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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. 

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Craig Biggio takes over eighth place on the All-Time doubles list with 641, passing Honus Wagner. 

ByTom

2007 – Roy Oswalt gets his 100th victory in an un-Oswalt-like way. He walks six and allows six runs but Carlos Lee’s three homers   and a three-run blast by Morgan Ensberg  pace a 9-6 victory at Philadelphia. Lee belts a grand slam   as well as two solo shots while Craig Biggio takes over eighth place on the All-Time doubles list with 641, passing Honus Wagner. 

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Roy Oswalt endures a three-hour rain delay to blank the Pirates, 3-0, for Houston’s ninth straight win.

ByTom

2006 – Roy Oswalt endures a three-hour rain delay to blank the Pirates, 3-0, for Houston’s ninth straight win. The late-season rally brings the Astros, 8-1/2 games behind the Cardinals just two weeks before, within a half-game of the Central leaders. Houston would lose two of three in Atlanta and wind up 1-1/2 games out at 82-80 for the season. Oswalt wins the league ERA title at 2.98. Lance Berkman would single on the last day to set a new team RBI record at 136. 

The Astros advance to the World Series for the first time

The Astros advance to the World Series for the first time

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Astros, one of six teams to have never played in the World Series, break the franchise’s 43-year drought and advance to the Fall Classic, beating the Cardinals in the NLCS, 5-1. Houston had been close before, coming up short five times in their history in a game with the NL flag on the line, including being one strike away in Game 5 before Albert Pujols dashed the hometown dreams by hitting a two-strike, two out three-run ninth-inning homer, forcing a Game 6 in St. Louis.

2005 – Houston drills Colorado, 7-1, as Roy Oswalt wins his 10th of the year. Morgan Ensberg blasts his 20th homer and Jason Lane belts his 13th. But the day’s headline belongs to Craig Biggio who is hit in the elbow by Byung-Hyun Kim to claim the modern day career record for being hit by a pitch. It’s his 268th plunking, passing Don Baylor. He’s third on the all-time list. Biggio thanks the Rockies with a solo homer his next time up. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

2005 – Houston drills Colorado, 7-1, as Roy Oswalt wins his 10th of the year. Morgan Ensberg blasts his 20th homer and Jason Lane belts his 13th. But the day’s headline belongs to Craig Biggio who is hit in the elbow by Byung-Hyun Kim to claim the modern day career record for being hit by a pitch. It’s his 268th plunking, passing Don Baylor. He’s third on the all-time list. Biggio thanks the Rockies with a solo homer his next time up. 

Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio drives in 1000th run – second Astro in history to accomplish this

ByThis Day in Baseball

2005 – Back-to-back homers by Adam Everett and Craig Biggio in the first pace the Astros over Ben Sheets and the Brewers, 6-1. Biggio drives in himself for the 1,000th RBI of his career, the second Astro to achieve that many in a Houston uniform. Later, he swipes third for his 399th career steal. Roy Oswalt tosses a complete-game four-hitter while Everett enjoys a three-hit night. 

Roger Clemens becomes the oldest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award

Roger Clemens becomes the oldest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award

ByThis Day in Baseball

Roger Clemens (18-4, 218, 2.98), after coming out of retirement to pitch for his hometown team, becomes the oldest hurler to win the Cy Young Award. The 42 year-old ‘Rocket’ has received the honor a record seven times and becomes the first to win the award with four different teams: Red Sox (1986-87, 1991), Blue Jays (1997-98), Yankees (2001), and the Astros (2004).

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Carlos Beltran’s two home runs lead a five-dinger barrage as Houston clubs the Cubs, 15-7

ByTom

2004 – Carlos Beltran’s two home runs lead a five-dinger barrage as Houston clubs the Cubs, 15-7. Jeff Bagwell, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman also supply the long ball. Roy Oswalt wins his 15th despite harassment from Chicago’s Michael Barrett who is still upset over being hit by Oswalt the previous weekend in Houston. Oswalt is plunked by Kent Mercker but nobody is tossed despite the war of words.Â