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1966 – Mike Cuellar slams the door in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out to preserve a 6-5 triumph in St. Louis. Rusty Staub bashes two home runs and drives in four while Bob Lillis singles home the game-winner. It’s a sweltering 104 degrees as the Great Plains bake in a killer heatwave. Cuellar induces a double play grounder from infielder Jimy Williams to end the contest – one of the 14 big league games in Williams’ playing career. 

ByTom

1966 – Mike Cuellar slams the door in the eighth with the bases loaded and nobody out to preserve a 6-5 triumph in St. Louis. Rusty Staub bashes two home runs and drives in four while Bob Lillis singles home the game-winner. It’s a sweltering 104 degrees as the Great Plains bake in a killer heatwave. Cuellar induces a double play grounder from infielder Jimy Williams to end the contest – one of the 14 big league games in Williams’ playing career. 

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1966 – After playing half the season with an artificial turf infield and a spray-painted dead grass outfield, the Astros depart for twelve days while the grounds crew rips up the sod and replaces the outfield with Astroturf. The last chunk of green dirt is boxed and shipped to Chicago’s Leo Durocher, a vocal critic of the new surface.

ByTom

1966 – After playing half the season with an artificial turf infield and a spray-painted dead grass outfield, the Astros depart for twelve days while the grounds crew rips up the sod and replaces the outfield with Astroturf. The last chunk of green dirt is boxed and shipped to Chicago’s Leo Durocher, a vocal critic of the new surface.

Joe Morgan Houston Astros Signed Autographed 3x5 Photo Card W/coa
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A batting-practice line-drive by Lee Maye strikes Joe Morgan, breaking his kneecap and forcing him to miss 40 games

ByTom

1966 – A batting-practice line-drive by Lee Maye strikes Joe Morgan, breaking his kneecap and forcing him to miss 40 games as well as an All-Star appearance. Morgan’s replacement, Bob Lillis scores the winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals. Mike Cuellar fans 15 Redbirds in the win. 

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19-year-old Larry Dierker outduels Hall-of-Famer Sandy Koufax for a 3-0 whitewash of the Dodgers

ByTom

1966 – 19-year-old Larry Dierker outduels Hall-of-Famer Sandy Koufax for a 3-0 whitewash of the Dodgers. Dierker surrenders just five hits. A two-run single by Chuck Harrison and a solo shot by Bob Aspromonte supply the offense.

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1966 – Astros pitcher Dave Giusti tosses a complete game for an 8-4 victory over the Cubs. Giusti also goes 3-for-3 at the plate, including a double. John Bateman belts a two-run homer, Rusty Staub gets a two-run inside-the-park homer and Dave Nicholson adds a three-run shot.

ByTom

1966 – Astros pitcher Dave Giusti tosses a complete game for an 8-4 victory over the Cubs. Giusti also goes 3-for-3 at the plate, including a double. John Bateman belts a two-run homer, Rusty Staub gets a two-run inside-the-park homer and Dave Nicholson adds a three-run shot.

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1966 – Houston produces nine hits, including eight consecutive singles, in the 12th inning to subdue the Reds, 11-4. The inning starts as a 3-3 tie when Bob Aspromonte singles off Jack Baldschun. Base knocks by Rusty Staub, Ron Brand, Jim Gentile, Joe Morgan, Sonny Jackson, Jim Wynn and Dave Nicholson follow. Staub later doubles in the frame. Claude Raymond survives a bases-loaded scare for the victory. 

ByTom

1966 – Houston produces nine hits, including eight consecutive singles, in the 12th inning to subdue the Reds, 11-4. The inning starts as a 3-3 tie when Bob Aspromonte singles off Jack Baldschun. Base knocks by Rusty Staub, Ron Brand, Jim Gentile, Joe Morgan, Sonny Jackson, Jim Wynn and Dave Nicholson follow. Staub later doubles in the frame. Claude Raymond survives a bases-loaded scare for the victory. 

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1966 – Jim Gentile drills a homer off Elroy Face in the eleventh inning to drop Pittsburgh, 3-2. John Bateman had earlier gone deep off Vern Law to send the game into overtime. Claude Raymond picks up the win.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1966 – Jim Gentile drills a homer off Elroy Face in the eleventh inning to drop Pittsburgh, 3-2. John Bateman had earlier gone deep off Vern Law to send the game into overtime. Claude Raymond picks up the win.

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1966 – Dave Nicholson goes four-for-four with a home run while John Bateman goes three-for-three with a homer and a triple as the Astros club the Mets, 7-1. Larry Dierker strikes out eight and hurls a complete-game five-hitter. Houston moves to 2-1/2 games back of the Giants in second place, the closest they would be to the top of the standings this deep into the season until 1972.

ByTom

1966 – Dave Nicholson goes four-for-four with a home run while John Bateman goes three-for-three with a homer and a triple as the Astros club the Mets, 7-1. Larry Dierker strikes out eight and hurls a complete-game five-hitter. Houston moves to 2-1/2 games back of the Giants in second place, the closest they would be to the top of the standings this deep into the season until 1972.

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1966 – Houston sweeps the Cubs, 5-1 and 4-2, to take sole possession of second place in the NL race. Homers by Lee Maye and Rusty Staub back Dave Giusti in the opener while Robin Roberts notches his 284th career victory in the nightcap. Astros sit 2-1/2 games behind the Giants for first. 

ByTom

1966 – Houston sweeps the Cubs, 5-1 and 4-2, to take sole possession of second place in the NL race. Homers by Lee Maye and Rusty Staub back Dave Giusti in the opener while Robin Roberts notches his 284th career victory in the nightcap. Astros sit 2-1/2 games behind the Giants for first. 

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1966 – Dick Farrell and Claude Raymond combine for a one-hitter in Philadelphia. The Astros only manage three hits themselves but the last is a ninth-inning blast by Jim Wynn off Chris Short that hits the roof of Connie Mack Stadium for a 1-0 victory.

ByTom

1966 – Dick Farrell and Claude Raymond combine for a one-hitter in Philadelphia. The Astros only manage three hits themselves but the last is a ninth-inning blast by Jim Wynn off Chris Short that hits the roof of Connie Mack Stadium for a 1-0 victory.