1990 – Houston avoids arbitration with reliever Larry Andersen when they agree on a two-year deal. The real benefit comes later in the season when Andersen is traded to Boston for a young minor-league third baseman.
1990 – Astros ink pitcher Terry Clark who had played two seasons with the Angels. The righthander appears in just one game for Houston that season and reemerges six years later to pitch in five games for the Astros in 1996. His career in Houston is forgettable: 0-2 with an ERA over 11.00.
1989 – Astros ink pitcher Bill Gullickson and infielder Ken Oberkfell to contracts. Gullickson would spend one year in Houston. Oberkfell would spend two, batting .214 as a reserve.
1989 – Astros acquire righthander Xavier Hernandez from the Toronto Blue Jays’ system in the major league phase of the winter draft. The Astros lose infielder Chuck Jackson in the same draft. Hernandez would provide 22 wins and 25 saves over five seasons in Houston. Jackson batted .221 in reserve duty for the Astros in 1987 and 1988.
1989 – Houston radio station KKBQ announces that the World Series is coming to the Astrodome after an earthquake rattles California, sending the Fall Classic into turmoil. General Manager Bill Wood blasts the false report as “sick humor”.
1989 – Mike Scott becomes the fourth Astro to reach 20 wins during an 11-3 triumph in Los Angeles. Batterymate Craig Biggio makes it easy for Scott, whacking two home runs and driving in six. Rafael Ramirez adds four hits.
1989 – Rafael Ramirez has a career day with a grand slam and a club-record seven RBIs but the Astros waste it and a 9-0 lead to lose to the Cubs, 10-9, in ten innings. Dwight Smith singles off Dave Smith for the game-winner. Houston falls five games behind San Francisco in the NL West race.
1989 – After Ryne Sandberg ties the game in the ninth with his second solo homer, Kevin Bass responds with his second long ball of the night, a grand slam off Mitch Williams for an 8-4 triumph over the Cubs. Danny Darwin gets the win after blowing the save.
1989 – Cincinnati explodes for 14 runs in the first inning en route to an 18-2 massacre of the Astros. The Reds set three major league records and tie two more. Jim Clancy and Bob Forsch each allow seven tallies in the opening frame. Forsch surrenders a club-record 18 hits in his seven innings, including nine consecutive hits in the first inning. Houston hurlers surrender a team-record 26 hits.
The Reds set a major league record for the most hits in the first inning of a game with 16 as they score 14 runs at Riverfront Stadium off woeful Astro pitching. The half of an inning lasts 38 minutes, with the Reds eventually winning the game, 18-2.
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