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Roy Oswalt endures a three-hour rain delay to blank the Pirates, 3-0, for Houston’s ninth straight win.

ByTom

2006 – Roy Oswalt endures a three-hour rain delay to blank the Pirates, 3-0, for Houston’s ninth straight win. The late-season rally brings the Astros, 8-1/2 games behind the Cardinals just two weeks before, within a half-game of the Central leaders. Houston would lose two of three in Atlanta and wind up 1-1/2 games out at 82-80 for the season. Oswalt wins the league ERA title at 2.98. Lance Berkman would single on the last day to set a new team RBI record at 136. 

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2006 – Charlton Jimerson homers in his first major league at-bat – the third time an Astro has accomplished this feat. His pinch-hit blast in the sixth breaks up a no-hit bid by Cole Hamels to tie Philadelphia at 1-1 but Chase Utley gives the Phils their first win over Houston in three years with a solo shot off Dave Borkowski in the tenth for a 3-2 decision. Time’s running out on Houston who is four games below .500 yet 4-1/2 games out in the wild card race. 

ByTom

2006 – Charlton Jimerson homers in his first major league at-bat – the third time an Astro has accomplished this feat. His pinch-hit blast in the sixth breaks up a no-hit bid by Cole Hamels to tie Philadelphia at 1-1 but Chase Utley gives the Phils their first win over Houston in three years with a solo shot off Dave Borkowski in the tenth for a 3-2 decision. Time’s running out on Houston who is four games below .500 yet 4-1/2 games out in the wild card race. 

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Willy Taveras becomes the first Astro to achieve a 30-game hitting streak

ByTom

2006 – Willy Taveras becomes the first Astro to achieve a 30-game hitting streak with a leadoff single that begins a 13-1 bombing at Pittsburgh . Taveras bats .349 during the streak, raising his average to .284. Lance Berkman drives in four while Jason Hirsh gets his second big league win. Taveras’ run ends two nights later. 

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2006 – Aubrey Huff swats two homers and a bases-loaded double to drive in six during a 14-1 rout of the Pirates. Roy Oswalt adds his first career home run. Craig Biggio, Luke Scott and Jason Lane also go deep. Phil Garner gets his 900th career managerial win. 

ByTom

2006 – Aubrey Huff swats two homers and a bases-loaded double to drive in six during a 14-1 rout of the Pirates. Roy Oswalt adds his first career home run. Craig Biggio, Luke Scott and Jason Lane also go deep. Phil Garner gets his 900th career managerial win. 

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2006 – A day after celebrating his 44th birthday, Roger Clemens notches his 344th career victory, a 9-3 triumph at Arizona. Brad Ausmus belts a grand slam while Luke Scott punches four hits, including a two-run homer. Craig Biggio legs out an infield single to become the 34th player to achieve 2,900 hits in a career. 

ByTom

2006 – A day after celebrating his 44th birthday, Roger Clemens notches his 344th career victory, a 9-3 triumph at Arizona. Brad Ausmus belts a grand slam while Luke Scott punches four hits, including a two-run homer. Craig Biggio legs out an infield single to become the 34th player to achieve 2,900 hits in a career. 

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2006 – Luke Scott hits for the cycle but it is not enough as the Astros fall to Arizona, 8-7, in 11 innings. Scott, a call-up earlier in the month from AAA, performs the feat backwards, smacking his first major league homer in the fourth, a triple in the fifth, a double in seventh and a single in the 11th just before the final out was made 

ByTom

2006 – Luke Scott hits for the cycle but it is not enough as the Astros fall to Arizona, 8-7, in 11 innings. Scott, a call-up earlier in the month from AAA, performs the feat backwards, smacking his first major league homer in the fourth, a triple in the fifth, a double in seventh and a single in the 11th just before the final out was made 

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2006 – Craig Biggio smacks the 50th leadoff homer of his career in an 8-5 victory over the Reds. Lance Berkman goes deep twice and drives in four. Berkman’s 91 RBIs lead the league. However, the floundering Astros sit five games under .500, five games out of the wild card race and with five teams in between Houston and Cincinnati. 

ByTom

2006 – Craig Biggio smacks the 50th leadoff homer of his career in an 8-5 victory over the Reds. Lance Berkman goes deep twice and drives in four. Berkman’s 91 RBIs lead the league. However, the floundering Astros sit five games under .500, five games out of the wild card race and with five teams in between Houston and Cincinnati. 

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2006 – Roger Clemens moves into eighth place on the all-time wins list with a 4-2 victory over Greg Maddux and the Cubs. He tosses six shutout innings to notch his 343rd career win. Craig Biggio leads off the game with a home run and Preston Wilson, on his 32nd birthday, smacks two key doubles to spearhead the offense.. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

2006 – Roger Clemens moves into eighth place on the all-time wins list with a 4-2 victory over Greg Maddux and the Cubs. He tosses six shutout innings to notch his 343rd career win. Craig Biggio leads off the game with a home run and Preston Wilson, on his 32nd birthday, smacks two key doubles to spearhead the offense.. 

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2006 – Adam Everett’s bloop triple in the 13th inning followed by Willy Taveras’ RBI single salvage a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox, avoiding their second series sweep at the hands of the American League champs in a span of nine months. The Astros were coasting with a 9-2 lead behind Roy Oswalt going into the bottom of the eighth when one man led the Sox back. Tadahito Igushi belts a three run shot off Russ Springer then tags Brad Lidge for a grand slam the next inning – the third slam off Houston pitching in three days – to tie it up. Fernando Nieve gets the win. Despite a dreadful month and a .500 record, the Astros are only five games back of St. Louis and three games back of Cincinnati in the division chase. 

ByTom

2006 – Adam Everett’s bloop triple in the 13th inning followed by Willy Taveras’ RBI single salvage a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox, avoiding their second series sweep at the hands of the American League champs in a span of nine months. The Astros were coasting with a 9-2 lead behind Roy Oswalt going into the bottom of the eighth when one man led the Sox back. Tadahito Igushi belts a three run shot off Russ Springer then tags Brad Lidge for a grand slam the next inning – the third slam off Houston pitching in three days – to tie it up. Fernando Nieve gets the win. Despite a dreadful month and a .500 record, the Astros are only five games back of St. Louis and three games back of Cincinnati in the division chase. 

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2006 – Having lost five straight, as well as an 18-inning affair the night before, and trailing 4-0 in the ninth, the Astros get off the mat and stun the Pirates at PNC Park, 5-4, in ten innings. Houston takes advantage of two bases-loaded walks before Preston Wilsonsingles home Morgan Ensberg in the tenth for the game-winner. 

ByTom

2006 – Having lost five straight, as well as an 18-inning affair the night before, and trailing 4-0 in the ninth, the Astros get off the mat and stun the Pirates at PNC Park, 5-4, in ten innings. Houston takes advantage of two bases-loaded walks before Preston Wilsonsingles home Morgan Ensberg in the tenth for the game-winner.