1980 – Enos Cabell singles home Jose Cruz in the second inning and Nolan Ryan makes it stand up for a 1-0 shutout over San Diego. Ryan fires a two-hitter, striking out seven.
1980 – Cold, damp Olympic Stadium is where the Astros must wait through a rain delay of three hours and 50 minutes to complete an 8-4 victory. Jose Cruz has four RBIs to lead the Astros while Joe Niekro survives the weather and the Expos for a complete-game win.
1980 – Bill Virdon picks up his 356th win as a Houston manager, setting a team record, as the Astros edge St. Louis, 4-2. Vern Ruhle is the hero, going 8-2/3rds innings for the win, producing two hits and driving in a run. Terry Puhl and Jose Cruz supply two hits apiece. Joe Sambito nails the final out for the save.
1980 – J.R. Richard notches his 100th victory, toppling the Mets, 7-4. Art Howe contributes three hits and Jeff Leonard homers in the win.
1980 – Nolan Ryan ‘s first win as an Astro comes in an 8-0 victory over Cincinnati. It’s the initial dividend from baseball’s first million-dollar-per-year contract. Ryan fans seven and walks six in seven innings. Jose Cruz is the star with three hits and five RBIs, including a bases-loaded triple in the first inning.
1980 – Astros get more steals than hits in a 6-4 loss to the Dodgers. Joe Morgan has three of the seven swipes while Houston manages just six hits. Utilityman Derrel Thomas is the Dodger catcher, explaining the larceny in Astro hearts.
1980 – Craig Reynolds, homerless the year before, blasts a leadoff homer against Don Stanhouse to spark a five-run eighth-inning rally that topples Los Angeles, 10-6. Dave Smith wins in his first big league appearance.
1980 – Chris Burke is born in Louisville, KY. The outfielder/infielder bats .249 during four seasons in Houston (2004-2007) but makes his mark with a home run that wins the 2005 N.L.D.S. over Atlanta in the 18th inning, the longest game in postseason history.
1979 – Righthander Julio Solano is signed as a free agent. In parts of five seasons as an Astro (1983-1987), Solano compiles a 6-8 record with a 4.55 ERA.
1979 – Joe Niekro becomes the first 21-game winner in club history with a 3-2 triumph over the Dodgers. An eighth-inning sacrifice fly by Danny Heep plates the game-winner. The Astros finish with a best-to-date 89 wins but fall 1-1/2 games short of Cincinnati for the N.L. West title.
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