Gary Maddox

Phillies beat the Astros to clinch World Series Apperance

ByThis Day in Baseball

1980 – Houston has a 5-2 lead and needs six outs to reach the World Series. Nolan Ryan is on the mound. Philadelphia surges back to win in ten innings, 8-7, and take the National League pennant before a drained Astrodome crowd. Manny Trillo’s triple caps a five-run Phillie rally but the Astros tie it on hits from Rafael Landestoy and Jose Cruz . Garry Maddox’s sinking double breaks the tie then he snares Enos Cabell’s fly to break Houston hearts. The ten-inning game is the fourth consecutive extra-inning game of the series.

1980 NLCS Nolan Ryan scores in game 2
| |

Houston tastes their first post-season win, a 7-4 ten-inning victory in Philadelphia

ByThis Day in Baseball

1980 – Houston tastes their first post-season win. It’s a 7-4 ten-inning victory in Philadelphia to even the N.L.C.S. at 1-1. Frank LaCorte pitches out of a jam to send the game into extras at 3-3. Jose Cruz and Cesar Cedeno drive in runs in the tenth before Dave Bergman lashes a two-run triple to put the game out of reach 

Greg Luzinski 1980 NLCS

The first post-season game in Astros history is a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia in Game One of the N.L.C.S.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1980 – The first post-season game in Astros history is a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia in Game One of the N.L.C.S. Houston gets the first run when Gary Woods singles off Steve Carlton to score Jose Cruz. A two-run bomb by Greg Luzinski off Ken Forsch puts the Phillies ahead to stay.

|

1980 – Jose Cruz slams a 12th-inning homer off Rick Sutcliffe at the Dome to cap a furious 6-5 victory over Los Angeles to tie the Dodgers for the N.L. West lead. Two Astros were thrown out at the plate earlier trying to score the winning run. Cruz had ignited two rallies that forced a 3-3 tie in regulation. Cesar Cedeno contributes four hits. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1980 – Jose Cruz slams a 12th-inning homer off Rick Sutcliffe at the Dome to cap a furious 6-5 victory over Los Angeles to tie the Dodgers for the N.L. West lead. Two Astros were thrown out at the plate earlier trying to score the winning run. Cruz had ignited two rallies that forced a 3-3 tie in regulation. Cesar Cedeno contributes four hits. 

|

1980 – J.R. Richard blanks the Chicago Cubs, 3-0, extending his shutout innings steak to 31-2/3rd innings.  He fans eight and walks three, allowing six hits yet says his arm doesn’t feel right. Jose Cruz and Denny Walling give Richard all the support he needs with RBI singles in the first inning. The win marks the first homestand sweep in Houston history, taking six from the Giants and Cubs. 

ByTom

1980 – J.R. Richard blanks the Chicago Cubs, 3-0, extending his shutout innings steak to 31-2/3rd innings.  He fans eight and walks three, allowing six hits yet says his arm doesn’t feel right. Jose Cruz and Denny Walling give Richard all the support he needs with RBI singles in the first inning. The win marks the first homestand sweep in Houston history, taking six from the Giants and Cubs. 

|

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. 

ByTom

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. 

Nolan Ryan ‘s first win as an Astro comes in an 8-0 victory over Cincinnati.
|

Nolan Ryan ‘s first win as an Astro comes in an 8-0 victory over Cincinnati.

ByThis Day in Baseball

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. 

Fireworks in Cincinnati as Ray Knight and Joaquin Andujar spark old flames

Fireworks in Cincinnati as Ray Knight and Joaquin Andujar spark old flames

ByThis Day in Baseball

1979 – Fireworks in Cincinnati. The upstart Astros nip the Reds, 3-2, to take their first-ever ten-game divisional lead. Jose Cruz and Jeff Leonard drive home runs in the seventh to lead the come-from-behind victory. Joaquin Andujar and Ray Knight, ex-teammates in the Cincy farm system, start a bench-clearing brawl after hurling insults across the diamond.  Joe Sambito cools the Reds with two shutout innings for the save 

|

J.R. Richard ties a major-league record by throwing six wild pitches in a game against Los Angeles, but he also strikes out 13 in a 2-1 victory. Cesar Cedeno, Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell tag consecutive doubles off Burt Hooton in the fourth for the Houston runs. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1979 – J.R. Richard ties a major-league record by throwing six wild pitches in a game against Los Angeles, but he also strikes out 13 in a 2-1 victory. Cesar Cedeno, Jose Cruz and Enos Cabell tag consecutive doubles off Burt Hooton in the fourth for the Houston runs. 

Joe Niekro outduels his brother Phil in a 2-0 whitewash of the Braves and denies Phil a 20-win season. Joe allows seven hits then gives way to Ken Forsch in the ninth. Jose Cruz and Julio Gonzalez drive in the game’s only runs.
|

Joe Niekro outduels his brother Phil in a 2-0 whitewash of the Braves and denies Phil a 20-win season. Joe allows seven hits then gives way to Ken Forsch in the ninth. Jose Cruz and Julio Gonzalez drive in the game’s only runs.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1978 – Joe Niekro outduels his brother Phil in a 2-0 whitewash of the Braves and denies Phil a 20-win season. Joe allows seven hits then gives way to Ken Forsch in the ninth. Jose Cruz and Julio Gonzalez drive in the game’s only runs.