept by the Chicago White Sox . After
5934-583: The 1983 season with an injury, forcing Phil Garner to third and Ray Knight to first. Doran took over at second, becoming the everyday second baseman for the next seven seasons. The Astros finished third in the National League West. The 1984 season started off badly when shortstop Dickie Thon was hit in the head by a pitch and was lost for the season. In September, the Astros called up rookie Glenn Davis after he posted impressive numbers in AAA. The Astros finished in second place. In 1985 , Mike Scott learned
6072-435: The 9th inning. In the 9th, starting pitcher Bob Knepper would give up two runs, and once again the Astros would look to Dave Smith to close it out. However, Smith would walk Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry , giving up a sacrifice fly to Ray Knight , tying the game. Despite having the go-ahead runs on base, Smith was able to escape the inning without any further damage. 2017 World Series The 2017 World Series
6210-659: The Astrodome, control of the Astrodomain (including the Astros) was passed from Roy Hofheinz to GE Credit and Ford Motor Credit. The creditors were just interested in preserving asset value of the team, so any money spent had to be found or saved somewhere else. Tal Smith returned to the Astros from the New York Yankees to find a team that needed a lot of work and did not have a lot of money. However, there would be some bright spots that would prove to be good investments in
6348-401: The Astrodome. Lanier's style of baseball took Houston by storm. Before Lanier took over, fans were accustomed to Houston's occasional slow starts, but with Lanier leading the way, Houston got off to a hot start, winning 13 of their first 19 contests. Prior to the start of the season the Astros acquired outfielder Billy Hatcher from the Cubs for Jerry Mumphrey . Lainer also made a change in
6486-403: The Astros and the visiting teams to miss routine pop flies. A new artificial turf was created called " AstroTurf " and Houston would be involved in yet another change in the way the game was played. With new manager Grady Hatton , the Astros started the 1966 season strong. By May they were in second place in the National League and looked like a team that could contend. Joe Morgan was named as
6624-453: The Astros at Dodger Stadium. This was the first Fall Classic since 1970 , and the eighth overall, in which both participants had 100 or more wins during the regular season. The two teams did not meet in interleague play during the regular season . The Dodgers held a 91–36 record through August 25 and ended the season with a 104–58 record. They won their fifth consecutive National League West title and home-field advantage throughout
6762-623: The Astros became the second expansion team to reach 5,000 wins. From 1888 until 1961, Houston's professional baseball club was the minor league Houston Buffaloes . Although expansion from the National League eventually brought an MLB team to Texas in 1962 , Houston officials had been making efforts to do so for years prior, with a group effort led in 1952 to buy the St. Louis Cardinals for $ 4.25 million, but local owners were instead chosen. There were four men chiefly responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Houston: journalist/promoter George Kirksey, Craig Cullinan Jr. , R.E. "Bob" Smith ,
6900-631: The Astros fired general manager Al Rosen and manager Bob Lillis . The former was supplanted by Dick Wagner , the man whose Reds defeated the Astros to win the 1979 NL West title. The latter was replaced by Hal Lanier who, like his manager mentor in St. Louis, Whitey Herzog , had a hard-nosed approach to managing and espoused a playing style that focused on pitching, defense, and speed rather than home runs to win games. This style of baseball, known as Whiteyball , took advantage of stadiums with deep fences and artificial turf, both of which were characteristics of
7038-464: The Astros from 1967 until 1975. Although most players for the major league franchise were obtained through the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft , Buffs players J.C. Hartman , Pidge Browne , Jim Campbell , Ron Davis , Dave Giusti , and Dave Roberts were chosen to continue as major league ball players. Similarly, the radio broadcasting team remained with the new Houston major league franchise. Loel Passe worked alongside Gene Elston as
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#17327983393537176-459: The Astros had lost their ace pitcher after a 10–4 start with a stingy 1.89 ERA. Richard attempted a comeback, but would never again pitch a big league game. After the loss of Richard and some offensive struggles, the Astros slipped to third place in the division behind the Dodgers and the Reds. They bounced back to first with a ten-game winning streak, but the Dodgers regained a two-game lead before arriving in Houston on September 9. The Astros won
7314-657: The Astros had talent and he put it to work. The Astrodome was host to the 1986 All-Star Game in which Astros Mike Scott , Kevin Bass , Glenn Davis , and Dave Smith represented the host field. The Astros kept pace with the NL West after the All-Star break. They went on a streak of five straight come-from-behind wins. Houston swept a key 3-game series over the San Francisco Giants in late September to clinch
7452-477: The Astros have won over 100 games in four seasons, and have appeared in a record seven consecutive American League Championship Series , winning four of the last seven American League pennants. During this era, the Astros won the 2017 World Series , their first championship, against the Los Angeles Dodgers ; however, this win drew controversy and backlash from fans after the Astros were implicated in
7590-550: The Astros made some changes to their uniform: they kept the same style they had in previous seasons, but inverted the colors. What was navy was now orange and what was orange was now a lighter shade of blue. The players' last names were added to the back of the jerseys. In 1972, the uniform fabric was also changed to what was at the time revolutionizing the industry – polyester. Belts were replaced by elastic waistbands, and jerseys zipped up instead of having buttons. The uniforms became popular with fans, but would last only until 1975, when
7728-490: The Astros to complete the trade. Cuellar was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Curt Blefary . Other new players included catcher Johnny Edwards , infielder Denis Menke and pitcher Denny Lemaster . Wilson continued to pitch brilliantly and on May 1 threw the second no-hitter of his career. In that game, he struck out 18 batters, tying what was then the all-time single-game mark. He was just 24 years of age and
7866-417: The Astros were ahead at Shea Stadium , 5–4, in the bottom of the 9th when closer Dave Smith gave up a two-run home run to Lenny Dykstra , giving the Mets a dramatic 6–5 win. However, the signature game of the series was Game 6. Needing a win to get to Mike Scott (who had been dominant in the series) in Game 7, the Astros jumped off to a 3–0 lead in the first inning but neither team would score again until
8004-420: The Astros with 28 home runs and Cesar Cedeño batted .320 with 25 home runs. Bob Watson hit the .312 mark and drove in 94 runs. Doug Rader and Jimmy Wynn both had 20 or more home runs. However, injuries to their pitching staff limited the Astros to an 82–80 fourth-place finish. The Astros again finished in fourth place the next year under new manager Preston Gómez . With the $ 38 million deficit of
8142-473: The Astros with 90 RBIs. The Menke/Morgan punch was beginning to come alive, and the team was responding to Walker's management style. The Astros dominated the season series against their expansion twins, the New York Mets. In one game at New York, Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn hit grand slams in the same inning, against a Mets team that would go on to win the World Series that same year. The Astros finished
8280-530: The Astros would shock baseball and the fashion world. The uniforms were about the only thing that did change in 1971. The acquisition of Roger Metzger from the Chicago Cubs in the off-season moved Menke to first base and Bob Watson to the outfield. The Astros got off to a slow start and the pitching and hitting averages were down. Larry Dierker was selected to the All-Star Game in 1971, but due to an arm injury he could not make it. César Cedeño led
8418-522: The Astros, and 10 homeruns by the Dodgers, and hit a combined total of eight home runs in Game 2 to set the single game World Series mark. Houston outfielder George Springer was named the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) after hitting five home runs in the series to tie a World Series record with Reggie Jackson in 1977 and Chase Utley in 2009 . This was the first World Series in which home-field advantage
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#17327983393538556-412: The Colt .45s, Farrell was primarily a relief pitcher prior to playing for Houston. He was selected to both All-Star Games in 1962. The 1963 season saw more young talent mixed with seasoned veterans. Jimmy Wynn , Rusty Staub , and Joe Morgan all made their major league debuts in the 1963 season . However, Houston's position in the standings did not improve, as the Colt .45s finished in ninth place with
8694-461: The Dodgers and Brent Strom for the Astros, commented on how the baseball being used for the World Series is slicker than the baseball used during the regular season. Pitchers on both teams noted that this difference has made it more difficult for them to throw their sliders . Two years after this game, when MLB sanctioned the Astros for sign stealing during the 2017 season , Alex Wood said he and Austin Barnes changed signs every ten pitches because
8832-485: The Dodgers and Charlie Morton for the Astros. Springer homered off Wood in the bottom of the sixth for the first run of the ballgame. It was the only hit Wood allowed in 5 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings pitched in the game. Forsythe drove in Cody Bellinger to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Morton struck out seven and only allowed three hits and one run in 6 1 ⁄ 3 innings. Bellinger then drove in
8970-418: The Dodgers entered the World Series with the third-best run differential of any pennant winner since the playoff structure was expanded in 1995. All-Star shortstop Corey Seager , who was out for the entire National League Championship Series with a back injury, was included on the Dodgers' World Series roster. Manager Dave Roberts became first manager of Asian heritage ever in the World Series, as well as
9108-402: The Dodgers had suspected the Astros of sign stealing. Wood later said that the team tried to get Clayton Kershaw , Game 5 starter, to follow the same method, but Kershaw did not think it was necessary and did not want to disrupt his routine. Kershaw and Keuchel started Game 5, in a rematch of the opening game of the series. Forsythe singled in two runs off of Keuchel in the first inning to put
9246-407: The Dodgers up early. A third run scored on a throwing error by Gurriel. Barnes singled in the fourth to score Forsythe. Keuchel pitched 3 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings for the Astros, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned). The Astros scored their first run with an RBI double by Correa in the bottom of the fourth inning, followed by a three-run home run by Gurriel to tie the game. Bellinger hit
9384-526: The ESPN mobile app. Spanish-language coverage was provided by ESPN Deportes Radio , with Eduardo Ortega , Renato Bermúdez, José Francisco Rivera, and Orlando Hernández announcing. Locally, both teams' flagship radio stations broadcast the series with their regular announcers. Sportstalk 790 aired the English-language broadcast for the Houston area, with Robert Ford and Steve Sparks calling
9522-613: The HSA to sell the team. To make matters worse, the Continental League as a whole folded in August 1960. However, on October 17, 1960, the National League granted an expansion franchise to the Houston Sports Association for them to begin play in the 1962 season. According to the Major League Baseball Constitution , the Houston Sports Association was required to obtain territorial rights from
9660-472: The Houston Buffaloes in order to play in the Houston area, resulting in the HSA revisiting negotiations. Eventually, the Houston Sports Association succeeded in purchasing the Houston Buffaloes, which were at this point majority-owned by William Hopkins, on January 17, 1961. The Buffs played one last minor league season as the top farm team of the Chicago Cubs in 1961 before being succeeded by
9798-413: The Mets and four for the Astros) tried to end the game. The game finally ended in the 24th inning when Bob Aspromonte hit a shot toward Mets shortstop Al Weis . Weis had been perfect all night at short, but he was not quick enough to make the play. The ball zipped into left field, allowing Norm Miller to score. With baseball expansion and trades, the Astros had dramatically changed in 1969 . Aspromonte
9936-465: The NLCS. The Phillies would win the opener after the Astros got out to a 1–0 third-inning lead. Ken Forsch pitched particularly strong fourth and fifth innings, but Greg Luzinski hit a sixth-inning two-run bomb to the 300 level seats of Veterans Stadium . The Phillies added an insurance run on the way to a 3–1 win. Houston bounced back to win games two and three. Game four went into extra innings, with
10074-419: The Phillies an 8–7 lead. The Astros failed to score in the bottom of the tenth. A 1981 player strike ran between June 12 and August 10. Ultimately, the strike would help the Astros get into the playoffs. Nolan Ryan and Bob Knepper picked up steam in the second half of the season. Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter on September 26 and finished the season with a 1.69 ERA. Knepper finished with an ERA of 2.18. In
10212-507: The Phillies taking the lead and the win in the tenth inning. Pete Rose started a rally with a one-out single, then Luzinski doubled off the left-field wall and Rose bowled over catcher Bruce Bochy to score the go-ahead run. The Phillies got an insurance run on the way to tying the series. Rookie Phillies pitcher Marty Bystrom was sent out by Philadelphia manager Dallas Green to face veteran Nolan Ryan in Game Five. The rookie gave up
10350-467: The Reds getting the better end of the deal. Houston sent second baseman Joe Morgan , infielder Denis Menke , pitcher Jack Billingham , outfielder César Gerónimo and prospect Ed Armbrister to Cincinnati for first baseman Lee May , second baseman Tommy Helms and infielder Jimmy Stewart . The trade left Astros fans and the baseball world scratching their heads as to why general manager Spec Richardson would give up so much for so little. The Reds, on
10488-595: The World". The Astros moved to Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park ) in 2000 . The team played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993, then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012, before being moved to the AL West as part of an MLB realignment in 2013. The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time in 1980 , before winning a total of three division titles throughout
10626-417: The acquisitions of Joe Niekro and José Cruz . The Astros bought Niekro from the Braves for almost nothing. Niekro had bounced around the big leagues with minimal success. His older brother Phil Niekro had started teaching Joe how to throw his knuckleball and Joe was just starting to use it when he came to the Astros. Niekro won six games, saved four games and had an ERA of 3.07. Acquiring José Cruz from
10764-425: The ball into his glove was the tip-off whether he was going to throw a slider/cutter or a fastball." This unnamed Astros player said the Astros had known about this going into Game 3 which they also won, but that they had an even better game plan for Game 7. After this revelation, 14-year veteran Chase Utley watched the film and later reported to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman that Darvish
10902-455: The bases in the fifth inning, but did not score. Hill pitched 4 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings, struck out five and allowed four hits and one run. In the sixth inning, Taylor tied the game with an RBI double and Seager hit a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers the lead. Verlander pitched six innings with nine strikeouts and only three hits allowed. Pederson hit a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and Jansen pitched two scoreless innings for
11040-406: The bottom of the seventh inning, Springer hit a home run off the first pitch he saw off of Morrow, who was pitching for the third consecutive day, to tie the game. Bregman hit a broken-bat single and then scored on a double by Altuve to put the Astros ahead for the first time in the game. Altuve moved to third on a wild pitch, and then Correa hit a two-run home run to extend the lead. Seager doubled in
11178-425: The chest down, the uniform was a solid block of yellow, orange, and red stripes. There was also a large dark blue star over the midsection. The same multi-colored stripes ran down the pant legs. Players' numbers not only appeared on the back of the jersey, but also on the pant leg. The bright stripes were meant to appear as a fiery trail like a rocket sweeping across the heavens. The uniforms were panned by critics, but
11316-486: The city of Houston that he too wanted a winning team, signing nearby Alvin, Texas native Nolan Ryan to the first million-dollar-a-year deal. Ryan had four career no-hitters already and had struck out 383 in one season. Joe Morgan returned in 1980. The 1980 pitching staff was one of the best Houston ever had, with the fastball of Ryan, the knuckleball of Joe Niekro and the terrifying 6 ft 8 in frame of J. R. Richard . Teams felt lucky to face Ken Forsch , who
11454-484: The city's NL club. The new Houston team was named the Colt .45s after a "Name the Team" contest was won by William Irving Neder. The Colt .45 was well known as "the gun that won the west". The colors selected were navy and orange. The first team was formed mostly through an expansion draft after the 1961 season. The Colt .45s and their expansion cousins, the New York Mets , took turns choosing players left unprotected by
11592-523: The club with 81 RBIs and the league with 40 doubles, but batted just .264 and had 102 strikeouts in his second season with the Astros. Pitcher J. R. Richard made his debut in September of the 1971 season against the Giants . In November 1971 the Astros and Cincinnati Reds made one of the biggest blockbuster trades in the history of the sport, and helped create The Big Red Machine of the 1970s, with
11730-486: The division title. Mike Scott took the mound in the final game of the series and pitched a no-hitter – the only time in MLB history that any division was clinched via a no-hitter. Scott would finish the season with an 18–10 record and a Cy Young Award . The 1986 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets was noted for its drama and is considered to be one of the greatest postseason series. In Game 3,
11868-402: The end of Larry Dierker 's playing career as an Astro, but before it was all over he would throw a no-hitter and win the 1,000th game in the Astrodome. The Astros finished in third place again in 1977 with a record of 81–81. One of the big problems the Astros had in the late 1970s was that they were unable to compete in the free-agent market. Ford Motor Credit Company was still in control of
12006-637: The entire playoffs as the overall #1 seed. In the postseason, the Dodgers swept the 4th-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series and then defeated the number 3 seed and defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the previous year's rematch of the National League Championship Series in five games, leading to the fourth time since 2000 that two teams played each other in consecutive League Championship Series . This
12144-489: The fifth on an RBI single by Evan Gattis and the Dodgers added two in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Puig and a wild pitch . McCullers wound up pitching 5 1 ⁄ 3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Brad Peacock replaced McCullers, completing the final 3 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings with no hits allowed and four strikeouts to earn his first major league save. It was the longest hitless World Series relief outing since Ron Taylor 's four innings in Game 4 of
12282-452: The fifth. Joc Pederson tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Dodgers took the lead when Corey Seager hit a two-run home run after Taylor walked in the bottom of the sixth inning. Verlander allowed two hits, both home runs, in his six innings pitched. Carlos Correa drove in the Astros' second run of the game on a single in the eighth, ending the Dodgers bullpen's streak of 28 consecutive scoreless innings in
12420-399: The first Astros player in team history to hit for the cycle in August versus the Reds. The Astros finished the strike-shortened season at 84–69, their first winning season. Astros fans had hoped for more of the same in 1973 , but it was not to be. The Astros run production was down, even though the same five sluggers the year before were still punching the ball out of the park. Lee May led
12558-403: The first team from Texas to do so. They became the second team in postseason history to win two Game 7s in one postseason, after the 1985 Kansas City Royals . It was the first time since 2001–2002 when two consecutive World Series went to seven games. Both teams set a World Series record with a combined total of 25 home runs throughout the entire series, including a team record 15 home runs by
12696-486: The first two games of the series to tie the Dodgers for the division lead. The Astros went on to win a third game and take the lead- with three games against the Dodgers left. The Dodgers swept the next series, forcing a one-game playoff the next day. The Astros won the playoff game 7–1, and advanced to their first post-season. The team would face the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 National League Championship Series . The Phillies sent out Steve Carlton in game one of
12834-470: The formation of a new league to compete with the established National and American Leagues. They called the new league the Continental League . Wanting to protect potential new markets, both existing leagues chose to expand from eight teams to ten. However, plans eventually fell through for the Houston franchise after the Houston Buffaloes owner, Marty Marion , could not come to an agreement with
12972-708: The fourth African-American manager. The Dodgers had their second consecutive Rookie of the Year, Cody Bellinger , who hit 39 home runs in 2017. Clayton Kershaw finished second in Cy Young award voting, and closer Kenley Jansen finished fifth. The Dodgers had six NL All-Stars in Bellinger, Seager, Justin Turner , Kershaw, Alex Wood , and Jansen. With a 101–61 regular season record, the team won its first American League West title, their first division title since 2001, and
13110-586: The game, with the Astros winning their first championship in franchise history, and ending their 56-year drought. Springer won the World Series MVP Award . With the Astros' win, for the first time since 2002 , when the Angels beat the Giants in seven games, a franchise won its first World Series title. It was also the first time since 1972 that an American League team won a World Series Game 7 on
13248-632: The game. It was the third home run to lead off a game in Dodgers postseason history (following Davey Lopes in 1978 World Series and Carl Crawford in 2013 NLDS ). Alex Bregman hit a tying home run for the Astros in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, Justin Turner hit a go-ahead two-run home run for the Dodgers. Turner tied Duke Snider for most career runs batted in (RBIs) in Dodgers postseason history with 26. Kershaw struck out 11 in seven innings pitched with no walks and only three hits allowed while Keuchel allowed three runs on six hits in 6 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings. Brandon Morrow pitched
13386-412: The games. In Los Angeles, AM 570 LA Sports aired the English-language broadcast, with Charley Steiner and Rick Monday announcing. In Spanish, Univision America 1020 carried the broadcast, with Jaime Jarrín and Jorge Jarrín on the call. In Korean, Radio Korea 1540 aired the series, with Richard Choi and Chong Ho Yim in the booth. Since 2017, the Astros and Dodgers have consistently boasted
13524-541: The go-ahead run with a double in the top of the ninth off of Giles and the Dodgers added four more runs on a sacrifice fly by Austin Barnes and a three-run homer by Pederson. Bregman hit a home run off of Jansen in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Dodgers won the game to even up the series. The Astros had two hits in the game; both were home runs. This was the first game in World Series history where both starting pitchers allowed four or fewer baserunners. After Game 4, both teams' pitching coaches , Rick Honeycutt for
13662-402: The hashtag Houston Strong . Manager A. J. Hinch has stated in an interview that the team wasn't just playing for a title, but to help boost moral support for the city. On August 31, just seconds before the midnight deadline, the Astros traded for Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander . Following the trade, including the regular season and postseason to this point, Verlander had posted
13800-521: The home run, but Fields was replaced by Tony Cingrani and Gurriel was stranded. In the bottom of the inning, Yasiel Puig hit a solo home run off of Ken Giles and Enrique Hernández drove in Logan Forsythe , who had walked and advanced on a wild pitch, to tie the game, with the latter being the Dodgers' first run that was not driven in by a home run. In the next inning, pinch-hitter Cameron Maybin singled and stole second. George Springer hit
13938-405: The horizon, the structure of the new domed stadium was more prevalent and it would soon change the way that baseball was watched in Houston and around the league. On December 1, 1964, the team announced the name change from the Colt .45s to the "Astros". With Judge Roy Hofheinz now the sole owner of the franchise and the new venue complete, the renamed Astros moved into their new domed stadium,
14076-432: The near future. The year started on a sad note. Pitcher Don Wilson was found dead in the passenger seat of his car on January 5, 1975; the cause of death was asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. Wilson was 29 years old. Wilson's number 40 was retired on April 13, 1975. The 1975 season saw the introduction of the Astros' new uniforms. Many teams were going away from the traditional uniform and the Astros were no exception. From
14214-415: The organization's national spokesperson for more than 10 years. He wore a Sunshine Kids pin on his hat during Spring Training for over 15 years, the majority of his career. It also appeared on his '3000 hits' banner when he reached the historic milestone during his final season, as well as his retired number plaque at Minute Maid Park . This article about a philanthropic or charitable organization
14352-410: The other National League franchises. Many players and staff associated with the Houston Buffaloes organization continued in the major leagues. Manager Harry Craft , who had joined Houston in 1961, remained in the same position for the team until the end of the 1964 season . General manager Spec Richardson also continued with the organization as business manager but was later promoted back to GM for
14490-531: The other hand, would shore up many problems. They had an off year in 1971, but were the National League Pennant winner in 1972 . The Astros' acquisition of Lee May added more power to the lineup in 1972 . May, Wynn, Rader and Cedeño all had 20 or more home runs and Watson hit 16. Cedeño also led the Astros with a .320 batting average, 55 stolen bases and made spectacular plays on the field. Cedeño made his first All-Star game in 1972 and became
14628-479: The pitching staff, going with a three-man rotation to start the season. This allowed Lanier to keep his three starters ( Nolan Ryan , Bob Knepper , and Mike Scott ) sharp and to slowly work in rookie hurler Jim Deshaies . Bill Doran and Glenn Davis held down the right side of the field but Lainer rotated the left side. Denny Walling and Craig Reynolds faced the right-handed pitchers while Phil Garner and Dickie Thon batted against left-handers. Lanier knew
14766-413: The players involved or revoking the Astros' World Series title. This was the first World Series matchup, and second postseason meeting overall, between the Astros and Dodgers. Los Angeles defeated Houston in five games in the 1981 National League Division Series , en route to first their World Series championship since 1965 . The teams also met in the 1980 National League West tie-breaker game , won by
14904-491: The postseason. Marwin González hit a home run off Jansen in the ninth to tie the game. This was only Jansen's second blown save all season and snapped his streak of converting his first 12 postseason save opportunities, a major league record. The game went into extra innings . Jose Altuve and Correa hit back-to-back home runs off Josh Fields in the tenth inning to put the Astros in the lead. Yuli Gurriel doubled after
15042-507: The pregame shows, joined by analysts Keith Hernandez , David Ortiz , Alex Rodriguez , and Frank Thomas . Outside the United States, MLB International televised the series, with Matt Vasgersian on play-by-play and Buck Martinez doing color commentary. In September 2017, American Spirit Media removed the signals of their Fox affiliates from DirecTV and U-verse systems. As a result, some DirecTV subscribers in portions of
15180-565: The prowess of both teams and the intensity of all seven games, but also noting the sign stealing scandal has tainted the series, comparing it to the 1919 World Series . The 2017 World Series broke many records, most of which still stands today: This was Houston's first professional sports championship since the Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in 2007 , and the first in one of the traditional " Big Four " American sports leagues since
15318-432: The public liked them and versions started appearing at the high school and little league level. The uniform was so different from what other teams wore that the Astros wore it both at home and on the road until 1980. Besides the bright new uniforms there were some other changes. Lee May was traded to Baltimore for much talked about rookie second baseman Rob Andrews and utility player Enos Cabell . In Baltimore, Cabell
15456-429: The road. The Astros were the first team to beat the three wealthiest teams in the sport –– Red Sox , Yankees , and Dodgers -– in a single postseason. After Game 7, the trophy presentation, usually taking place in the locker room whenever the visiting team clinches the series, took place on the losing team's field for the first time ever before a small crowd of mostly Astros fans that remained as most Dodgers fans left
15594-438: The same as in the third game: McCullers and Darvish. Springer doubled to open the game and scored the first run on an error by Bellinger, which allowed Bregman to reach second base. Bregman stole third base and scored on an Altuve groundout. McCann scored the next inning on a groundout by Astros pitcher McCullers. Springer hit a two-run home run, his fifth of the series, tying Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley for most home runs in
15732-416: The save, forcing a winner-take-all game seven. Pederson tied a World Series record with his fifth consecutive game with an extra base hit. Andre Ethier , who appeared in the game as a pinch hitter, set a new Dodgers franchise record with his 50th career postseason game. This was the first World Series Game 7 to be played at Dodger Stadium (and the first Game 7 of any postseason series at the stadium since
15870-572: The second half, Houston beat Los Angeles in their first two playoff games at home, but the Dodgers took the next three in Los Angeles to advance to the NLCS . By 1982 , only four players and three starting pitchers remained from the 1980 squad. The Astros were out of pennant contention by August and began rebuilding for the near future. Bill Virdon was fired as manager and replaced by original Colt .45 Bob Lillis . Don Sutton asked to be traded and
16008-399: The second inning on a home run by Yuli Gurriel and RBIs by González, Brian McCann , and Bregman. Darvish left the game after 1 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings, which was the shortest outing of his career. The Dodgers scored one run in the top of the third inning as Seager grounded into a double play after McCullers loaded the bases with three consecutive walks. The Astros added another run in
16146-462: The second pitcher to pitch in all seven games of a single World Series, joining Darold Knowles in the 1973 World Series. McCullers lasted only 2 1 ⁄ 3 innings himself; he allowed three hits and hit a World Series record four batters. This was the first Game 7 in World Series history where neither starting pitcher got past the third inning. The Dodgers failed to score a run and left eight men on base through five innings. Andre Ethier hit
16284-406: The second-longest World Series game in history by time. It has been frequently cited as one of the greatest World Series games of all time. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by former President George W. Bush , accompanied by his father, George H. W. Bush . Game 6 featured the same starting pitchers as the second game: Verlander and Hill. Springer hit a home run off of Hill in the top of
16422-491: The series nationally in English, with Dan Shulman providing the play-by-play and Aaron Boone serving as color analyst. Tim Kurkjian and Buster Olney served as reporters for the network, while Marc Kestecher hosted the pre-game and post-game coverage along with analyst Chris Singleton . The ESPN Radio coverage was carried on affiliated stations throughout the United States and Canada, as well as online at ESPN.com and via
16560-434: The stadium. Correa proposed to his girlfriend, 2016 Miss Texas USA winner Daniella Rodríguez, on live television during a postgame interview conducted by Rosenthal. She accepted. More than a month later, a Sports Illustrated article revealed that the Astros had figured out how Darvish was tipping his pitches: "Darvish holds the ball at his side when he gets the sign from the catcher. Whether he re-grips or not as he brings
16698-582: The team and was looking to sell the Astros, but would not spend money on better players. Most of the talent was either farm grown or bought cheaply. The 1979 season would prove to be a big turnaround in Astros history. During the offseason, the Astros attempted to fix some of their problem areas. They traded Floyd Bannister to Seattle for shortstop Craig Reynolds and acquired catcher Alan Ashby from Toronto for pitcher Mark Lemongello . Reynolds and Ashby were both solid in their positions and gave Houston some much-needed consistency. The season started with
16836-413: The teams with among the most regular season wins in their respective leagues. Every postseason from 2017 onwards has featured both teams, with the Astros leading in postseason wins since that time and the Dodgers coming in second. Furthermore, all but one World Series from 2017 through 2024 had also featured either the Astros or Dodgers, with both teams making four appearances each. The Astros have since won
16974-411: The third for the first run of the night. It was Springer's fourth homer of the series, tied for third all-time in a single series and joining Gene Tenace , in 1972 , as the only players with four game-tying or go-ahead home runs in a World Series. Springer also joined Hank Bauer in the 1958 World Series and Barry Bonds in the 2002 World Series with four home runs in a series. The Astros loaded
17112-468: The wake of the strike, Major League Baseball took the winners of each "half" season and set up a best-of-five divisional playoff. The Reds won more games than any other team in the National League, but they won neither half of the strike-divided season. The Astros finished 61–49 overall, which would have been third in the division behind the Reds and the Dodgers . Advancing to the playoffs as winners of
17250-406: Was a double-digit winner in the previous two seasons. Richard became the first Astros pitcher to start an All-Star game. Three days later, Richard was told to rest his arm after a medical examination and on July 30 he collapsed during a workout. He had suffered a stroke after a blood clot in the arm apparently moved to his neck and cut off blood flow to the brain. Surgery was done to save his life, but
17388-411: Was decided by the regular season record of the two pennant winners. From 1903 to 2002, home-field advantage had been determined by coin flips and by alternating between the AL and NL. From 2003 to 2016, it was determined by results from that season's All-Star Game , when it was awarded to the team from the winning league. The Dodgers earned home-field advantage over the Astros. The series was played in
17526-512: Was fired late in the season and replaced by Bill Virdon . The Astros played .500 ball under Virdon in the last 34 games of the season. With Virdon as the manager the Astros improved greatly in 1976 finishing in third place with an 80–82 record. A healthy César Cedeño was a key reason for the Astros' success in 1976. Bob Watson continued to show consistency and led the club with a .313 average and 102 RBI. José Cruz became Houston's everyday left fielder and hit .303 with 28 stolen bases. 1976 saw
17664-412: Was high not because of the team's accomplishments, but because people came from miles around to see the Astrodome. Just as the excitement was settling down over the Astrodome, the 1966 season found something new to put the domed stadium in the spotlight once again – the field. Grass would not grow in the new park, since the roof panels had been painted to reduce the glare that was causing players on both
17802-722: Was not giving off any pitch-tipping cues. 2017 World Series (4–3) : Houston Astros (AL) beat Los Angeles Dodgers (NL). This was the second straight World Series to end with the same number of runs scored by each team. Fox broadcast the series in the United States , with Joe Buck serving as the play-by-play announcer, along with John Smoltz as color commentator and Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci as field reporters. For Fox Deportes , Rolando Nichols provided play-by-play while Carlos Álvarez and Edgar Gonzalez provided color commentary. Kevin Burkhardt hosted
17940-473: Was second to only Sandy Koufax for career no-hit wins. Wilson's no-hitter lit the Astros' fire after a miserable month of April, and six days later the team tied a major league record by turning seven double plays in a game. By May's end, the Astros had put together a ten-game winning streak. The Houston infield tandem of Menke and Joe Morgan continued to improve, providing power at the plate and great defense. Morgan had 15 homers and stole 49 bases while Menke led
18078-481: Was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash and the team gained three new prospects, including Kevin Bass . Minor league player Bill Doran was called up in September. The Astros finished fourth in the west, but new talent was starting to appear. Before the 1983 season , the Astros traded Danny Heep to the Mets for pitcher Mike Scott , a 28-year-old who had struggled with New York. Art Howe sat out
18216-428: Was sent to the Braves and Rusty Staub was traded to the expansion Montreal Expos , in exchange for outfielder Jesús Alou and first baseman Donn Clendenon . However, Clendenon refused to report to Houston, electing to retire and take job with a pen manufacturing company. The Astros asked Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to void the trade, but he refused. Instead, he awarded Jack Billingham and a left-handed relief pitcher to
18354-406: Was stuck behind third baseman Brooks Robinson , but he took advantage of his opportunity in Houston and became their everyday third baseman. Cabell would go on to become a big part of the team's success in later years. With May gone, Bob Watson was able to move to first base and was a bright spot in the line up, batting .324 with 85 RBI. The two biggest moves the Astros made in the offseason were
18492-467: Was the championship series of Major League Baseball 's (MLB) 2017 season . The 113th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the American League (AL) champion Houston Astros . The series was played between October 24 and November 1. The Astros defeated the Dodgers, four games to three, to win their first World Series in franchise history, also becoming
18630-535: Was the first appearance in the Fall Classic for the Dodgers since 1988, the tenth since the franchise moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, and the 19th overall. Entering the 2017 World Series, the Dodgers bullpen had thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings, a postseason record for a bullpen. Additionally, by outscoring the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs by a combined 48–19 margin,
18768-399: Was the first time in MLB history, regular season or postseason, that five home runs were hit in extra innings. The Astros won their first World Series game in franchise history as they had been swept in their previous appearance in 2005 . The starting pitchers for Game 3 were Yu Darvish for the Dodgers and Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. The Astros scored four runs in the bottom of
18906-468: Was then replaced by pinch runner Derek Fisher . On the next pitch, Bregman hit a walk-off single, scoring Fisher with the winning run. The Astros became only the second team to come back twice from three runs down in a World Series game, the other was the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15–14 win during Game 4 of the 1993 World Series . The six game-tying home runs in the series to this point
19044-415: Was up by 19 points compared to the season before. The team looked good, but the Astros' ERA was up. Larry Dierker and Wilson had winning records, but the pitching staff as a whole had an off season. Houston finished in fourth place in 1970. The fashion trends of the 1970s had started taking root in baseball. Long hair and loud colors were starting to appear on team uniforms, including the Astros'. In 1971
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