PITTSBURGH
| |

The Pirates ensuring the club will endure their 16th consecutive losing season

The Pirates lose their 82nd game, an 11-6 defeat to the Giants at AT&T Park, ensuring the club will endure their 16th consecutive losing season. The streak equals the mark established by the 1933-1948 Philadelphia Phillies for the longest skid in the history of professional sports.

|

Roy Oswalt spins a one-hitter, blanking the Rockies, 2-0. A single by Brad Hawpe is the only Colorado safety. Oswalt fans six and walks two. Hunter Pence’s two-run homer provides the only runs of the game. The Astros are 28-11 since July 26th but remain in fourth place in their division with only faint playoff hopes. 

2008 – Roy Oswalt spins a one-hitter, blanking the Rockies, 2-0. A single by Brad Hawpe is the only Colorado safety. Oswalt fans six and walks two. Hunter Pence’s two-run homer provides the only runs of the game. The Astros are 28-11 since July 26th but remain in fourth place in their division with only faint playoff hopes. 

|

Carlos Lee picks up his league-leading 100th RBI and the 1,000th RBI of his career

2008 – Carlos Lee picks up his league-leading 100th RBI and the 1,000th RBI of his career with a two-run double that defeats the Reds in ten innings, 9-5. Lee has four hits, including a solo homer. Kaz Matsui, Humberto Quintero and Hunter Pence also go deep. Chris Sampson gets the win with three innings of relief work. The next day, Lee’s season would end when he is plunked by Bronson Arroyo, breaking his pinkie finger. 

|

2008 – Mark Loretta and Hunter Pence crash into New York catcher Ramon Castro at almost the same time, scoring the tying runs in the bottom of the ninth. Geoff Blum has the single off ex-Astro Billy Wagner that brought the runs home . In the tenth, Darin Erstad’s liner to left allows Lance Berkman to tag up and score the winning run in a 5-4 thriller. 

2008 – Mark Loretta and Hunter Pence crash into New York catcher Ramon Castro at almost the same time, scoring the tying runs in the bottom of the ninth. Geoff Blum has the single off ex-Astro Billy Wagner that brought the runs home . In the tenth, Darin Erstad’s liner to left allows Lance Berkman to tag up and score the winning run in a 5-4 thriller. 

|

2008 – Mark Loretta drills a grand slam off Aaron Heilman in the eighth to give the Astros a 7-3 victory over the Mets. Solo homers by Kaz Matsui, Brandon Backe and Carlos Lee supply the other three tallies. Doug Brocail picks up the win in relief. 

2008 – Mark Loretta drills a grand slam off Aaron Heilman in the eighth to give the Astros a 7-3 victory over the Mets. Solo homers by Kaz Matsui, Brandon Backe and Carlos Lee supply the other three tallies. Doug Brocail picks up the win in relief. 

|

2008 – Geoff Blum smacks two homers and Brad Ausmus goes 4-for-4 to lead Houston out of the division cellar in an 11-6 win at Milwaukee. Randy Wolf makes his Astros debut but can’t last long enough to qualify for the victory. Chris Sampson claims it in relief. 

2008 – Geoff Blum smacks two homers and Brad Ausmus goes 4-for-4 to lead Houston out of the division cellar in an 11-6 win at Milwaukee. Randy Wolf makes his Astros debut but can’t last long enough to qualify for the victory. Chris Sampson claims it in relief. 

|

2018 – Tenth-inning solo homers by Alex Bregman and George Springer carry the American League All-Stars to an 8-6 win over the National League. A record ten bombs were hit. Only two Astros had homered in All-Star competition up to this time. Jose Altuve singles for his first All-Star hit. Bregman is awarded the game’s M.V.P. award afterwards. 

2018 – Tenth-inning solo homers by Alex Bregman and George Springer carry the American League All-Stars to an 8-6 win over the National League. A record ten bombs were hit. Only two Astros had homered in All-Star competition up to this time. Jose Altuve singles for his first All-Star hit. Bregman is awarded the game’s M.V.P. award afterwards. 

|

2008 – Hunter Pence goes 5-for-5 and Miguel Tejada blasts a two-run homer to pace an 8-2 win in St. Louis behind seven strong innings from Shawn Chacon. The Astros and Cardinals are in a tie for second in the division behind Chicago. 

2008 – Hunter Pence goes 5-for-5 and Miguel Tejada blasts a two-run homer to pace an 8-2 win in St. Louis behind seven strong innings from Shawn Chacon. The Astros and Cardinals are in a tie for second in the division behind Chicago. 

|

2008 – Jose Valverde takes a line drive off the face  yet stays in the game to notch his league-leading 15th save in a 4-3 triumph against the Phillies. Hunter Pence had drilled two solo homers and Brandon Backe allowed just one run over 7-1/3rd innings but Valverde steals the spotlight with his amazing toughness. 

2008 – Jose Valverde takes a line drive off the face  yet stays in the game to notch his league-leading 15th save in a 4-3 triumph against the Phillies. Hunter Pence had drilled two solo homers and Brandon Backe allowed just one run over 7-1/3rd innings but Valverde steals the spotlight with his amazing toughness. 

|

2008 – Lance Berkman’s incredible month continues during a 6-3 win at San Francisco. He hits a two-run homer to give him a majors-leading 14. He also leads the National League in RBIs (40), runs (43) and OPS (1.264). He’s batting .580 for the month and his current batting average (.388) is second overall. Miguel Tejada and Brad Ausmus drive in the other runs. The next day, Berkman homers into McCovey Cove  to complete an 8-7 comeback. Houston has won 18 of their last 24 after a 6-12 start. 

2008 – Lance Berkman’s incredible month continues during a 6-3 win at San Francisco. He hits a two-run homer to give him a majors-leading 14. He also leads the National League in RBIs (40), runs (43) and OPS (1.264). He’s batting .580 for the month and his current batting average (.388) is second overall. Miguel Tejada and Brad Ausmus drive in the other runs. The next day, Berkman homers into McCovey Cove  to complete an 8-7 comeback. Houston has won 18 of their last 24 after a 6-12 start.