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2011 – Bud Norris takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Cardinals when ex-Astro Lance Berkman spoils the bid with a homer in the 4-1 victory. Norris allows just that one hit over eight frames. Off the field, the Astros conclude their summer draft by taking relief pitcher Buddy Lamothe of San Jacinto Junior College. Lamothe had been paralyzed in a rafting accident the month before and the selection is seen as a goodwill gesture. 

ByTom

2011 – Bud Norris takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Cardinals when ex-Astro Lance Berkman spoils the bid with a homer in the 4-1 victory. Norris allows just that one hit over eight frames. Off the field, the Astros conclude their summer draft by taking relief pitcher Buddy Lamothe of San Jacinto Junior College. Lamothe had been paralyzed in a rafting accident the month before and the selection is seen as a goodwill gesture. 

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2011 – Jordan Lyles, the 20-year-old top prospect, makes his big league debut an impressive one. He blanks the Cubs for seven innings but his own throwing error puts him behind, 3-1, after eight. The Astros respond with six runs in the top of the ninth for a 7-3 stunner. Brett Wallace and Hunter Pence have three hits each, including a homer. Fernando Rodriguez gets his first big league win, not Lyles. 

ByTom

2011 – Jordan Lyles, the 20-year-old top prospect, makes his big league debut an impressive one. He blanks the Cubs for seven innings but his own throwing error puts him behind, 3-1, after eight. The Astros respond with six runs in the top of the ninth for a 7-3 stunner. Brett Wallace and Hunter Pence have three hits each, including a homer. Fernando Rodriguez gets his first big league win, not Lyles. 

Commissioner Bud Selig steps in and takes control of the day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt
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Commissioner Bud Selig steps in and takes control of the day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt

ByThis Day in Baseball

Commissioner Bud Selig steps in and takes control of the day-to-day operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt, who is tangled in a messy divorce with his wife Jamie. “I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball,” Selig says in a statement. For his part, McCourt states he is planning to sue MLB, but instead, he will be forced to sell the club as part of his divorce settlement. Los Angeles was facing substantial debt payments, which the owner plans to meet by using funding from the club’s new $2.5 billion, 20-year media-rights deal with Fox Sports, but the Commissioner has withheld his approval of the agreement between the News Corp.’s media company and the team.

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2010 – Astros sign infielder Bill Hall to a one-year deal. The nine-year veteran arrives with a .250 career average and 122 homers in the majors. He is released two months into season after hitting .224 and striking out at a pace of over once per game. 

ByTom

2010 – Astros sign infielder Bill Hall to a one-year deal. The nine-year veteran arrives with a .250 career average and 122 homers in the majors. He is released two months into season after hitting .224 and striking out at a pace of over once per game. 

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2010 – Chris Johnson gets his fourth single of the night to drive in Hunter Pence with the winning run in a 4-2, 16-inning marathon at Philadelphia. Carlos Lee’s two-run blast gives Houston the lead until Jimmy Rollins homers with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies insert former Astro Roy Oswalt in left field after Ryan Howard is ejected in the 14th. Oswalt comes to bat as the last hope in the 16th before tapping out to third. The surprising Astros sweep the Phils and push all the way to third in the division before a late swoon leaves them with a 76-86 record and a fourth place finish. 

ByTom

2010 – Chris Johnson gets his fourth single of the night to drive in Hunter Pence with the winning run in a 4-2, 16-inning marathon at Philadelphia. Carlos Lee’s two-run blast gives Houston the lead until Jimmy Rollins homers with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies insert former Astro Roy Oswalt in left field after Ryan Howard is ejected in the 14th. Oswalt comes to bat as the last hope in the 16th before tapping out to third. The surprising Astros sweep the Phils and push all the way to third in the division before a late swoon leaves them with a 76-86 record and a fourth place finish. 

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2010 – Angel Sanchez delivers four hits and six RBIs  as the Astros erupt for an 18-4 mauling in St. Louis on 22 hits. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Carlos Lee and Pedro Feliz contributed three hits each. Bud Norris coasted to the win. The seven-game winning streak has pushed the surging Astros into fourth place in the division. 

ByTom

2010 – Angel Sanchez delivers four hits and six RBIs  as the Astros erupt for an 18-4 mauling in St. Louis on 22 hits. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Carlos Lee and Pedro Feliz contributed three hits each. Bud Norris coasted to the win. The seven-game winning streak has pushed the surging Astros into fourth place in the division. 

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2010 – Astros deal ace pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Phillies for pitcher J.A. Happ and minor leaguers Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar. Gose is then sent to Toronto for first baseman Brett Wallace. Oswalt has a 143-82 record over ten seasons with Houston. He leaves unable to tie Joe Niekro for the franchise record for victories. Two days later, the Astros trade slugger Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees, sending away their last two stars from the 2005 World Series team. 

ByTom

2010 – Astros deal ace pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Phillies for pitcher J.A. Happ and minor leaguers Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar. Gose is then sent to Toronto for first baseman Brett Wallace. Oswalt has a 143-82 record over ten seasons with Houston. He leaves unable to tie Joe Niekro for the franchise record for victories. Two days later, the Astros trade slugger Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees, sending away their last two stars from the 2005 World Series team. 

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2010 – Roy Oswalt fires a one-hitter at the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-0 complete game shutout. It comes as rumors swirl about trading the pitching ace before the deadline on July 31st. Lance Berkman provides all the offense with two solo homers into the Crawford Boxes as part of a three-hit afternoon. 

ByTom

2010 – Roy Oswalt fires a one-hitter at the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-0 complete game shutout. It comes as rumors swirl about trading the pitching ace before the deadline on July 31st. Lance Berkman provides all the offense with two solo homers into the Crawford Boxes as part of a three-hit afternoon. 

Texas Rangers put up for auction

ByThis Day in Baseball

The outgoing Texas Rangers ownership group decides to put the team up for auction, as it appears that they will be unable to satisfy creditors under the current plan to sell the team to a group headed by Chuck Greenbergand Nolan Ryan. The lenders, who stand to receive $75 million under the plan, have expressed their preference for a competitive bidding process as part of bankruptcy procedures for current owner Tom Hicks’s sports properties company, in the hope of receiving a larger settlement. The auction could take place as early as next week.

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2010 – Lance Berkman drives in five, including the game-winner with two out in the bottom of the ninth to nip the Nationals, 8-7  . Berkman had a two-run double and an RBI single before his two-run liner to left won the game. Jeff Keppinger added three hits and Michael Bourn scored three times. 

ByTom

2010 – Lance Berkman drives in five, including the game-winner with two out in the bottom of the ninth to nip the Nationals, 8-7  . Berkman had a two-run double and an RBI single before his two-run liner to left won the game. Jeff Keppinger added three hits and Michael Bourn scored three times.