1998 Houston Astros season

37th season in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros March 2026 November 2013 Houston Astros 1998 National League Central champions National League Central Astrodome Houston, Texas 102 60 y 1st Drayton McLane, Jr. Gerry Hunsicker Larry Dierker KNWS-TV 51(Bill Brown, Milo Hamilton, Jim Deshaies)Fox Sports Southwest(Bill Brown, Milo Hamilton, Jim Deshaies, Bill Worrell) KILT–AM 610(Milo Hamilton, Alan Ashby)KXYZ–AM 1320(Francisco Ernesto Ruiz, Alex Treviño) The 1998 Houston Astros season was the 37th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 34th as the Astros, 37th in the National League (NL), fifth in the NL Central division, and 34th at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season having captured their first-ever NL Central division crown with an 84–78 record and fourth division title overall; however, their season ended in a National League Division Series (NLDS) sweep by the Atlanta Braves. On March 31, pitcher Shane Reynolds made his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros, who hosted the San Francisco Giants but were defeated, 9–4. In the amateur draft, the Astros' first round selection was pitcher Brad Lidge at 17th overall, and in the ninth round, they chose third baseman Morgan Ensberg. Left fielder Moisés Alou and second baseman Craig Biggio both represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game, playing for the National League. It was the third career selection for Alou, and seventh for Biggio. Right-hander Don Sutton, who pitched two seasons for the Astros, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Moments before the trade deadline on July 31, the Astros acquired Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners, and proceeded to win 10 of his 11 starts. Having attained 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases, Biggio joined Tris Speaker (1912) as the only Major Leaguers to reach both milestones during the same season. Biggio also became the ninth major leaguer to join the 20–50 club; moreover, he became the first Major Leaguer achieve each of 200 hits, 20 home runs, 50 doubles, and 50 stolen bases within the same season. Jeff Bagwell became just the second Major Leaguer to record three successive campaigns of each of 100 runs scored, 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 100 runs batted in (RBI) and 100 base on balls (BB).Trailing only Lou Gehrig. Meanwhile, Johnson, who led the Major Leagues in strikeouts (329), became the seventh hurler since 1900 to record multiple 300-strikeout campaigns. On the strength of a then-club record 102 wins, the Astros rocketed to a second consecutive NL Central division title and trip to the playoffs. Their fifth division title, it was the first time since the 1980 to 1981 campaigns that Houston prevailed with successive division titles. Moreover, in their second-to-last season at the Astrodome, the team drew a then-club record 2.45 million fans. In the National League Division Series (NLDS), the Astros were defeated in four games by the San Diego Padres, the NL pennant winners. Following the season, Alou (second) and Biggio (fifth) each received Silver Slugger Awards. Larry Dierker won two Manager of the Year Awards, one from Baseball America, and another from the BBWAA Baseball Writers' Association of AmericaRecognized one Manager of the Year for each of the NL and the American League (AL). lower-alpha "BBWAA manager award", the second Astro to win the latter award. The Sporting News named general manager Gerry Hunsicker their Executive of the Year, also the second Astro to receive this award. Offseason The Astros concluded the 1997 campaign as National League (NL) Central division champions,https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1997.shtml 1997 National League team statistics Baseball-Reference.com February 7, 2026 their first title in this division inaugurated in 1994, fourth overall, and first since 1986 as members of the NL West division.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/ Houston Astros team history & encyclopedia Baaseball-Reference.com October 13, 2025 The Astros' campaign concluded via sweep by the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-five National League Division Series (NLDS).https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1997_NLDS2.shtml 1997 NL Division Series: Atlanta Braves over Houston Astros (3–0) Baseball-Reference.com February 11, 2026 With 43 home runs and 31 stolen bases, first baseman Jeff Bagwell produced the first 30–30 season in franchise history,https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hi3030c.shtml 30–30 Club: 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases during the same season Baseball Almanac February 8, 2026 while Craig Biggio scored a then-club record 146 runs,Surpassed by Bagwell in 2000. the highest mark in the Major Leagues since Ted Williams (American League) in 1950, and highest by a National Leaguer since Chuck Klein in 1932.https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=biggicr01 Craig Biggio stats, height, weight, research & history Baseball Almanac February 8, 2026 With the introduction of two expansion teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the league held a draft on November 18, 1997, to assist the fledgling franchises in filling out their major league rosters.https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/1997-expansion-draft.shtml 1997 MLB Expansion Draft Baseball-Reference.com February 3, 2026 Three Astros were chosen, including outfielder Bobby Abreu, by the Devil Rays, with the sixth slot in the draft. Houston left Abreu unprotected in favor of retaining another young outfielder, fellow Venezuelan Richard Hidalgo, on the major league roster. Within four hours of obtaining Abreu, Tampa Bay dealt him to the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for shortstop Kevin Stocker.Bertha Mike https://www.mlb.com/cut4/bobby-abreu-drafted-and-traded-on-same-night/c-157602362 Back in 1997, Bobby Abreu was an Astro, a Ray and a Phillie all on the same day MLB.com Cut 4 November 18, 2015 February 3, 2026 November 11, 1997: Traded pitchers Manuel Barrios and Óscar Henríquez and a player to be named later to the Florida Marlins for outfielder Moisés Alou.A member of the Alou family, he joined uncle Jesús, an outfielder (1969–1973, 1978, and 1979), and cousin José Sosa, a pitcher (1975–1976), to have played in the major leagues for the Astros. "Note" Houston sent pitcher Mark Johnson to Florida on December 16, 1997, to complete the transaction.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aloumo01.shtml Moisés Alou stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball-Reference.com August 10, 2025 December 22, 1997: Signed free agent outfielder Rob Butler.https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/butlero01.shtml Rob Butler stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball-Reference.com September 14, 2025 Regular season Summary March—April + Opening Day starting lineup Uniform Uniform number Player Position 7 Craig Biggio Second baseman 14 Derek Bell Right fielder 5 Jeff Bagwell First baseman 17 Sean Berry Third baseman 18 Moisés Alou Left fielder 16 Richard Hidalgo Center fielder 12 Ricky Gutiérrez Shortstop 11 Brad Ausmus Catcher 37 Shane Reynolds Pitcher Venue: Astrodome • Final: San Francisco 9, Houston 4 Sources:https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199803310HOU San Francisco Giants (9) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball Almanac March 31, 1998 September 10, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1998-uniform-numbers.shtml 1998 Houston Astros uniform numbers Baseball-Reference.com March 30, 2023 The Astros hosted the San Francisco Giants for Opening Day, March 31, only to be bested in a wild, extra innings affair, 9–4, Led by future Astro Jeff Kent, he exploded for five-hits and four runs batted in (RBI), starting with a three-run home run off Astros' starting pitcher Shane Reynolds to cap the top of the third inning. In the top of the 13th, Rey Sánchez singled with Charlie Hayes aboard, and Alex Diaz delivered the go-ahead single to score Sánchez as five Giants crossed the dish. Derek Bell swatted four hits, three doubles, and two RBI for Houston. C. J. Nitkowski aborted the loss.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199803310.shtml San Francisco Giants (9) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball-Reference.com March 31, 1998 February 11, 2026 The three two-baggers represented a career high for Bell, while forging his 13th career four-hit game.https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/PX_belld001.htm Top performances for Derek Bell Retrosheet February 11, 2026 Second baseman Craig Biggio became the third player to make 10 Opening Day starts for the Astros, joining César Cedeño (1981) and José Cruz (1986—11 total). Reynolds made this third Opening Day start.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/opening.shtml Houston Astros Opening Day starters Baseball-Reference.com January 25, 2026 Starting April 17 until June 3, Craig Biggio reached base in each of 41 consecutive games spanning the second-longest in franchise history, trailing Jimmy Wynn (1969) and Greg Gross (1975), tied at 52. During the streak, Biggio hit for a .331 batting average, .425 on-base percentage (OBP) and .548 slugging percentage (SLG), garnering 52 hits and 19 bases on balls (BB). Wynn first set the record from June 4–August 3, 1969, while Gross reached from June 25–August 18, 1975. The NL record spanned 58 games, achieved by Duke Snider, who reached base each game from May 13–July 11, 1954, for the Brooklyn Dodgers.https://stathead.com/sharing/evYPo NL on-base streak record Stathead Sports Reference, LLC September 30, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=biggicr01&t=b&year=1998 Craig Biggio 1998 batting game logs Baseball-Reference.com September 30, 2025 On April 24, Carl Everett became the fifth Astro to connect for a switch-hit, multi-home run game.Succeeded Ken Caminiti on July 3, 1994https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats20.shtml Home runs from both sides of the plate in one game Baseball Almanac August 29, 2026 May Rookie right-hander Kerry Wood, making just his fifth major league start for the Chicago Cubs on May 6, made history at the Astros' expense, striking out 20 in a one-hit, 2–0 complete game shutout victory at Wrigley Field. Wood's performance tied Roger Clemens for the major league strikeout record in a 9-inning game, while setting the National League record.Snyder Matt Happy 15th anniversary: Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout game CBSSports.com May 6, 2013 https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/happy-15th-anniversary-kerry-woods-20-strikeout-game/ August 11, 2025Schonfield David https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/24585/kerry-wood-and-the-greatest-game-pitched Kerry Wood and the greatest game pitched ESPN.com (go.com) May 18, 2012 December 22, 2016Wiederer Dan Kerry Wood and 'the greatest game ever pitched': The oral history of May 6, 1998, at Wrigley Field http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-kerry-wood-20-strikeout-anniversary-20180501-htmlstory.html chicagotribune.com Chicago Tribune May 1, 2018 May 6, 2018 Craig Biggio's spot as the leadoff hitter was the only place in the batting order which fell victim to fewer than two strikeouts, with one, and he also reached base on a hit by pitch. Only Jeff Bagwell and Jack Howell struck out as many as three times. The only hit that Wood yielded was a single to Ricky Gutiérrez to lead off the third inning. Shane Reynolds (2–3) fired an eight-inning complete game in the losing effort, scattered eight hits with just one of two runs earned and struck out 10.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN199805060.shtml Houston Astros (0) vs Chicago Cubs (2) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 7, 2025 The left-hander Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners had become the biggest trade target of the 1998 mid-season playoff race, as the Mariners were apparently out of contention by Memorial Day, and he was destined to become a free agent following the season. However, the Astros were not estimated to be major candidates to acquire the extraordinary southpaw. Meanwhile, general manager Gerry Hunsicker envisioned Johnson as a weapon against the left-handed heavy New York Yankees lineup in a hypothetical World Series matchup, who were on their way to one of the all-time greatest regular seasons in major league history, and second-most wins in the modern era, accumulating a record of 114 48 y. Johnson completely dominated lefties, holding them to a .156 batting average against over four subsequent Cy Young Award-winning seasons from 1999 to 2002. Further, acquiring Johnson meant keeping him away from the Yankees, as well the Los Angeles Dodgers, both heavily rumored as favorites. A trade agreement with Hunsicker's counterpart in Seattle, Woody Woodward, required a high prospect package, starting with right-hander Freddy García, shortstop Carlos Guillén and another who would be a player to be named later. For weeks initially, Hunsicker balked on making the deal.Robertson Dale https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Really-big-deal-The-Astros-trade-for-Randy-13116693.php Really big deal: The Astros' trade for Randy Johnson, 20 years later Houston Chronicle July 30, 2018 September 7, 2025 Hunsicker noted apprehension that he would be "paying too much" for Johnson. Both García and Guillén later became multiple-time All-Stars with lengthy major league careers. García took on a large role in Seattle's starting rotation the following year, including placing second in the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year balloting.In fact, after having moved on from the Mariners, García became part of the vaunted Chicago White Sox rotation that stymied the Astros hitters during their sweep in the 2005 World Series, the year after Hunsicker was fired. His first World Series experience finally arrived in 2017 while serving as a special assistant for the Dodgers, who played against the Astros and wound up losing that World Series. Moreover, in addition to winning the four Cy Youngs after signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnson won the 2001 World Series, where he was named co-MVP after leading the Diamondbacks to the title against the New York Yankees. lower-alpha "Post Johnson trade" Guillen was solid for the Mariners, but took longer to blossom, peaking after he was traded by Seattle prior to the 2004 season to the Detroit Tigers. Further, the Astros would be unable to extend Johnson or resign him in free agency during the off-season. From May 25 to 31, Moisés Alou batted .579 / .667 on-base percentage (OBP) / 1.211 slugging percentage (SLG) over six games. Alou had 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 5 BB.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=aloumo01&t=b&year=1998 Moisés Alou 1998 batting game logs Baseball-Reference.com April 12, 2026 Alou earned NL Player of the Week honors for May 31, following Derek Bell on August 24, 1997, as the most recent Astros. Alou last won the award for June 12, 1994, as a member of the Montreal Expos.https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mlb-players-of-the-week.shtml MLB Players of the Week Awards Baseball-Reference.com August 10, 2025 June—July 400px|right|thumb|Moisés Alou (18) bats while Craig Biggio (7) waits in the on-deck circle. Just one week after Biggio's historic on-base streak ended, on June 10, Jeff Bagwell commenced his own long streak of reaching base, lasting until July 29. A grand total of 44 consecutive games, this displaced Biggio's 41-game streak for second place in team history. Bagwell proceeded to hit .282, .411 OBP and .595 SLG, including collecting 46 hits and drawing 33 walks.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=bagweje01&t=b&year=1998 Jeff Bagwell 1998 batting game logs Baseball-Reference.com September 30, 2025 An error in the ninth inning on June 14 by Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin allowed the Astros to tie the game. Houston proceeded to score five more runs, resulting in a 6–3 win in the tenth inning.Schwartzberg Seth https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2025/6/14/24449125/today-in-astros-history Today in Astros history - June 14 The Crawfish Boxes SB Nation June 14, 2025 August 30, 2025 Facing a 5–3 deficit going into the ninth inning on June 17, Bagwell connected for a two-run home run to tie the score. Brad Ausmus singled in the game-winning run, and C. J. Nitkowski got the victory, his second of the year.Schwartzberg Seth https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2025/6/17/24450733/today-in-astros-history Today in Astros history - June 17 The Crawfish Boxes SB Nation June 17, 2025 June 27, 2025 MLB All-Star Game Moisés Alou participated in the Home Run Derby. He lasted through the first round only, hitting seven home runs and placing fifth overall. Ken Griffey Jr won the tournament with a record-tying 19 home runs.https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1998_Houston_Astros_season&action=edit MLB Home Run Derby (1990–1999) Baseball Almanac September 12, 2026 Biggio and Alou were selected to play for the National League at the All-Star Game, hosted at Coors Field in Denver.https://www.mlb.com/astros/history/timeline Astros history – Timeline MLB.com August 30, 2025 It was Alou's first selection as an Astro and the third overall in his career.Previously selected to the 1994 and 1997 Midsummer Classics. lower-alpha "Alou All-Star" Meanwhile, Biggio extended his club record to seven All-Star Games. Voted as the starting second baseman for the fourth consecutive contest, this extended another club record for starts any position.Jose Altuve equaled Biggio with four consecutive starts at the All-Star Game—also at second base—from 2015—2018. lower-alpha "All-Star starters"https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/bat-all-star.shtml Houston Astros All-Star player register Baseball-Refererence.com October 26, 2025 July, post All-Star break On July 14, closer Billy Wagner recorded his first Major League hit.https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/PX_wagnb001.htm Top performances for Billy Wagner Retrosheet March 9, 2026 During the bottom of the eighth frame, Wagner singled to right field off Aaron Small of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark. Wagner worked 1 1 3 scoreless innings, and struck out three of four batters faced to polish off a 4–2 Astros win and collect the save (22). Starter Shane Reynolds (12–5) earned the victory, whiffed seven, while scattering five hits and two runs over 7 2 3 innings. Derek Bell and Moisés Alou both went deep off Diamondbacks starter Omar Daal.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI199807140.shtml Houston Astros (4) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (2) box score Baseball-Reference.com July 14, 1998 March 9, 2026 Wagner was struck on the head by a batted ball on July 15, felling the southpaw. While attempting to protect an 8–7 margin over Arizona, Kelly Stinnett's line drive struck Wagner on the left temple, rendering him motionless for several moments. Wagner remained alert and conscious, was taken to a neurological center, and later cleared of any remaining symptoms. The Diamondbacks later rallied for a 9–8 victory in 11 innings.https://www.upi.com/Archives/1998/07/16/Houstons-Wagner-suffers-head-injury/2545900561600/ Houston's Wagner suffers head injury United Press International (UPI) July 16, 1998 March 9, 2026 The team withheld Wagner from game play until August 9 while he recovered.Hulsey Bob https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/thisdate/index.html This date in Astros history Astros Daily September 7, 2025 Don Sutton's Hall of Fame induction On July 28, right-hander Don Sutton, who pitched for the Astros during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on July 28.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/hof.shtml Houston Astros Hall of Fame register Baseball-Reference.com August 31, 2025 During the 1981 season, his performance was instrumental in the Astros securing a playoff berth against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.Rappoport Ken Astros lose game, and Don Sutton https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19811003&id=-HUfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3194,593512 The Day Associated Press October 3, 1981 December 1, 2025 On July 7, 1982, Sutton earned his 250th career victory, a 5–1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander was honored primarily based on his achievements while pitching for the Dodgers.Pappas Nicole https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/suttons-career-comes-full-circle-with-dodgers Sutton's career comes full circle with the Dodgers Baseball Hall of Fame December 1, 2025 Sutton became the second former Astro to be inducted into the Hall of Fame over consecutive seasons, succeeding Nellie Fox in 1997, and sixth overall. Rest of July Moments before the trade deadline on July 31, Houston acquired Johnson from the Mariners. Though he concluded the Seattle chapter of his career with a 4.33 ERA, going 9-10 prior to the deal, Johnson recaptured his previous dominant form and left Mariner fans with some solid memories. On July 11 and 16, Johnson hurled consecutive shutouts over the Anaheim Angels and Minnesota Twins, yielding six hits while fanning 26 hitters.https://www.mlb.com/player/randy-johnson-116615 Randy Johnson stats, age, position, height, weight, fantasy & more MLB.com September 11, 2025 Despite not pitching in the American League (AL) after the month of July, Johnson ranked third in the league in strikeouts (213) and fifth in complete games (6) at season's end, and ended up just two innings short of qualifying for rate statistics (160 IP).https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsra05.shtml Randy Johnson stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball-Reference.com September 12, 2025 August thumb|280px|right|Randy Johnson on the mound (pictured during tenure with the San Francisco Giants). At the time of their trade for Johnson, the Astros occupied first place in the NL Central and led the second-place the Cubs by 3 1 2 games. Johnson made his Astros debut on August 2 at Three Rivers Stadium to face the Pittsburgh Pirates, who countered with Todd Van Poppel. The two pitchers kept it close, as Johnson lived up to his billing with 12 strikeouts, but Pittsburgh held the advantage through 7 innings, at 2–1. In the top of the eighth, the Astros scored twice before Tony Eusebio pinch hit for Johnson and doubled in Ricky Gutiérrez for the third run of the inning. Rookie Scott Elarton finished off the afternoon with two perfect innings and strikeouts number 13 and 14 for Houston pitching. Hence, Johnson won his debut with seven strong innings to lead a 6–2 Astros win.Fredland John https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-2-1998-randy-johnson-strikes-out-12-in-houston-astros-debut/ August 2, 1998: Randy Johnson strikes out 12 in Houston Astros debut Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) October 22, 2020 September 7, 2025 Johnson made his debut at the Astrodome as a member of the home team on August 7 and led a 9–0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies before a record attendance. This was first of 3 consecutive home shutouts for Johnson.de Luna Marcy https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/article/Astrodome-55th-anniversary-debut-photos-history-12796463.php Iconic Astrodome made its grand debut 55 years ago, became 'Eighth Wonder of the World' Houston Chronicle April 9, 2020 August 18, 2025 The-fifth-largest crowd to attend a regular-season contest in the Astrodome (52,071) witnessed Johnson's mastery over Philadelphia. The Astros won 30 of their first 39 games after acquiring Johnson and their division lead over Chicago swelled from 3 1 2 games to 12 1 2. On August 9, Billy Wagner made his first mound appearance since July 15,https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=wagnebi02&t=p&year=1998 Billy Wagner 1998 pitching game logs Baseball-Reference.com March 9, 2026 when he was struck on the head by a line drive. Wagner hurled a scoreless final frame to seal an 11–2 triumph over Philadelphia. Moisés Alou homered (30) and drove in four. Starter Shane Reynolds (14–7) doubled and scored, while striking out 10 over eight innings.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199808090.shtml Philadelphia Phillies (2) vs Houston Astros (11) box score Baseball-Reference.com August 9, 1998 March 9, 2026 Randy Johnson hammered a five-hit, 13-strikeout shutout of the Milwaukee Brewers on August 12, his first 13-strikeout performance as an Astro. In all, Johnson surrendered five hits and two bases on balls for a game score of 88 to lead a 3–0 triumph. Craig Biggio homered (13) and had three hits. Johnson secured a safety and his first RBI as an Astro. Two unlikely bases bandits—Richard Hidalgo and Moisés Alou—and Derek Bell each picked Milwaukee's pocket.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN199805060.shtml Milwaukee Brewers (0) vs Houston Astros (3) box score Baseball-Reference.com August 12, 1998 January 4, 2026 On August 17, Johnson lost his start to the Phillies, snapping a scoreless innings streak at 19, the longest for the year on Houston's pitching staff. Back at the Astrodome on August 28 to host the Pirates, Johnson fired another shutout, this time for 7 hits, no bases on balls, 16 strikeouts, and a game score of 89, his highest after he was acquired by Houston.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=johnsra05&t=p&year=1998 Randy Johnson 1998 game pitching logs Baseball-Reference.com September 12, 2025 The Pirates countered with Astros killer Francisco Córdova, who was up to the challenge with another gem, remained unscathed save for a balk and two errors to push Brad Ausmus along to score the only tallies of the contest.Córdova had started and spun the first nine innings of a combined no-hitter against the Astros on July 12, 1997. The 16 strikeouts set a Houston record for left-handers, surpassing 15 by Mike Cuellar on June 25, 1966. The most by an Astros pitcher since Nolan Ryan amassed 16 punchouts on September 9, 1987, against San Francisco, Johnson's effort was the fourth bout in club history.Prior to Ryan, Don Wilson (twice, on July 14 and September 1, 1968) had the first two by a Houston pitcher. On May 4, 2018, Gerrit Cole became the next Astros pitcher to accomplish this feat. Criteria: For single games, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring strikeouts ≥ 15, sorted by ascending date. lower-alpha "games15k"https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-pitching-game-finder.cgi?request=1&order_by_asc=1&timeframe=seasons&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=15&cstat%5B1%5D=p_so&team_id=HOU Player pitching game stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference June 22, 2026 The Astros posted the best month in franchise history, going 22–7 in August, while increasing their lead in the NL Central to 11 games. Meanwhile, Johnson was named NL Pitcher of the Month, after having gone 5–1, 1.16 ERA, and leading the NL in strikeouts (61) and shutouts (3). September—October On September 2, Johnson worked the winning end of a pitchers' duel opposite Greg Maddux for a 4–2 Astros' win over the Atlanta Braves, where Johnson struck out 10. Biggio, Bagwell, and Sean Berry all homeredhttps://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199809020.shtml Houston Astros (4) vs Atlanta Braves (2) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 2, 1998 September 11, 2025 in a rare three-home run game off the Atlanta ace.It was just the second-ever three-home run game hit off Maddux, with the first having occurred less than two weeks prior, on August 23, 1998, by Los Angeles. lower-alpha "Maddux performances"https://www.retrosheet.org/miles-k.htm Top performances for Greg Maddux Retrosheet October 28, 2025 Johnson authored a 14-strikeout gem on September 7, a six-hitter of Cincinnati in a 1–0 final. Derek Bell's deep blast in the bottom of the sixth augmented the all run support required to cure the finishing touches of a masterpiece.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199809070.shtml Cincinnati Reds (0) vs Houston Astros (3) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 7, 1998 January 4, 2026 In spite of making just his eighth appearances for Houston,https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=johnsra05&t=p&year=1998 Randy Johnson 1998 pitching game logs Baseball-Reference.com January 5, 2026 Johnson became the first left-hander in club history to propagate three 13-strikeout performances, surpassing Cuellar.On June 25, 1966, and June 6, 1967. Criteria: Number of games in a career player meets criteria, throws LH, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring strikeouts ≥ 13, sorted by ascending instances.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-pitching-game-finder.cgi?request=1&match=player_game_count_career&order_by_asc=1&timeframe=seasons&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=13&cstat%5B1%5D=p_so&team_id=HOU&throws=LL Player pitching game stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference January 5, 2026 Bagwell hit his first career grand slam on September 8 while tying a career-high six runs batted in (RBI) against Cincinnati in a 13–7 Astros' victory. His 218th career home run, this broke the then-longest streak among active players without having hit a grand slam.Associated Press https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-09-sp-21064-story.html Bagwell has a career day in 13–7 victory Los Angeles Times September 9, 1998 February 17, 2016https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199809080.shtml Cincinnati Reds (7) vs Houston Astros (13) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 8, 1998 November 28, 2025 On September 12, the Astros won their 96th game of the season, hosting the Cardinals for a 3–2 final score.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1998-schedule-scores.shtml 1998 Houston Astros schedule Baseball-Reference.com September 9, 2025 Johnson was the starter and won this game as well, going seven innings with two runs allowed and 11 strikeouts, including his 300th of the season, the second time in his career achieving this milestone.Johnson recorded his first 300 strikeout season in 1993. lower-alpha "300th strikeout"https://www.retrosheet.org/miles-k.htm Pitcher strikeouts Retrosheet October 28, 2025 This win tied the 1986 team for most in franchise history. Just one game from clinching the NL Central division title, on September 14, the Astros took a 4–2 lead headed into ninth against the New York Mets, but lost, 7–4, in 13 innings. Mike Piazza, who collected 4 hits for New York, also launched a bomb that hurtled 480 ft m. However, the San Diego Padres later defeated the second-place Cubs, 4–3. Former Astro Ken Caminiti led off the eighth inning with a home run for San Diego. Hence, the Cubs' defeat gave Houston their second-consecutive division title. San Diego (95–56) pulled within a game of Atlanta and Houston (96–55) for the best record in the NL.https://www.deseret.com/1998/9/15/19401537/astros-braves-clinch-titles/ Astros, Braves clinch titles Deseret News Associated Press September 15, 1998 September 8, 2025 Meanwhile, another race transpiring in the NL Central, and the most-watched race of the summer—the home run record chase—remained deadlocked at 62 as of September 14. The Cubs' Sammy Sosa whiffed four times against the Padres, while Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals singled twice in a 7–3 victory over the Pirates. 280px|thumb|left|Craig Biggio joined the 20–50 club to go along with 210 hits and 51 doubles. On September 15, Craig Biggio singled in the ninth inning of the second game of a doubleheader off Turk Wendell of the Mets for his 200th hit of the season. With the hit, Biggio become the first player in Astros history to reach this milestone. The Astros lost the second game, 8–4, after winning the first to earn the split.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mets-astros-split-doubleheader/#app Mets, Astros split doubleheader CBS News September 15, 1998 August 24, 2025 Biggio had passed Enos Cabell's club single-season record for hits (195), established in 1978. At Busch Memorial Stadium on September 23, the Astros defeated St. Louis, 7–1, for their 100th win of the season, reaching the milestone for the first time in franchise history. Johnson worked 7 strong innings, allowing the only run with six walks and eight strikeouts on 136 pitches to earn his 10th win since joining Houston and 19th overall for the season. Biggio, Hidalgo, and Alou all collected three hits apiece.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN199809230.shtml Houston Astros (7) vs St. Louis Cardinals (1) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 9, 2025 Biggio pilfered his 50th base of the season, by which along with 50 doubles, joined Hall of Famer Tris Speaker as the major league only players since the 20th century to have reached both milestones in the same season.McTaggart Brian https://www.mlb.com/news/craig-biggio-s-top-moments 10 moments that defined Biggio's career MLB.com December 13, 2023 August 24, 2025 Biggio became the ninth player in major league history to join the 20 home runs—50 stolen bases club, and the second Astro since César Cedeño compiled three consecutive from 1972 to 1974.Gordon Wittenmyer Fast company: Look who's in the elite club Cincinnati Reds SS Elly De La Cruz just joined August 7, 2024 Cincinnati Enquirer https://www.aol.com/fast-company-look-whos-elite-165613130.html December 29, 2024 AOL https://web.archive.org/web/20250904041331/https://www.aol.com/fast-company-look-whos-elite-165613130.html September 4, 2025 dead Biggio ultimately reached 210 hits for the season, which remained as the Astros' single-season record until Jose Altuve surpassed it on September 16, 2014.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/09/17/altuve-breaks-biggios-record-in-astros-loss/15761149/ Jose Altuve breaks Biggio's record in Astros' loss USA Today September 16, 2014 August 24, 2025 Biggio also surpassed Cedeño's club record for runs scored (891).https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cedence01.shtml César Cedeño stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball-Reference.com September 8, 2025 Performance overview The Astros won a club-record 102 games en route to a second successive NL Central division title. Five starting pitchers earned double-figures in wins for Houston, including Randy Johnson's effort with the Astros after his acquisition at the July 31 trade deadline. The team drew a franchise-record 2.45 million fans in their penultimate season as tenants at the Astrodome, including 10 contests with 50,000 or more. Fans would exceed the stadium's attendance record again the following year by over 250,000. The sixth consecutive winning season for the Astros, it signaled the fifth consecutive with a finish in either first or second place in the NL Central division—both unprecedented streaks at the time. The 1998 season was the third time the Astros won upward of 90 games, having previously achieved this in 1980 (93 wins) and 1986 (96). For the first time since 1980 and 1981,The playoff structure for 1981 season was temporarily modified as result of that year's strike, in which half-season division titles were awarded and a Division Series round was inserted. lower-alpha "1981 division title" Houston repeated both as consecutive division title winners,The Astros competed in the NL West division at the time. lower-alpha "NL West titles" and as playoff entrants. Houston launched a franchise-record 166 home runs, surpassing the 138 they had hit in 1993. The following year, they also broke this record.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/batteam.shtml Houston Astros team yearly batting stats Baseball-Reference.com February 14, 2026 Larry Dierker was recognized with multiple Manager of the Year Awards, including National League (NL) Manager of the Year,As recognized by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). lower-alpha "BBWAA manager award note 2"https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_mgy.shtml MLB Manager of the Year Award BBWAA Baseball Almanac November 1, 2025 and another by Baseball America,Recognizes one manager in the major leagues. lower-alpha "Baseball America manager award note" becoming the first Astros manager to win the Baseball America prize.https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/baseball-america-awards/ Baseball America awards Baseball America November 1, 2025 Dierker became the second Astro to win NL Manager of the Year, joining Hal Lanier in 1986. The Sporting News further recognized general manager Gerry Hunsicker as Executive of the Year, also the second Astro to receive this award,.succeeding Tal Smith in 1980.https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_sney.shtml MLB Executive of the Year Award Baseball Almanac September 30, 2025 In addition to joining Tris Speaker as the only player to register 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases, and the ninth to join the 20–50 club, Craig Biggio became the first, and so far only, Major Leaguer to accumulate each of 200 hits, 50 doubles, 20 home runs, and 50 stolen bases all within the same season.For single seasons, in the regular season, requiring doubles ≥ 50 and home runs ≥ 20 and stolen bases ≥ 50 and hits ≥ 200, sorted by ascending season.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-batting-season-finder.cgi?request=1&order_by_asc=1&order_by=year_id&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=200&cstat%5B1%5D=b_h&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=50&cstat%5B2%5D=b_doubles&ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&cval%5B3%5D=20&cstat%5B3%5D=b_hr&ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&cval%5B4%5D=50&cstat%5B4%5D=b_sb Player batting season & career stats finder Stathead Sports Reference February 13, 2026 Jeff Bagwell recorded the third of six successive campaigns of each of 100 runs scored, 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 100 runs batted in (RBI) and 100 base on balls (BB), which eventually became a Major League record, through 2001. As of 1998, this streak was one season behind the all-time Major League record, accomplished by Lou Gehrig.Just four other players had produced six or more total seasons meeting each of the criteria: Lou Gehrig (8); and Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Barry Bonds (6 each). The maximus of four consecutive was achieved by Gehrig (1929—32), leaving Bagwell one campaign behind this record as of 1998. Filtered for: Number of seasons player meets criteria, in the regular season: Requiring runs ≥ 100, doubles ≥ 30, home runs ≥ 30, runs batted in ≥ 100 and bases on balls ≥ 100, sorted by descending instances.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-batting-season-finder.cgi?request=1&match=player_season_count&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=30&cstat%5B1%5D=b_hr&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=100&cstat%5B2%5D=b_rbi&ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&cval%5B3%5D=100&cstat%5B3%5D=b_bb&ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&cval%5B4%5D=100&cstat%5B4%5D=b_r&ccomp%5B5%5D=gt&cval%5B5%5D=30&cstat%5B5%5D=b_doubles Player batting season & career stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference March 20, 2026 Randy Johnson became the seventh pitcher since 1900 to amass multiple 300-strikeout seasons.https://www.retrosheet.org/miles-k.htm Pitcher strikeouts Retrosheet February 13, 2026 Johnson won each of his final 7 regular season starts, surrendering 7 earned runs in 54 1 3 innings for a 1.28 ERA. Having accumulated 116 strikeouts and 4 shutouts following his acquisition by Houston, Johnson led all of baseball in both categories, 329 and 6, respectively—though not having enough to be the league leader in either the AL or NL. It was the fifth time in his career that Johnson led the major leagues in strikeouts, and wound up doing so a total of ten times during his career. Hence, Johnson became the fourth Astros pitcher whose aggregate strikeout total led all of baseball and first to change leagues mid-season. He was preceded by J. R. Richard (twice) in 1978 (303) and in 1979 (313), Mike Scott in 1986 (306), and Nolan Ryan in 1987 (270).https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_leagues.shtml Yearly league leaders & records for strikeouts Baseball-Reference.com September 15, 2025 Following the season, Biggio was recognized with the Silver Slugger Award for the fifth time in his career, extending his club record. It was fourth at second base and he had won his first as catcher. Left fielder Moisés Alou also won the Silver Slugger during his first season in Houston and the second of his career overall.First was as a member of the Montreal Expos in 1994. lower-alpha "Alou Silver Slugger" https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_nl.shtml MLB Silver Slugger Award winners—National League Baseball-Reference.com October 25, 2025 Season standings Houston Astros Record versus opponents National League border:1px solid #aaa HOU Notable transactions July 31, 1998: Randy Johnson was traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Houston Astros for a player to be named later, Freddy Garcia, and Carlos Guillén. The Houston Astros sent John Halama (October 1, 1998) to the Seattle Mariners to complete the trade. Roster 1998 Houston Astros Roster Pitchers 38 Sean Bergman 51 José Cabrera 50 Scott Elarton 23 Mike Grzanich 54 John Halama 10 Mike Hampton 44 Reggie Harris 19,43 Doug Henry 51 Randy Johnson 42 José Lima 52 Mike Magnante 46 Trever Miller 47 C. J. Nitkowski 39 Jay Powell 37 Shane Reynolds 43 Bob Scanlan 41 Pete Schourek 13 Billy Wagner Catchers 11 Brad Ausmus 20 Tony Eusebio  4 Mitch Meluskey Infielders  5 Jeff Bagwell 17 Sean Berry  7 Craig Biggio 27 Tim Bogar 12 Ricky Gutiérrez 36 Jack Howell  9 Russ Johnson 29 J. R. Phillips 28 Bill Spiers Outfielders 18 Moisés Alou 14 Derek Bell 35 Dave Clark  3 Carl Everett 15 Richard Hidalgo 22 Pete Incaviglia 39 Ray Montgomery Other batters 31 Daryle Ward Manager 49 Larry Dierker Coaches 25 José Cruz (first base) 24 Mike Cubbage (third base) 21 Dave Engle (bullpen)  8 Matt Galante (bench) 16 Tom McCraw (hitting) 48 Vern Ruhle (pitching) Game log Regular season Legend Astros win Astros loss Postponement Clinched divisionBoldAstros team member Houston Astros 1994thru1999 1; 1998 regular season game log: 102–60 (Home: 55–26; Away: 47–34)1998 Houston Astros schedule & results https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1998-schedule-scores.shtml Baseball-Reference.com May 7, 2025 y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; March: 0–1 (Home: 0–1; Away: 0–0) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || March 31 || 4:06p.m. CDT || Giants || L 4–9 (13) || Johnstone (1–0) || Nitkowski (0–1) || — || 4:29 || 43,776 || 0–1 || L1 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; April: 17–9 (Home: 8–3; Away: 9–6) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#cfc;" | 2 || April 1 || 6:37p.m. CDT || Giants || W 7–6 || Miller (1–0) || Tavarez (0–1) || Wagner (1) || 3:04 || 13,719 || 1–1 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 3 || April 2 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Giants || L 2–9 || Rueter (1–0) || Halama (0–1) || — || 3:18 || 15,040 || 1–2 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 4 || April 3 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Rockies || W 15–2 || Lima (1–0) || Wright (0–1) || — || 2:47 || 26,026 || 2–2 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 5 || April 4 || 7:06p.m. CDT || Rockies || L 3–5 || Thompson (1–0) || Bergman (0–1) || Dipoto (2) || 2:54 || 21,325 || 2–3 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 6 || April 5 || 1:36p.m. CDT || Rockies || W 6–2 || Reynolds (1–0) || Kile (1–1) || — || 2:29 || 21,037 || 3–3 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 7 || April 6 || 12:37p.m. CDT || Rockies || W 13–4 || Hampton (1–0) || Thomson (1–1) || — || 2:51 || 13,553 || 4–3 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || April 7 || 3:11p.m. CDT || @ Giants || L 4–5 (10) || Nen (1–0) || Wagner (0–1) || — || 3:38 || 55,370 || 4–4 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 9 || April 8 || 9:05p.m. CDT || @ Giants || W 6–3 || Lima (2–0) || Rueter (1–1) || Wagner (2) || 3:02 || 10,021 || 5–4 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 10 || April 9 || 9:04p.m. CDT || @ Giants || W 3–1 || Bergman (1–1) || Gardner (1–1) || Nitkowski (1) || 2:54 || 10,153 || 6–4 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 11 || April 10 || 9:07p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || L 2–7 || Martínez (2–1) || Reynolds (1–1) || — || 2:51 || 34,994 || 6–5 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 12 || April 11 || 9:07p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || W 6–2 || Hampton (2–0) || Dreifort (0–1) || Henry (1) || 2:27 || 40,037 || 7–5 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || April 12 || 7:08p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || L 6–7 (10) || Osuna (1–0) || Wagner (0–2) || — || 3:27 || 33,429 || 7–6 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 14 || April 13 || 7:05p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || L 1–3 || Nomo (1–1) || Lima (2–1) || Radinsky (2) || 2:14 || 32,289 || 7–7 || L2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 15 || April 15 || 6:12p.m. CDT || @ Reds || L 1–4 || Tomko (2–1) || Reynolds (1–2) || Shaw (4) || 2:28 || 15,619 || 7–8 || L3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 16 || April 16 || 6:30p.m. CDT || @ Reds || W 7–4 || Hampton (3–0) || Weathers (1–1) || Wagner (3) || 3:02 || 14,596 || 8–8 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 17 || April 17 || 7:06p.m. CDT || Expos || W 5–3 || Halama (1–1) || Hermanson (1–2) || Wagner (4) || 2:31 || 26,485 || 9–8 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 18 || April 18 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Expos || W 4–3 || Henry (1–0) || Batista (0–1) || — || 2:55 || 29,362 || 10–8 || W3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 19 || April 19 || 1:37p.m. CDT || Expos || L 4–5 || Telford (2–0) || Magnante (0–1) || Urbina (4) || 2:57 || 18,484 || 10–9 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 20 || April 21 || || @ Mets || 6–0 || Hampton (4–0) || Reed (1–2) || — ||2:38 || 14,774 || 11–9 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 21 || April 22 || || @ Mets || 7–10 || Cook (2–0) || Henry (1–1) || — ||3:41 || 12,772 || 11–10 || L1 |-style="background:#bbb;" |–|| April 23 || || @ Mets || colspan=8 | Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: April 27) |-style="background:#cfc;" | 22 || April 24 || 6:07p.m. CDT || @ Expos || W 8–4 || Lima (3–1) || Valdes (0–3) || — || 2:49 || 8,713 || 12–10 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 23 || April 25 || 6:08p.m. CDT || @ Expos || W 4–3 || Magnante (1–1) || Urbina (1–1) || Wagner (5) || 3:11 || 8,489 || 13–10 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 24 || April 26 || 12:38p.m. CDT || @ Expos || W 15–0 || Bergman (2–1) || Moore (1–3) || iller (1) || 2:49 || 9,889 || 14–10 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 25 || April 27 || || @ Mets || 4–3 || Nitkowski (1–1) || Franco (0–1) || Wagner (6) ||2:30 || 17,656 || 15–10 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 26 || April 28 || || Mets || 4–3 (10) || Magnante (2–1) || Hudek (0–1) || — ||3:43 || 14,943 || 16–10 || W5 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 27 || April 29 || || Mets || 6–1 || Lima (4–1) || Mlicki (0–3) || — ||2:26 || 14,448 || 17–10 || W6 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; May: 16–12 (Home: 8–6; Away: 8–6) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#cfc;" | 28 || May 1 || || @ Phillies || 12–5 || Reynolds (2–2) || Beech (0–2) || — ||3:17 || 11,410 || 18–10 || W7 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 29 || May 2 || || @ Phillies || 4–1 || Hampton (5–0) || Schilling (3–3) || Wagner (7) ||2:39 || 18,766 || 19–10 || W8 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 30 || May 3 || || @ Phillies || 3–5 || Gomes (1–0) || Bergman (2–2) || Leiter (2) ||2:52 || 21,288 || 19–11 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 31 || May 5 || || @ Cubs || 10–5 || Lima (5–1) || Clark (2–4) || Nitkowski (2) ||2:44 || 21,431 || 20–11 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 32 || May 6 || || @ Cubs || 0–2 || Wood (3–2) || Reynolds (2–3) || — ||2:19 || 15,758 || 20–12 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 33 || May 8 || || @ Brewers || 1–4 || Juden (4–1) || Hampton (5–1) || Jones (10) ||2:42 || 14,711 || 20–13 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 34 || May 9 || || @ Brewers || 11–6 || Schourek (1–0) || Eldred (0–2) || — ||3:23 || 20,145 || 21–13 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 35 || May 10 || || @ Brewers || 7–1 || Lima (6–1) || Woodard (2–1) || — ||2:33 || 19,023 || 22–13 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 36 || May 11 || || Marlins || 5–2 || Reynolds (3–3) || Hernandez (2–3) || Wagner (8) ||2:50 || 14,110 || 23–13 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 37 || May 12 || || Marlins || 4–2 || Bergman (3–2) || Hammond (0–1) || Wagner (9) ||2:38 || 14,919 || 24–13 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 38 || May 13 || || Pirates || 1–0 || Hampton (6–1) || Lieber (1–5) || Wagner (10) ||2:16 || 14,239 || 25–13 || W5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 39 || May 14 || || Pirates || 2–7 || Silva (4–3) || Schourek (1–1) || — ||2:36 || 16,123 || 25–14 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 40 || May 15 || || Braves || 2–3 || Neagle (5–1) || Lima (6–2) || Martinez (1) ||2:23 || 38,941 || 25–15 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 41 || May 16 || || Braves || 3–2 || Henry (2–1) || Lightenberg (3–2) || — ||2:34 || 51,526 || 26–15 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 42 || May 17 || || Braves || 8–1 || Bergman (4–2) || Smoltz (4–1) || — ||2:29 || 35,250 || 27–15 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 43 || May 18 || || Braves || 0–4 || Glavine (6–2) || Hampton (6–2) || — ||2:47 || 22,119 || 27–16 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 44 || May 19 || 6:06p.m. CDT || @ Expos || L 2–4 || Perez (3–3) || Schourek (1–2) || Urbina (10) || 2:36 || 9,126 || 27–17 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 45 || May 20 || 6:06p.m. CDT || @ Expos || W 4–3 || Henry (3–1) || Telford (2–1) || Wagner (11) || 2:49 || 8,372 || 28–17 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 46 || May 21 || 12:37p.m. CDT || @ Expos || W 6–0 || Reynolds (4–3) || Bennett (1–2) || — || 2:55 || 7,601 || 29–17 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 47 || May 22 || || Padres || 6–9 || Miceli (4–1) || Nitkowski (1–2) || Hoffman (14) ||3:12 || 28,550 || 29–18 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 48 || May 23 || || Padres || 4–3 || Miller (2–0) || Miceli (4–2) || Wagner (12) ||2:53 || 36,281 || 30–18 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 49 || May 24 || || Padres || 5–2 || Schourek (2–2) || Hamilton (3–5) || Wagner (13) ||3:02 || 25,701 || 31–18 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 50 || May 25 || 3:07p.m. CDT || Dodgers || L 3–4 (10) || Bruske (1–0) || Scanlan (0–1) || Radinsky (9) || 3:35 || 34,079 || 31–19 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 51 || May 26 || 7:06p.m. CDT || Dodgers || W 13–2 || Reynolds (5–3) || Valdéz (4–6) || — || 2:34 || 16,251 || 32–19 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 52 || May 27 || 6:37p.m. CDT || Dodgers || L 1–3 || Dreifort (3–4) || Bergman (4–3) || Radinsky (10) || 2:50 || 17,190 || 32–20 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 53 || May 29 || 8:05p.m. CDT || @ Rockies || W 7–6 || Hampton (7–2) || Astacio (4–7) || Wagner (14) || 2:59 || 48,325 || 33–20 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 54 || May 30 || 3:06p.m. CDT || @ Rockies || L 3–6 || Thomson (4–5) || Schourek (2–3) || Dipoto (12) || 2:55 || 48,036 || 33–21 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 55 || May 31 || 2:06p.m. CDT || @ Rockies || L 5–7 || McElroy (1–1) || Henry (3–2) || — || 2:40 || 48,097 || 33–22 || L2 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; June: 17–10 (Home: 8–4; Away: 9–6) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#cfc;" | 56 || June 2 || || @ Padres || 4–3 || Reynolds (6–3) || Reyes (2–2) || Wagner (15) ||2:43 || 15,735 || 34–22 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 57 || June 3 || || @ Padres || 8–2 || Bergman (5–3) || Hamilton (3–7) || — ||2:43 || 13,229 || 35–22 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 58 || June 4 || || @ Padres || 1–5 || Ashby (7–4) || Hampton (7–3) || — || 2:24|| 21,027 || 35–23 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 59 || June 5 || || Royals || 0–3 || Belcher (5–6) || Schourek (2–4) || Montgomery (10) ||2:36 || 27,895 || 35–24 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 60 || June 6 || || Royals || 6–0 || Lima (7–2) || Rosado (1–5) || — ||2:28 || 25,516 || 36–24 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 61 || June 7 || || Royals || 7–1 || Reynolds (7–3) || Pittsley (0–1) || — ||2:33 || 23,228 || 37–24 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 62 || June 8 || || @ Tigers || 9–5 || Henry (4–2) || Jones (0–2) || — ||3:28 || 11,767 || 38–24 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 63 || June 9 || || @ Tigers || 5–3 || Hampton (8–3) || Jones (0–3) || Wagner (16)||2:43 || 10,871 || 39–24 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 64 || June 10 || || @ Tigers || 10–3 || Schourek (3–4) || Castillo (2–5) || — ||2:35 || 11,471 || 40–24 || W5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 65 || June 12 || 6:05p.m. CDT || @ Reds || L 1–8 || Remlinger (4–7) || Lima (7–3) || — || 2:23 || 21,310 || 40–25 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 66 || June 13 || 6:05p.m. CDT || @ Reds || L 4–7 || Klingenbeck (1–1) || Reynolds (7–4) || Shaw (18) || 2:50 || 28,055 || 40–26 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 67 || June 14 || 12:15p.m. CDT || @ Reds || W 6–3 (10) || Wagner (1–2) || Shaw (1–4) || — || 3:23 || 22,008 || 41–26 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 68 || June 15 || 6:06p.m. CDT || @ Reds || W 13–2 || Magnante (3–1) || Tomko (5–6) || — || 2:56 || 14,556 || 42–26 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 69 || June 16 || || Cardinals || 4–9 || Acevedo (2–1) || Schourek (3–5) || — ||3:10 || 34,822 || 42–27 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 70 || June 17 || || Cardinals || 6–5 || Nitkowski (2–2) || Brantley (0–4) || — ||3:03 || 37,147 || 43–27 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 71 || June 18 || || Cardinals || 6–7 || Bottenfield (2–3) || Reynolds (7–5) || Croushore (1) ||3:05 || 43,806 || 43–28 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 72 || June 19 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Reds || W 4–2 || Bergman (6–3) || Winchester (3–4) || Wagner (17) || 2:38 || 29,251 || 44–28 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 73 || June 20 || 12:18p.m. CDT || Reds || W 9–8 || Nitkowski (3–2) || Krivda (2–1) || Wagner (18) || 3:13 || 24,301 || 45–28 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 74 || June 21 || 1:35p.m. CDT || Reds || W 3–1 || Schourek (4–5) || Harnisch (6–3) || Magnante (1) || 2:57 || 42,281 || 46–28 || W3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 75 || June 22 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Twins || L 3–5 || Milton (4–6) || Lima (7–4) || Aguilera (15) || 2:42 || 23,168 || 46–29 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 76 || June 23 || 12:36p.m. CDT || Twins || W 9–0 || Reynolds (8–5) || Tewksbury (4–9) || — || 2:49 || 27,157 || 47–29 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 77 || June 24 || 8:08p.m. CDT || @ Rockies || L 6–8 || Astacio (5–8) || Bergman (6–4) || Veres (2) || 2:37 || 48,150 || 47–30 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 78 || June 25 || 2:06p.m. CDT || @ Rockies || L 5–6 (12) || Leskanic (4–3) || Magnante (3–2) || — || 3:39 || 48,046 || 47–31 || L2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 79 || June 26 || || @ Indians || 2–4 || Colon (8–4) || Magnante (3–3) || Jackson (17) ||2:58 || 43,222 || 47–32 || L3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 80 || June 27 || || @ Indians || 9–5 (11) || Wagner (2–2) || Mesa (3–4) || — ||3:53 || 43,132 || 48–32 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 81 || June 28 || || @ Indians || 12–3 || Reynolds (9–5) || Nagy (7–4) || Nitkowski (3) ||3:12 || 43,047 || 49–32 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 82 || June 30 || || White Sox || 17–2 || Bergman (7–4) || Navarro (6–10) || — ||2:30 || 26,400 || 50–32 || W3 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; July: 15–12 (Home: 10–4; Away: 5–8) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#cfc;" | 83 || July 1 || || White Sox || 10–4 || Schourek (5–5) || Parque (2–2) || — ||2:54 || 29.050 || 51–32 || W4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 84 || July 2 || || White Sox || 3–4 || Baldwin (3–3) || Lima (7–5) || Simas (4) ||2:25 || 25,344 || 51–33 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 85 || July 3 || || Diamondbacks || 6–5 || Reynolds (10–5) || Benes (6–9) || Wagner (19) ||2:56 || 34,382 || 52–33 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 86 || July 4 || || Diamondbacks || 4–7 || Anderson (6–7) || Hampton (8–4) || — ||2:50 || 31,477 || 52–34 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 87 || July 5 || || Diamondbacks || 5–2 || Bergman (8–4) || Blair (3–12) || Wagner (20) ||3:22 || 23,607 || 53–34 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bbcaff;" | colspan="12" | 69th All-Star Game in Denver, Colorado |-style="background:#cfc;" | 88 || July 9 || || @ Cardinals || 5–4 || Reynolds (11–5) || Stottlemyre (9–7) || Wagner (21) ||2:52 || 34,398 || 54–34 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 89 || July 10 || || @ Cardinals || 3–6 || King (2–0) || Nitkowski (3–3) || Brantley (13) ||2:31 || 44,655 || 54–35 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 90 || July 11 || || @ Cardinals || 3–4 (11) || Painter (3–0) || Wagner (2–3) || — ||3:01 || 45,760 || 54–36 || L2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 91 || July 12 || || @ Cardinals || 4–6 || Acevedo (4–2) || Bergman (8–5) || Croushore (4) ||2:42 || 45,485 || 54–37 || L3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 92 || July 13 || || @ Diamondbacks || 3–5 || Telemaco (3–3) || Schourek (5–6) || Olson (12) ||2:53 || 40,007 || 54–38 || L4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 93 || July 14 || || @ Diamondbacks || 4–2 || Reynolds (12–5) || Daal (3–5) || Wagner (22) ||2:45 || 40,419 || 55–38 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 94 || July 15 || || @ Diamondbacks || 8–9 (11) || Embree (3–0) || Magnante (3–4) || — || 4:00|| 42,229 || 55–39 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 95 || July 17 || 7:06p.m. CDT || Giants || W 10–7 || Lima (8–5) || Rueter (10–5) || — || 2:44 || 40,709 || 56–39 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 96 || July 18 || 3:07p.m. CDT || Giants || W 7–2 || Bergman (9–5) || Darwin (6–7) || — || 2:43 || 35,257 || 57–39 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 97 || July 19 || 1:35p.m. CDT || Giants || W 4–3 (12) || Henry (5–2) || Nen (6–2) || — || 3:47 || 32,900 || 58–39 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 98 || July 20 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Rockies || W 10–9 || Henry (6–2) || Veres (0–1) || — || 3:17 || 25,491 || 59–39 || W4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 99 || July 21 || 7:05p.m. CDT || Rockies || L 0–5 || Brownson (1–0) || Hampton (8–5) || — || 2:10 || 28,718 || 59–40 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 100 || July 22 || 9:37p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || L 4–6 || Bohanon (3–6) || Lima (8–6) || Shaw (28) || 2:30 || 31,365 || 59–41 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 101 || July 23 || 9:07p.m. CDT || @ Dodgers || W 8–6 (10) || Henry (7–2) || Hall (0–2) || Powell (4) || 3:38 || 40,205 || 60–41 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 102 || July 24 || || @ Padres || 2–1 || Schourek (6–6) || Hitchcock (4–4) || Magnante (2) ||2:34 || 31,047 || 61–41 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 103 || July 25 || || @ Padres || 5–6 || Langston (4–3) || Reynolds (12–6) || Hoffman (33) ||3:04 || 54,176 || 61–42 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 104 || July 26 || || @ Padres || 4–5 (10) || Wall (4–2) || Magnante (3–5) || — ||3:06 || 41,034 || 61–43 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 105 || July 27 || || Marlins || 9–1 || Lima (9–6) || Meadows (9–8) || — ||2:15 || 20,888 || 62–43 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 106 || July 28 || || Marlins || 7–3 || Bergman (10–5) || Ojala (1–1) || — ||2:47 || 26,220 || 63–43 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 107 || July 29 || || Marlins || 10–6 || Schourek (7–6) || Larkin (2–6) || Elarton (1) ||2:45 || 21,870 || 64–43 || W3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 108 || July 30 || || Marlins || 3–4 || Hernandez (9–7) || Reynolds (12–7) || — ||2:35 || 33,303 || 64–44 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 109 || July 31 || || @ Pirates || 7–4 || Hampton (9–5) || Cordova (9–9) || Henry (2) ||3:00 || 32,476 || 65–44 || W1 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; August: 22–7 (Home: 14–3; Away: 8–4) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#cfc;" | 110 || August 1 || || @ Pirates || 2–1 || Lima (10–6) || Williams (2–1) || — ||2:49 || 19,783 || 66–44 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 111 || August 2 || || @ Pirates || 6–2 || Johnson (10–10) || Christiansen (1–2) || Elarton (2) ||2:35 || 21,201 || 67–44 || W3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 112 || August 3 || || @ Marlins || 3–11 || Larkin (3–6) || Bergman (10–6) || Mantei (5) ||3:25 || 14,484 || 67–45 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 113 || August 4 || || @ Marlins || 9–5 || Reynolds (13–7) || Hernandez (9–8) || — ||3:19 || 14,586 || 68–45 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 114 || August 5 || || @ Marlins || 3–5 || Sanchez (5–6) || Hampton (9–6) || Mantei (6) ||2:46 || 19,038 || 68–46 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 115 || August 7 || || Phillies || 9–0 || Johnson (11–10) || Welch (0–2) || — ||2:21 || 52,071 || 69–46 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 116 || August 8 || || Phillies || 7–6 || Henry (8–2) || Leiter (6–3) || — ||2:52 || 42,523 || 70–46 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 117 || August 9 || || Phillies || 11–2 || Reynolds (14–7) || Beech (3–9) || — ||2:54 || 28,651 || 71–46 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 118 || August 10 || || Brewers || 5–2 || Elarton (1–0) || Fox (0–3) || Wagner (23) ||2:32 || 18,995 || 72–46 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 119 || August 11 || || Brewers || 6–5 (10) || Magnante (4–5) || Plunk (3–2) || — ||3:30 || 20,553 || 73–46 || W5 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 120 || August 12 || || Brewers || 3–0 || Johnson (12–10) || Woodall (5–7) || — ||2:39 || 40,217 || 74–46 || W6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 121 || August 13 || || Brewers || 6–2 || Lima (11–6) || Woodard (9–7) || — ||2:20 || 21,218 || 75–46 || W7 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 122 || August 14 || || Cubs || 4–6 || Clark (7–11) || Reynolds (14–8) || Beck (35) ||2:53 || 45,040 || 75–47 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 123 || August 15 || || Cubs || 5–4 (11) || Wagner (3–3) || Mulholland (3–3) || — ||3:32 || 52,003 || 76–47 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 124 || August 16 || || Cubs || 1–2 (11) || Karchner (3–4) || Powell (4–5) || Beck (36) ||3:15 || 52,199 || 76–48 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 125 || August 17 || || @ Phillies || 0–4 || Byrd (1–0) || Johnson (12–11) || — ||2:27 || 18,975 || 76–49 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 126 || August 18 || || @ Phillies || 8–2 || Lima (12–6) || Grace (4–6) || — ||2:58 || 17,541 || 77–49 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 127 || August 19 || || @ Phillies || 4–3 || Reynolds (15–8) || Leiter (6–4) || Wagner (24) ||2:44 || 21,341 || 78–49 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 128 || August 20 || || @ Brewers || 5–6 (10) || Wickman (6–6) || Magnante (4–6) || — ||3:46 || 17,589 || 78–50 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 129 || August 21 || || @ Brewers || 5–2 || Bergman (11–6) || Pulsipher (1–1) || Powell (5) ||3:00 || 26,820 || 79–50 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 130 || August 22 || || @ Cubs || 8–3 || Johnson (13–11) || Wengert (1–3) || — ||3:00 || 39,886 || 80–50 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 131 || August 23 || || @ Cubs || 13–3 || Lima (13–6) || Trachsel (13–7) || — ||3:08 || 38,714 || 81–50 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 132 || August 24 || || @ Cubs || 12–3 || Reynolds (16–8) || Clark (7–12) || — ||2:58 || 34,711 || 82–50 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 133 || August 25 || || Braves || 3–2 || Hampton (10–6) || Millwood (14–8) || Wagner (25) ||2:24 || 32,157 || 83–50 || W5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 134 || August 26 || || Braves || 2–6 || Smoltz (13–2) || Bergman (11–7) || — ||2:48 || 32,651 || 83–51 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 135 || August 28 || || Pirates || 2–0 || Johnson (14–11) || Cordova (12–11) || — ||2:23 || 40,709 || 84–51 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 136 || August 29 || || Pirates || 6–3 || Lima (14–6) || Schmidt (11–10) || Powell (6) ||2:39 || 41,762 || 85–51 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 137 || August 30 || || Pirates || 11–4 || Reynolds (17–8) || McCurry (1–3) || — ||3:12 || 25,342 || 86–51 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 138 || August 31 || || @ Braves || 4–3 || Powell (5–5) || Smoltz (13–3) || Wagner (26) ||2:43 || 33,883 || 87–51 || W4 |- y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; September: 15–9 (Home: 9–5; Away: 6–4) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style="background:#fcc;" | 139 || September 1 || || @ Braves || 4–6 || Neagle (14–11) || Elarton (1–1) || Lightenberg (25) ||3:06 || 31,168 || 87–52 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 140 || September 2 || || @ Braves || 4–2 || Johnson (15–11) || Maddux (17–7) || Wagner (27) ||2:22 || 46,238 || 88–52 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 141 || September 4 || || @ Diamondbacks || 1–3 || Telemaco (6–8) || Lima (14–7) || Olson (26) ||2:27 || 41,396 || 88–53 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 142 || September 5 || || @ Diamondbacks || 6–5 (12) || Wagner (4–3) || Embree (4–1) || — ||4:05 || 43,638 || 89–53 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 143 || September 6 || || @ Diamondbacks || 10–1 || Hampton (11–6) || Daal (7–10) || — ||3:02 || 44,076 || 90–53 || W2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 144 || September 7 || 4:06p.m. CDT || Reds || W 1–0 || Johnson (16–11) || Parris (4–4) || — || 2:07 || 42,787 || 91–53 || W3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 145 || September 8 || 7:06p.m. CDT || Reds || W 13–7 || Bergman (12–7) || Bere (4–8) || — || 3:13 || 16,574 || 92–53 || W4 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 146 || September 9 || || Brewers || 6–2 || Lima (15–7) || Woodard (9–11) || Wagner (28) ||2:29 || 24,462 || 93–53 || W5 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 147 || September 10 || || Brewers || 7–1 || Reynolds (18–8) || Karl (9–9) || — ||2:54 || 20,813 || 94–53 || W6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 148 || September 11 || || Cardinals || 8–2 || Powell (6–5) || Morris (5–5) || — ||2:34 || 52,186 || 95–53 || W7 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 149 || September 12 || || Cardinals || 3–2 || Johnson (17–11) || Oliver (9–10) || Wagner (29) ||2:36 || 52,493 || 96–53 || W8 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 150 || September 13 || || Cardinals || 2–3 || Mercker (11–11) || Bergman (12–8) || Acevedo (9) ||2:40 || 52,338 || 96–54 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 151 || September 14 || || Mets || 4–7 (13) || McMichael (4–4) || Magnante (4–7) || Franco (37) ||4:08 || 24,241 || 96–55 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 152 || September 15 (1) || || Mets || 6–5 (12) || Powell (7–5) || Tam (1–1) || — ||3:53 || — || 97–55 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 153 || September 15 (2) || || Mets || 4–8 || Leiter (16–5) || Powell (7–6) || Wendell (3) ||3:19 || 40,835 || 97–56 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 154 || September 16 || || Mets || 3–4 (11) || McMichael (5–4) || Bergman (12–9) || Wendell (4) ||4:05 || 24,269 || 97–57 || L2 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 155 || September 18 || || @ Pirates || 5–2 || Johnson (18–11) || Dessens (2–5) || Powell (7) ||2:47 || 16,937 || 98–57 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 156 || September 19 || || @ Pirates || 1–7 || Cordova (13–13) || Lima (15–8) || — ||2:21 || 20,670 || 98–58 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 157 || September 20 || || @ Pirates || 2–0 || Reynolds (19–8) || Schmidt (11–13) || Wagner (30) ||2:32 || 23,657 || 99–58 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 158 || September 22 || || @ Cardinals || 0–4 || Morris (7–5) || Hampton (11–7) || — ||2:15 || 40,739 || 99–59 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 159 || September 23 || || @ Cardinals || 7–1 || Johnson (19–11) || Oliver (10–11) || — ||3:05 || 38,997 || 100–59 || W1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 160 || September 25 || || Cubs || 6–2 || Lima (16–8) || Tapani (19–9) || — ||2:38 || 51,831 || 101–59 || W2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 161 || September 26 || || Cubs || 2–3 || Clark (9–14) || Powell (7–7) || Beck (50) ||2:50 || 51,950 || 101–60 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 162 || September 27 || || Cubs || 4–3 (11) || Elarton (2–1) || Beck (3–4) || — ||3:30 || 51,916 || 102–60 || W1 |- Detailed records National League Opponent W L WP RS Runs scored RA Runs against NL EastAtlanta BravesFlorida MarlinsMontreal ExposNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies Div Total NL CentralChicago CubsCincinnati RedsHouston Astros Milwaukee BrewersPittsburgh PiratesSt. Louis Cardinals Div Total NL WestArizona DiamondbacksColorado RockiesLos Angeles DodgersSan Diego PadresSan Francisco Giants Div Total League Total American LeagueChicago White SoxCleveland IndiansDetroit TigersKansas City RoyalsMinnesota Twins League Total Season Total Month Games Won Lost Win % RS Runs scored RA Runs against March April May June July August September Total Games Won Lost Win % RS Runs scored RA Runs against Home Away Total Postseason game log Legend Astros win Astros loss PostponementBoldAstros team member Houston Astros 1994thru1999 1; 1998 Postseason game log: 1–3 (Home: 1–1; Away: 0–2) y Houston Astros 1994thru1999; NL Division Series: vs. San Diego Padres 1–3 (Home: 1–1; Away: 0–2)1998 National League Division Series https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1998_NLDS.shtml Baseball-Reference.com May 7, 2025 # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Series Box/Streak |-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || September 29 || 3:07p.m. CDT || Padres || L 1–2 || Brown (1–0) || Johnson (0–1) || Hoffman (1) || 2:38 || 50,080 || SD 1–0 || L1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 2 || October 1 || 3:07p.m. CDT || Padres || W 5–4 || Wagner (1–0) || Miceli (0–1) || – || 2:53 || 45,550 || Tied 1–1 || W1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 3 || October 3 || 10:07p.m. CDT || @ Padres || L 1–2 || Miceli (1–1) || Elarton (0–1) || Hoffman (2) || 2:32 || 65,235 || SD 2–1 || L1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 4 || October 4 || 6:37p.m. CDT || @ Padres || L 1–6 || Hitchcock (1–0) || Johnson (0–2) || – || 2:39 || 64,898 || SD 3–1 || L2 |- Major League Baseball draft 1998 Major League Baseball draft Houston Astros 1998 MLB draft selections Rd. Round Slot Draftee Position Position drafted as School Origin Birthplace by U.S. state, Canadian province, or nationality Signed Signing status Notes Bio Biography & career statistics 1 17 Brad Lidge 1 Right-handed pitcher Notre Dame California Y Compensatory pick from the Colorado Rockies for signing Darryl Kile in free agency. "Compensation"MLB debut on April 26, 2002, with Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lidgebr01.shtml Brad Lidge stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference September 1, 2026 37 Mike Nannini 1 1 Right-handed pitcher Green Valley High Nevada Y Supplemental pick for Colorado Rockies signing Darryl Kile. "Supplemental" https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=nannin001mic Mike Nannini minor & independent leagues statistics Baseball Reference September 12, 2026 2 Z None Pick assigned to San Francisco Giants as compensation for signing of free agent Doug Henry. "Conveyance" https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?team_ID=SFG&year_ID=1998&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0 1998 San Francisco Giants picks in the MLB June amateur draft Baseball-Reference.com October 5, 2026 3 92 Brad Busbin 1 1 Right-handed pitcher Dr. Phillips High Florida N Signed with the Philadelphia Phillies from the 2002 draft. "Re-entry" https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=busbin001bra Brad Busbin minor & independent leagues statistics Baseball Reference September 22, 2026 4 122 Jason Van Meetren 1 O Outfielder Bishop Gorman High Nevada N Signed with the Seattle Mariners from the 2001 draft. "Re-entry" https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=vanmee001jas Brad Busbin minor & independent leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 5 152 Scott Barrett 1 1.1 Left-handed pitcher San Jacinto Texas Y https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=barret001sco Scott Battett minor & independent leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 6 182 Dave Matranga 6 Shortstop Pepperdine California Y MLB debut on June 27, 2003, with Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matrada01.shtml Dave Matranga stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 7 212 John Buck baseball 2 Catcher Taylorsville High (UT) Wyoming Y MLB debut on June 25, 2004, with the Kansas City Royals "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=buck--001joh# John Buck stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 8 242 Jesse Joyce 1 5 Third baseman Cal State Los Angeles California Y https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=joyce-001jes Jesse Joyce minor leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 9 272 Morgan Ensbergdebut Ensberg and Ginter made their major league debuts during the same game. 5 Third baseman Southern California • 1998 California Y MLB debut on September 20, 2000, with Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ensbemo01.shtm Morgan Ensberg stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 10 302 Keith Ginterdebut 4 Second baseman Texas Tech Texas Y MLB debut on September 20, 2000, with Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/ginteke01.shtml Keith Ginter stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 17 512 Colin Porter O Outfielder Arizona • 1998 Arizona Y MLB debut on May 30, 2003, with Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/porteco01.shtml Colin Price stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 16, 2026 Sources:https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?team_ID=HOU&year_ID=1998&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0&from_type_hs=0 1998 Houston Astros picks in the MLB June amateur draft Baseball-Reference.com September 16, 2025 Statistics Batting Starters by position Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBICBrad Ausmus128412111.2696451BJeff Bagwell147540164.304341112BCraig Biggio160646210.3252088SSRicky Gutiérrez141491128.2612463BBill Spiers123384105.273443LFMoisés Alou159584182.31238124CFCarl Everett133467138.2961576RFDerek Bell156630198.31422108 Other batters Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Player G AB H Avg. HR RBISean Berry10229994.3141352Richard Hidalgo7421164.303735Tony Eusebio6618246.253136Tim Bogar7915624.15418Dave Clark9313127.20604J.R. Phillips365811.19029Jack Powell243811.28917Pete Incaviglia13162.12502Russ Johnson8133.23100Mitch Meluskey882.25000Ray Montgomery652.40000Daryle Ward431.33300 Pitching Starting pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SOShane Reynolds35233.11983.51209José Lima33233.11683.70169Mike Hampton32211.21173.36137Sean Bergman31172.01293.72100Randy Johnson1184.11011.28116Pete Schourek1580.0764.5059John Halama632.1115.8521 Relief pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G W L SV ERA SOBilly Wagner5843302.7097Doug Henry598223.0459Mike Magnante484724.8839C.J. Nitkowski433333.7744Trever Miller372013.0430Jay Powell293342.3838Scott Elarton282123.3256Bob Scanlan270103.089Reggie Harris60006.002José Cabrera30008.311Mike Grzanich100018.001 National League Divisional Playoffs 1998 National League Division Series Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres The Astros season ended by defeat in four games to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series,Swydan Paul http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-1998-astros-were-pretty-good-at-hitting/ The 1998 Astros were pretty good at hitting Fangraphs May 17, 2013 February 16, 2016 including losing two starts against Kevin Brown – one of the league's highest-accomplished pitchers that yearNewhan Ross https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-05-sp-29576-story.html Once again, Biggio Bagwell and Bell are wannabes in playoffs Los Angeles Times October 5, 1998 March 21, 2016 – both by a 2–1 score. As the Game 1 starter opposing Randy Johnson, Brown allowed no runs in eight innings and struck out 16 Astros, a career-high, and second to that point in MLB playoff history only to Bob Gibson's 17-strikeout performance in the 1968 World Series.Newhan Ross https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-30-sp-27961-story.html Powerful Astros are shut down by a Brown out Los Angeles Times September 30, 1998 March 21, 2016 Bagwell, Derek Bell, and Craig Biggio combined for six hits in 51 at bats in this series.Diamos Jason https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/05/sports/baseball-division-series-padres-defeat-johnson-next-up-are-the-braves.html Padres defeat Johnson; next up are the Braves The New York Times October 5, 1998 February 17, 2016 GameHomeScoreVisitorScoreDateSeries1Houston1San Diego2September 291-0 (SD)2Houston5San Diego4October 11-13San Diego2Houston1October 32-1 (SD)4San Diego6Houston1October 43-1 (SD) Awards and achievements Grand slams No. Number Date Astros batter Venue Inning Pitcher Opposing team Box Box score 1 September 8 Jeff Bagwell1st MLB grand slam Astrodome 3 Rick Krivda Cincinnati Reds Career honors + Astros elected to Baseball Hall of Fame Individual Position Primary fielding position or role for which elected to Hall of Fame Houston Astros career Induction Year inducted into Hall of Fame Uni. Uniform number as member of Astros Seasons Total number of seasons as member of Astros Games Total number of games as member of Astros Start Start of Astros career Finish Finish of Astros career Don Sutton Starting pitcher 20 2 50 1981 1982 Class Plaque See also: Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame • Sources: Annual awards 1998 Houston Astros award winners Name of award Recipient Ref. References Associated Press (AP) All-Star Second baseman Craig Biggio https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_apas.shtml Associated Press All-Star Awards & Teams Baseball Almanac July 19, 2025 Baseball America Manager of the YearRecognizes one manager in the major leagues. lower-alpha "Baseball America manager award note" Larry Dierker Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball Dennis Liborio 1 McTaggart Brian http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091116&content_id=7674760&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou Bourn highlights Astros' awards season December 21, 2009 MLB.com November 1, 2025 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101208131739/http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091116&content_id=7674760&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou December 8, 2010 Houston-Area Major League Player of the Year TOR Roger Clemens Houston Astros Most Valuable Player (MVP) Craig Biggio https://thebaseballcube.com/content/awards/HOU-POY/ Houston Astros Player of the Year The Baseball Cube August 24, 2025 Pitcher of the Year Shane Reynolds Rookie of the Year Scott Elarton MLB All-Star Game Starting second baseman Craig Biggio Reserve outfielder Moisés Alou Home Run Derby contestant National League (NL) Manager of the YearAs recognized by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). lower-alpha "BBWAA manager award note 2" Larry Dierker National League (NL) Pitcher of the Month August Randy Johnson https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mlb-pitchers-of-the-month.shtml Major League Baseball Pitchers of the Month Baseball-Reference.com July 8, 2025 September National League (NL) Player of the Week May 31 Moisés Alou August 2 José Lima Silver Slugger Award Second baseman Craig Biggio https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_ssa.shtml Silver Slugger Award Baseball Almanac October 17, 2025 Outfielder Moisés Alou The Sporting News Executive of the Year Gerry Hunsicker NL All-Star Second baseman Craig Biggio https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/biggicr01.shtml Craig Biggio stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball-Reference.com August 30, 2025 Outfielder Moisés Alou Other awards results Name of award Voting recipient(s) (Team) Ref. References NL Cy Young 1st—Glavine (ATL) • 7th—R. Johnson (HOU) https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1998.shtml 1998 awards voting Baseball-Reference.com July 18, 2026 NL Most Valuable Player 1st—Sosa (CHC) • 3rd—Biggio (HOU) • 5th—Alou (HOU)Other Astros: 21st—R. Johnson Offensive achievements + 20 home runs—50 stolen bases club Player AVG Batting average Runs Runs scored HR Home runs hit SB Stolen bases PSN Power–speed number Craig Biggio .325 123 20 50 28.6 Pitching achievements + 300 strikeout club Player K Strikeouts W–L Win–loss record ERA Earned run average K/9 Strikeout per nine innings Randy JohnsonIncludes full-season totals with both the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros. lower-alpha "300 K club" 329 19–11 3.28 12.1 League leaders NL batting leadershttps://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1998-batting-leaders.shtml 1998 National League batting leaders Baseball-Reference.com July 21, 2025 Doubles:https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1998-batting-leaders.shtml 1998 Major League batting leaders Baseball-Reference.com July 21, 2025 Craig Biggio (51—led MLB) Plate appearances: Craig Biggio (738) Sacrifice flies: Derek Bell (10) NL pitching leadershttps://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1998-pitching-leaders.shtml 1998 National League pitching leaders Baseball-Reference.com July 21, 2025 Games started: Shane Reynolds (35) Shutouts:https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1998-pitching-leaders.shtml 1998 Major League pitching leaders Baseball-Reference.com July 21, 2025 Randy Johnson (6—led MLB)Did not accumulate enough to lead either the NL or the American League (AL) separately as result of mid-season trade. lower-alpha "MLB pitching leaders" Strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB): José Lima (5.28) Strikeouts: Randy Johnson (329—led MLB)lower-alpha "MLB pitching leaders" Minor league system Minor League Baseball AAA New Orleans Zephyrs Pacific Coast League John Tamargo AA Jackson Generals Texas League Jim Pankovits A Kissimmee Cobras Florida State League Manny Acta A Quad Cities River Bandits Midwest League Mike Rojas A-Short Season Auburn Doubledays New York–Penn League Lyle Yates Rookie GCL Astros Gulf Coast League Julio Linares Championships New York–Penn League champion:Co-champions with the Oneonta Yankees. lower-alpha "New York–Penn League"https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-66405068 New York-Penn League champions Minor League Baseball November 1, 2025 Auburn Pacific Coast League champion:https://www.mlb.com/milb/history/champions-by-league Champions by league Minnor League Baseball November 1, 2025 New Orleans Triple-A World Series champions:http://triple-abaseball.com/PostSeasonTAWS.jsp Triple-A World Series Triple-A Baseball June 20, 2026 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20200812203259/http://triple-abaseball.com/PostSeasonTAWS.jsp August 12, 2020 New Orleans Awards Baseball America First Team Minor League All-Star—Outfielder:https://thebaseballcube.com/content/awards/AS1/ Baseball American 1st Team Minor League All-Star award history The Baseball Cube August 24, 2025 Lance Berkman Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year:https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/awards/HOU-Minor/ Houston Astros Minor League Player of the Year The Baseball Cube August 21, 2025 Lance Berkman Texas League All-Star—Outfielder:https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/awards/Tex-AS/ Texas League All-Stars The Baseball Cube August 29, 2025 Lance Berkman Triple-A World Series Most Valuable Player Award (MVP): Lance Berkman See also Texas Baseball 20–50 club 300 strikeout club List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason streaks List of Major League Baseball individual streaks Notes "Note" "Compensation" "Supplemental" Conveyance MLB Re-entry References External links 1998 Houston Astros season at Baseball Reference Category:Houston Astros seasons Houston Astros season Category:National League Central champion seasons Category:1998 in sports in Texas Category:1998 in Houston