1987 Houston Astros season

26th season in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros March 2026 November 2013 Houston Astros 1987 Mother's Cookies - Houston Astrodome.JPG 250px The Astrodome during a baseball game in 1987. 1987 National League West The Astrodome Houston, Texas 76 86 y 3rd John McMullen Dick Wagner Hal Lanier KTXHHSE KTRH(Bill Brown, Milo Hamilton, Larry Dierker, Dave Hofferth, Bill Worrell)KXYZ(Orlando Sánchez-Diago, Rolando Becerra) The 1987 Houston Astros season was the 26th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 23rd as the Astros, 26th in the National League (NL), 19th in the NL West division, and 23rd at the Astrodome, The Astros entered the season as defending NL West division champions with a 96–66 record; however, the season ended with a 4-games-to-2 defeat to the New York Mets in the 1986 National League Championship Series (NLCS). The season began for Houston on April 6 hosting Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher Mike Scott made the first of his five consecutive Opening Day starts for the Astros, who won, 4–3. In the amateur draft, the Astros selected catcher Craig Biggio in the first round, at 22nd overall, and Darryl Kile in the 30th round. On June 27, Kevin Bass became the first player in franchise history to attain four extra-base hits in one game. Scott represented the Astros at the MLB All-Star Game, his second career selection, where he was the starting pitcher for the National League. On September 9, right-hander Nolan Ryan recorded the 4,500th strikeout of his career. The Astros concluded the season with a 76–86 record and in third place in the NL West, 14 games behind the division champion San Francisco Giants. Ryan led the major leagues in strikeouts (270), in hits per nine innings pitched (6.5), and the National League in earned run average (2.76 ERA), among other categories. Ryan's ERA and strikeout titles were the second consecutive each won by a Houston pitcher, following Scott in 1986 (2.22 ERA and 303 strikeouts). Offseason October 24, 1986: Matt Keough was released by the Astros.Matt Keough stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/keougma02.shtml September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en October 24, 1986: John Mizerock was released by the Houston Astros.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mizerjo01.shtml John Mizerock stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference 25 January 2018 November 16, 1986: Rocky Childress was purchased by the Astros from the Philadelphia Phillies.Rocky Childress stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/childro01.shtml 2024-09-10 Baseball-Reference.com en Regular season Summary April + Opening Day starting lineup Uniform Uniform number Player Position 19 Bill Doran Second baseman 28 Billy Hatcher Center fielder 25 José Cruz Left fielder 27 Glenn Davis First baseman 17 Kevin Bass Right fielder 14 Alan Ashby Catcher 12 Craig Reynolds Shortstop 3 Phil Garner Third baseman 33 Mike Scott Pitcher Venue: Astrodome • Final: Houston 4, Los Angeles 3 Sources:https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=198704060HOU Los Angeles Dodgers (3) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball Almanac April 6, 1987 September 23, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1987-uniform-numbers.shtml 1987 Houston Astros uniform numbers Baseball-Reference.com September 23, 2025 Left fielder José Cruz made his club-record 11th Opening Day start for the Astros,Surpassed César Cedeño, who made his 10th Opening Day start in 1981, and remained a franchise record until Craig Biggio made his 12th Opening Day start in 2000. "Note" while right-hander Mike Scott made his first start as the starting pitcher,https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/opening.shtml Houston Astros Opening Day starters Baseball-Reference.com January 25, 2026 on April 6. Scott outdueled Dodgers starter Orel Hershiser over seven innings each as Houston won, 4–3. Cruz homered off Hershiser, and Alan Ashby stroked a go-ahead two-run single during the bottom of the sixth to take the lead, 3–2. Scott was victorious in his debut as the Opening Day starter, while Dave Smith closed out a clutch final two frames for the save.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198704060.shtml Los Angeles Dodgers (3) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball-Reference.com April 6, 1987 January 29, 2026 On April 15, Mike Scott furnished his first career one-hit complete game shutout while striking out 10https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/PX_scotm001.htm Top performances for Mike Scott Retrosheet December 28, 2025 against Los Angeles, this time at Dodger Stadium. The lone blemish on Scott's performance was Mariano Duncan's single during the third inning. Mike Marshall, who drew a base on balls, was Los Angeles' only other batter who reached base while Scott faced one over the minimum. Billy Hatcher and Glenn Davis each slugged two-run bombs and added doubles to pace Houston's offense. With a game score of 94,https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198704150.shtml Houston Astros (4) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (0) box score Baseball-Reference.com April 15, 1987 December 28, 2025 Scott assembled this masterpiece just three outings following his no-hitter on September 25, 1986,https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=scottmi03&t=p&year=1986 Mike Scott 1986 pitching game logs Baseball-Reference.com December 28, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=scottmi03&t=p&year=1987 Mike Scott 1987 pitching game logs Baseball-Reference.com December 28, 2025 It was Scott's twelfth career outing yielding double figures in strikeouts.Mike Scott, for single games, in the regular season, requiring strikeouts ≥ 10, sorted by descending strikeouts.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-pitching-game-finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=scott-004mic&timeframe=seasons&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=10&cstat%5B2%5D=p_so Mike Scott player pitching game stats finder Stathead Sports Reference December 28, 2025 May On May 1, Nolan Ryan belted a home run off Charlie Puleo of the Atlanta Braves. The second and final blast of his career as a hitter, Ryan hit his first during his Astros debut on April 12, 1980.Nolan Ryan career batting home runs https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=ryanno01&t=b September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en On May 2, the Astros surrendered two grand slams in one game for the first time in club history, to the Atlanta Braves.https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rb_grsl2.shtml Grand slam records set by MLB teams Baseball Almanac August 13, 2026 June On June 3, the Astros became the first Major League team to cede two grand slams in a single game twice during the same season, this time to the Chicago Cubs. Houston also hit a grand slam, tying another major league record in which two teams combined to hit three grand slams in one game. The Cubs toppled the Astros, 22–7, scoring in each of the first seven innings. Astros starter Bob Knepper (losing pitcher, 2–6) was battered for nine runs on seven hits in the first inning, during which Brian Dayett hit Chicago's first grand slam of the game. In the sixth, Keith Moreland slugged the Cubs' second grand slam, on the way to a game-high 7 RBI. Cubs catcher Jody Davis scored five times, while second baseman Ryne Sandberg scored four. During the top of the fourth inning, the Astros' Billy Hatcher connected for a grand slam off starter Rick Sutcliffe (8–2).https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198706030.shtml Houston Astros (7) vs Chicago Cubs (22) box score Baseball Reference June 3, 1987 August 23, 2026 Closer Dave Smith surrendered his first run of the season on June 18. Smith had opened the campaign with 22 successive outings without having been scored upon,https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=smithda02&t=p&year=1987 Dave Smith 1987 pitching game logs Baseball-Reference.com March 14, 2026 representing a career-best scoreless innings streak of 27.https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/PX_smitd001.htm Top performances for Dave Smith Retrosheet March 14, 2026 This run proved crucial for the Dodgers, who temporarily assumed the lead, 4–3, in the top of the 10th inning. The Dodger won the contest when Steve Sax singled in two runs in the top of the 11th off losing pitcher Ron Mathis (0–1).https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198706180.shtml Los Angeles Dodgers (6) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball-Reference.com June 18, 1987 March 14, 2026 Kevin Bass' four extra-base hits On June 27, Kevin Bass became the first player in Astros history to connect for four extra base hits in one game, which were two doubles, one triple, and one home run to overshoot hitting for the cycle (rather, the "cycle plus one"). This effort led a 6–5 win over the San Francisco Giants,Schwartzberg Seth https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2025/6/27/24457036/today-in-astros-history Today in Astros history - June 27 The Crawfish Boxes SB Nation June 27, 2025 June 27, 2025 while Bass collected four runs batted in (RBI). With the Astros leading 6–2 in the seventh, Bass took his final at bat requiring only the single to hit for the cycle. He laced a line drive to left field for an easy single of Mark Davis to briefly attain the cycle upon reaching first base. However, Bass instinctively kept running for second to land the double, narrowly ahead of the relay throw. Previously, on three occasions, Astros hitters had amalgamized cycles, including César Cedeño (twice—August 2, 1972, and August 9, 1976), and Bob Watson (June 24, 1977).https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/cycle.html Hitting for the cycle Astros Daily December 31, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198706270.shtml Houston Astros (6) vs San Francisco Giants (5) box score Baseball-Reference.com June 27, 1987 December 31, 2025 During the first inning, Bass cranked a two-run double off Kelly Downs to score Denny Walling and Glenn Davis. In the third, Bass tripled but was stranded when Downs whiffed José Cruz and retired Alan Ashby on a grounder to first base. In fifth, Bass homered to drive in Walling and chase Downs as Houston mounted a 6–1 margin. The Astros withstood two home runs each by Chili Davis and Matt Williams, while the bullpen staved off Padres comeback attempts during the bottom of sixth and eighth innings. Starter Jim Deshaies (8–2) tossed seven sturdy innings with three earned runs, while Larry Andersen got his first save by converting the final two outs. The next Astros player to swat as many as four extra-base hits during one contest was Jeff BagwellCriteria: For single games, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring extra base hits ≥ 4, sorted by descending date.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-batting-game-finder.cgi?request=1&order_by=date&timeframe=seasons&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=4&cstat%5B1%5D=b_xbh&team_id=HOU Player batting game stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference December 31, 2025—who tied the major league record with four doubles—on June 14, 1996.https://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_2b1.shtml MLB doubles records Baseball Almanac December 31, 2025 July Ryan collected his 1,494th strikeout as a member of the Houston Astros on July 3 to surpass J. R. Richard for the franchise record.https://www.newspapers.com/image/451600289/?terms=%22jr%20richard%22%20%22nolan%20ryan%22%20strikeout&match=1 Hoffman, Reds, halt Mets, 8–3 99 The Daily Oklahoman Newspapers.com subscription July 5, 1987 December 21, 2025 In spite of striking out 10 on the day to go with two runs surrendered over seven innings, Ryan (4–9) dropped a 2–1 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198707030.shtml Houston Astros (1) vs Philadelphia Phillies (2) box score Baseball-Reference.com July 3, 1987 December 21, 2025 MLB All-Star Game Mike Scott, the Astros' Opening Day starter, was also named the NL starter for the All-Star Game, hosted at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. He tossed two scoreless innings,https://www.mlb.com/astros/history/timeline Astros history – Timeline MLB.com August 30, 2025 allowed one hit, and retired Terry Kennedy via strikeout.https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1987-allstar-game.shtml N. L. All-Stars (2) vs A. L. All-Stars (0) box score Baseball Reference July 14, 1987 August 23, 2026 Scott became the second Astros pitcher to start the All-Star Game, following J. R. Richard in the 1980 contest.https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/pitch-all-star.shtml Houston Astros All-Star pitching register Baseball-Reference.com October 19, 2025 Following Scott's effort, the contest remained scoreless, as the first All-Star Game to go scoreless past five innings. It remained so until the top of the 13th when Tim Raines tripled home Ozzie Virgil Jr. and Hubie Brooks. July, post-All-Star break Astros rookies provided the key roles in a July 16 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies, including third baseman Ken Caminiti, who made his major league debut. His defensive prowess immediately electrified the Astrodome crowd. In the first inning, he pegged an off-balance throw to retire Charlie Hayes, and in the second, an acrobatic catch to snag a line drive off the bat of Lance Parrish. At the plate, Caminiti went 2-for-4, including his first major league triple and, in the seventh inning, his first home run, off starter Kevin Gross, deep to center that tied the contest, 1–1. In the top of the ninth, fellow rookie Gerald Young made two dramatic catches in center field to save runs and keep the scored tied. Caminiti drew a base on balls in the bottom of the ninth, and with one out, Young singled to score him as the game-winner and 2–1 win. Astros hitters drew 10 walks while Houston's Danny Darwin (6–6) tossed a four-hit complete game gem, staying through all the way through to become the winning pitcher.Thompson Joseph https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-16-1987-you-gotta-like-these-kids-astros-rookies-play-big-role-in-walk-off-win/ July 16, 1987: ‘You gotta like these kids’: Astros rookies play big role in walk-off win Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) September 25, 2018 September 23, 2025https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198707160.shtml Philadelphia Phillies (1) vs Houston Astros (2) box score Baseball-Reference.com July 16, 1987 September 23, 2025 Caminiti earned the NL Player of the Week Award for July 19.https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mlb-players-of-the-week.shtml MLB Players of the Week Awards Baseball-Reference.com August 9, 2025 During his first four Major League bouts, Caminiti batted .500 / .521 on-base percentage (OBP) / 1.143 slugging percentage (SLG), 7-for-14, homering twice, drew one walk, and did not strike out. Caminiti registered a base hit in eight of his first nine contests, batting .371.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=caminke01&t=b&year=1987 Ken Caminiti 1987 batting game logs Baseball-Reference.com May 1, 2026 August—September On August 3, Kevin Bass became the 16th National Leaguer and third Astro to homer from both sides of the plate.Succeeded Bobby Bonilla of the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 3, 1987 (NL); and Alan Ashby on September 27, 1982, and Mark Bailey on September 16, 1984 (Astros).https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats20.shtml Home runs from both sides of the plate in one game Baseball Almanac August 30, 2026 The Astros aggregated a season-high seven-game winning streak as of August 20, following a four-game sweep of Atlanta and three-game sweep of St. Louis. This brought their overall record on the season to 62 59 y, while trailing first place by 1 2 game.1987 Houston Astros schedule & results https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1987-schedule-scores.shtml Baseball-Reference.com May 7, 2025 Bill Doran earned NL Player of the Week Award for August 23. The Astros encountered their longest losing streak of season, also seven games, starting August 25. On August 31, 1987, Billy Hatcher of the Astros was batting against the Chicago Cubs when his bat broke and pieces flew down the third base line. Cubs third baseman Keith Moreland saw cork, and Hatcher was subsequently suspended for 10 games. He later claimed that he was using reliever Dave Smith's bat, who had allowed him to select one from his bat rack, and not his own.Page 2 staff Biggest cheaters in baseball https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/cheaters/ballplayers.html#:~:text=the%20glove%20back.-,Billy%20Hatcher,-(OF,%20Cubs,%20Astros ESPN.com August 10, 2005 September 10, 2024 Kevin Bass connected for his second switch-hit multi-home run game on September 2, becoming the first player in National League history to do so twice during the same season,In the American League, Mickey Mantle (1955, 1956), and Eddie Murray (1982). the seventh National League player overall with two or more such games, and first Houston Astro. Moreover, Astros batters had registered four of the seven most recent games.Lance Berkman became the next Astro to produce switch-hit multi-homer games twice during the same season, on April 13, and July 3, 2006. On September 4, Nolan Ryan combined with Juan Agosto to blank the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2–0. Ryan recorded his 210th whiff of the campaign, achieving a record for hurlers aged 40 and older. Bill Doran smashed a two-run single that resulted in the only tallies of the contest.Hulsey Bob https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/thisdate/index.html This date in Astros history Astros Daily September 7, 2025 José Cruz connected for his final home run as a member of the Astros on September 7, off Joe Price of the Giants.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=cruzjo01&t=b José Cruz career home runs Baseball-Reference.com January 17, 2026 The 5–6–7 batters in the order delivered, as Kevin Bass singled in Alan Ashby in the bottom of the sixth to tie the contest, 2–2. Glenn Davis followed with a long ball in the bottom of the seventh, and Cruz led of the eighth with his blast to extend the score to 4–2. That accounted for all the scoring required by Mike Scott (15–10), who earned a complete game, three-hit victory.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198709070.shtml San Francisco Giants (2) vs Houston Astros (4) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 7, 1987 January 17, 2026 Nolan Ryan's 4,500th strikeout On September 9, Ryan struck out Mike Aldrete for the 4,500th strikeout in his career.http://www.smackbomb.com/nolanryan/strikeouts.html The Nolan Ryan Express The Strikeout King Milestone strikeouts Smackbomb July 28, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110716092407/http://www.smackbomb.com/nolanryan/strikeouts.html July 16, 2011 dead mdy-all The final out of the seventh inning in a fantastic outing for "The Express," Ryan fanned 16 total that day to lead a 4–2 victory over San Francisco. At the plate, he contributed two hits of his own, including one that drove in the first run of the contest. Building on another dominant season, Ryan ended the day leading the NL in earned run average (2.76 ERA) and strikeouts (226), though his win–loss record stood at 8–15. When asked about further milestones, Ryan predicted that "this old dog" would not reach strikeout number 5,000. Ryan's performance was the most in the Major Leagues since Roger Clemens's 20 strikeout game on April 29, 1986,For single games, from 1985 to 1987, in the regular season, requiring strikeouts ≥ 13, sorted by descending strikeouts.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-pitching-game-finder.cgi?request=1&timeframe=seasons&year_min=1985&year_max=1987&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=13&cstat%5B2%5D=p_so Player pitching game stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference March 16, 2026 and the third 16+ strikeout performance in franchise annals. Preceding Ryan was Don Wilson, who whiffed a club-record 18 on July, 14, 1968, and another 16 on September 10, 1968. Randy Johnson tossed the next 16-strikeout blitz by an Astro pitcher, on August 28, 1998.https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/strikeouts.html The Strikeout Zone Astros Daily December 31, 2025 Moreover, October 1, 2005, Clemens succeeded Ryan by becoming the second pitcher to attain his 4,500th career strikeout as a member of the Astros. This was Ryan's fourteenth career performance with 16 or more strikeouts, and his most since June 9, 1979, as a member of the California Angels. This represented his career-high while in Houston..https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/PX_ryann001.htm Top performances for Nolan Ryan Retrosheet December 31, 2025 However, this remained the final date of the season in which the Astros' record was still above .500, going 70 69 y. Their performance tumbled at 6 19 y for the remainder of the season. Rest of September Glenn Davis launched three home runs on September 10 at Jack Murphy Stadium; however, in spite of this performance, the San Diego Padres overcame Houston, 8–7. Davis' first two home runs were off Mark Grant, and the final was launched off Mark Davis on his way to five RBI. In the bottom of the ninth, Rob Nelson singled home Garry Templeton off Manny Hernández for the walk-off.https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN198709100.shtml Houston Astros (7) vs San Diego Padres (8) box score Baseball-Reference.com September 10, 1987 November 13, 2025 This was the first of two occasions that Davis had hit three home runs in a game during his career,https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.fcgi?id=davisgl01&t=b Glenn Davis career home runs Baseball-Reference.com November 13, 2025 and was the third time by an Astros hitter.Davis was preceded by Lee May on June 21, 1973, while slugging the next three-home run game by an Astro on June 1, 1990. lower-alpha "Astros 3-home run games"https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/3-Home-Runs-In-A-Game.shtml 3 home runs in a game Baseball Almanac November 13, 2025 On September 15, the Astros turned the fifth triple play in club history, doing so against the Dodgers.https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/triple_plays.shtml#:~:text=Triple%20plays%20are%20relatively%20rare,from%20the%20fielders%20to%20perform. MLB triple plays Baseball Almanac January 20, 2026 Performance overview Houston finished the season with the third-highest attendance total in baseball (1,909,902). Six Astros hitters logged double-figures in home runs to tie a club record by the 1977 squad, which remained until 1993.Criteria: Number of players that meet criteria in a season, up to 2001, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring home runs ≥ 10, sorted by descending instances.https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-batting-season-finder.cgi?request=1&match=league_player_season_count&year_max=2001&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=10&cstat%5B1%5D=b_hr&team_id=HOU Player batting season & career stats finder—baseball Stathead Sports Reference May 2, 2026 Nolan Ryan concluded the season having maintained his major league lead in numerous pitching categories, including 270 strikeouts, 6.548 hits per nine innings (H/9), 11.480 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), 2.47 fielding independent pitching (FIP), and 3.103 strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB),https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1987-pitching-leaders.shtml 1987 Major League pitching leaders Baseball-Reference.com August 4, 2025 He also finished as the National League ERA leader at 2.76, earning the distinction as the first Houston Astro to win two ERA titles. It was the fourth occasion that an Astros pitcher led the NL in ERA, following J. R. Richard (2.71 in 1979), himself (1.69 in 1981), and Mike Scott the year before (2.22).https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_leagues.shtml Yearly league leaders & records for earned run average Baseball-Reference.com September 15, 2025 Ryan also joined Richard (303 in 1978 and 313 in 1979) and Scott (306 in 1986) as the third Astros pitcher to lead the NL strikeouts.https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_leagues.shtml Yearly league leaders & records for strikeouts Baseball-Reference.com September 15, 2025 As league leader in strikeouts and ERA, Ryan contributed the third season in which an Astros pitcher claimed two-thirds of the pitching Triple Crown (Richard in 1979 and Scott in 1986).Comprising leading the league in each of wins, strikeouts and ERA. lower-alpha "Triple Crown"https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/pitrip.shtml Triple Crown of pitching Baseball Almanac September 21, 2025 This was the second season in franchise history that the Astros featured two or more hurlers who registered 200 or more whiffs, and first since 1969.Number of players that meet criteria in a season for a team, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring strikeouts ≥ 200, sorted by descending instances..https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/baseball/player-pitching-season-finder.cgi?request=1&match=team_player_season_count&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=200&cstat%5B1%5D=p_so&team_id=HOU Player pitching season & career stats finder—baseball Stathead Sports Reference February 8, 2026 Scott concluded the 1987 season as NL runner-up in strikeouts (233), tied for third in wins (16), and seventh with a 3.23 ERA.https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1987-pitching-leaders.shtml 1987 National League pitching leaders Baseball-Reference.com August 4, 2025 Such was the magnitude of Ryan's accomplishment that he became the rare pitcher to lead his league in both ERA and strikeouts while not winning the Cy Young Award during the same season, instead placing fifth in the voting.Boston Talmadge https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/nolan-ryan/ Nolan Ryan biography Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) January 4, 2012 December 21, 2025 Ryan joined Richard in 1979 as the second Astro with this distinction. Ryan became the oldest pitcher to the lead the league in strikeouts. Ryan also led the major leagues in hits per nine innings surrendered (6.548 H/9) for the fourth time in his Astros career, setting a franchise record in this statistic. This was the ninth occasion in club history a Houston pitcher had led the league. Ryan was preceded by Don Wilson, J. R. Richard and Mike Scott..https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/hits_per_nine_leagues.shtml Yearly league leaders and records for hits per 9 IP Baseball-Reference.com October 21, 2025 With 53 stolen bases, Billy Hatcher became the first Astro since César Cedeño (61) in 1977 to pierce the 50-stolen base threshold. Hatcher's was the seventh such season in franchise history (Cedeño produced each of the first six).For single seasons, playing for HOU, in the regular season, requiring stolen bases ≥ 50, 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=50&cstat%5B1%5D=b_sb&team_id=HOU Player batting season & career stats finder–baseball Stathead Sports Reference January 1, 2026 Second baseman Bill Doran was voted for Houston Astros' team Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the second time, following his selection in 1985. He became the third repeat winner, following Rusty Staub (1966 and 1967), and teammate José Cruz (four times, 1977, 1980, 1983, and 1984).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 October 18, 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 Season standings Record versus opponents National League border:1px solid #aaa HOU Notable transactions April 2, 1987: Jeff Calhoun was traded by the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ronn Reynolds.Ronn Reynolds Stats https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reynoro02.shtml September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en June 2, 1987: Eric Bullock was traded by the Astros to the Minnesota TWins for Clay Christiansen.Eric Bullock stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bulloer01.shtml September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en Roster 1987 Houston Astros Roster Pitchers 49 Juan Agosto 47 Larry Andersen 50 Rocky Childress 44 Danny Darwin 43 Jim Deshaies 31 Jeff Heathcock 38 Manny Hernández 37 Charlie Kerfeld 39 Bob Knepper 35 Aurelio López 56 Rob Mallicoat 13 Ron Mathis 53 Dave Meads 34 Nolan Ryan 33 Mike Scott 45 Dave Smith 52 Julio Solano Catchers  9 Troy Afenir 14 Alan Ashby  6 Mark Bailey 30 Ronn Reynolds  7 Robbie Wine Infielders  4 Dale Berra  3 Buddy Biancalana 11 Ken Caminiti 27 Glenn Davis 19 Bill Doran  3 Phil Garner 23 Chuck Jackson 20 Jim Pankovits  1 Bert Peña 12 Craig Reynolds 10 Dickie Thon 29 Denny Walling Outfielders 17 Kevin Bass 25 José Cruz 24 Ty Gainey 28 Billy Hatcher 26 Paul Householder 15 Davey Lopes 21 Terry Puhl 30 Ty Waller  2 Gerald Young Manager 22 Hal Lanier Coaches  8 Yogi Berra 48 Matt Galante 16 Denis Menke 55 Les Moss 18 Gene Tenace Game log Regular season Legend Astros win Astros loss Postponement Eliminated from playoff raceBoldAstros team member background:#072854;color:#FF7F00; 1987 regular season game log: 76–86 (Home: 47–34; Away: 29–52) y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; April: 12–9 (Home: 9–3; Away: 3–6) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; May: 12–15 (Home: 6–7; Away: 6–8) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; June: 16–11 (Home: 9–4; Away: 7–7) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; July: 10–17 (Home: 3–9; Away: 7–8) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |-style=background:#bbbfff | style="Houston Astros 1987 2;" |— || July 14, 1987 || style="Houston Astros 1987 2;" |7:30p.m. CDT || colspan="9" style="Houston Astros 1987 2;" |58th All-Star Game in Oakland, CA |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; August: 15–14 (Home: 11–2; Away: 4–12) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; September: 9–18 (Home: 7–7; Away: 2–11) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- y background:#FF7F00;color:#072854; October: 2–2 (Home: 2–2; Away: 0–0) # Date Time (CT) Opponent Score Win Loss Save Time of Game Attendance Record Box/Streak |- Detailed records National League Opponent W L WP RS Runs scored RA Runs against NL East Div Total NL WestHouston Astros Div Total Season Total Month Games Won Lost Win % RS Runs scored RA Runs against April May June July August September October Total Games Won Lost Win % RS Runs scored RA Runs against Home Away Total Player stats 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 RBI C Alan Ashby 125 386 111 .288 14 63 1B Glenn Davis Glenn Davis (baseball) 151 578 145 .251 27 93 2B Bill Doran Bill Doran (second baseman) 162 625 177 .283 16 79 3B Denny Walling 110 325 92 .283 5 33 SS Craig Reynolds Craig Reynolds (baseball) 135 374 95 .254 4 28 LF José Cruz 126 365 88 .241 11 38 CF Billy Hatcher 141 564 167 .296 11 63 RF Kevin Bass 157 592 168 .284 19 85 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 RBI Gerald Young 71 274 88 .321 1 15 Ken Caminiti 63 203 50 .246 3 23 Terry Puhl 90 122 28 .230 2 15 Phil Garner 43 112 25 .223 3 15 Ronn Reynolds 38 102 17 .167 1 7 Chuck Jackson 35 71 15 .211 1 6 Dickie Thon 32 66 14 .212 1 3 Mark Bailey 35 64 13 .203 0 3 Jim Pankovits 50 61 14 .230 1 8 Bert Peña 21 46 7 .152 0 0 Dale Berra 19 45 8 .178 0 2 Davey Lopes 47 43 10 .233 1 6 Robbie Wine 14 29 3 .103 0 0 Ty Gainey 18 24 3 .125 0 1 Buddy Biancalana 18 24 1 .042 0 0 Troy Afenir 10 20 6 .300 0 1 Paul Householder 14 12 1 .083 0 1 Ty Waller 11 6 1 .167 0 0 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 SO Mike Scott 36 247.2 16 13 3.23 233 Nolan Ryan 34 211.2 8 16 2.76 270 Danny Darwin 33 195.2 9 10 3.59 134 Bob Knepper 33 177.2 8 17 5.27 76 Jim Deshaies 26 152.0 11 6 4.62 104 Other pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SO Manny Hernández 6 21.2 0 4 5.40 12 Rob Mallicoat 4 6.2 0 0 6.75 4 Relief pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G W L SV ERA SO Dave Smith Dave Smith (pitcher, born 1955) 50 2 3 24 1.65 73 Larry Andersen 67 9 5 5 3.45 94 Dave Meads 45 5 3 0 5.55 32 Rocky Childress 32 1 2 0 2.98 26 Juan Agosto 27 1 1 2 2.63 6 Aurelio López 26 2 1 1 4.50 21 Charlie Kerfeld 21 0 2 0 6.67 17 Jeff Heathcock 19 4 2 1 3.16 15 Julio Solano 11 0 0 0 7.65 12 Ron Mathis 8 0 1 0 5.25 8 Major League Baseball draft 1987 Major League Baseball draft Houston Astros 1987 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 22 Craig Biggio 2 Catcher Seton Hall New York (state) Y MLB debut on June 26, 1988, for Houston "MLB" Craig Biggio stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/biggicr01.shtml September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en 2 54 Randy Hennis 1 Right-handed pitcher UCLA California Y MLB debut on September 17, 1990, for Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hennira01.shtml Randy Hennis stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 3 80 Dave Henderson 1 6 Shortstop McAlester High School (OK) Oklahoma Y https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hender005dav Dave Henderson minor leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 4 106 Joe Locke 1 1 Right-handed pitcher Sparkman High School (AL) Alabama Y https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=locke-001rog Joe Locke minor leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 5 132 Harold Allen 1 1.1 Left-handed pitcher Indiana State Indiana Y https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=allen-003har Harold Allen minor & independent leagues statistics Baseball Reference October 15, 2026 12 314 Andy Mota I Infielder Cal State Fullerton Dominican Republic Y MLB debut on August 31, 1991, for Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/motaan01.shtml Andy Mota stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 16 418 Al Osuna 1.1 Left-handed pitcher Stanford • 1987 California Y MLB debut on September 2, 1990, for Houston "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/osunaal01.shtml Al Osuna stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 30 782 Darryl Kile 1 Right-handed pitcher Chaffey College California Y MLB debut on April 8, 1991for Houston "MLB" Darryl Kile stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kileda01.shtml September 10, 2024 Baseball-Reference.com en 34 884 Scott Erickson 1 Right-handed pitcher San Jose City College California N Signed with the Minnesota Twins from the 1989 draft. "Re-entry"MLB debut on June 25, 1990, for Minnesota "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ericksc01.shtml Scott Erickson stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 37 954 Lance Dickson 1.1 Left-handed pitcher Grossmont High School (CA) California N Signed with the Chicago Cubs from the 1990 draft. "Re-entry"MLB debut on August 9, 1990, for Chicago "MLB" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dicksla01.shtml Lance Dickson stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more Baseball Reference October 5, 2026 Sources:https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?team_ID=HOU&year_ID=1987&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_jc=0 1987 Houston Astros picks in the MLB June amateur draft Baseball-Reference.com October 5, 2026 Awards and achievements Grand slams No. Number hit by this team Date Astros batter Venue Inning Pitcher Opposing team Box Box score 1One of record-tying three grand slams hit by both teams June 3 Billy Hatcher Wrigley Field 4 Rick Sutcliffe Chicago Cubs 2 June 10 Alan Ashby Astrodome 4tiedlead Tied score or took lead Storm Davis San Diego Padres 3 September 28 Terry Puhl 5tiedlead Orel Hershiser Los Angeles Dodgers Awards 1987 Houston Astros award winners Name of award Recipient Ref. References Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball Gene Elston Houston-Area Major League Player of the YearPremier year for this award. lower-alpha "Houston-Area Major League Award" BOS Roger Clemens Houston Astros Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bill Doran second baseman MLB All-Star Game Starting pitcher Mike Scott baseball National League (NL) Player of the Week April 12 José Cruz June 21 Mike Scott baseball July 19 Ken Caminiti August 23 Bill Doran second baseman Other awards results Name of award Voting recipient(s) (Team) Ref. References NL Cy Young 1st—Bedrosian (PHI) • 5th—Ryan (HOU) • 7th—Scott (HOU) https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.shtml 1987 awards voting Baseball-Reference.com June 3, 2026 NL Most Valuable Player 1st—Dawson (CHC) • 18th—Doran (HOU) NL Rookie of the Year 1st—Santiago (SDP) • 5th—Young (HOU) League leaders Batting Games played: Bill Doran (162)https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1987-batting-leaders.shtml 1987 National League batting leaders Baseball-Reference.com August 4, 2025 Pitching Sources: Earned run average (ERA): Nolan Ryan (2.76) Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP): Nolan Ryan (2.47—led MLB) Games started: Mike Scott (36) Hits per nine innings pitched (H/9): Nolan Ryan (6.5—led MLB) Losses: Bob Knepper (17) Strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB): Nolan Ryan (3.10—led MLB) Strikeouts: Nolan Ryan (276—led MLB) Strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9): Nolan Ryan (11.5—led MLB) Milestones Major League debuts Player—Appeared at position Ken Caminiti, third baseman Date and opponent July 16 vs PHI Box Box score Also: https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1987-debuts.shtml 1987 Major League Baseball new debuts Baseball-Reference.com May 17, 2026 Minor league system Minor League Baseball AAA Tucson Toros Pacific Coast League Bob Didier AA Columbus Astros Southern League Tom Wiedenbauer A Osceola Astros Florida State League Ken Bolek A Asheville Tourists South Atlantic League Keith Bodie A-Short Season Auburn Astros New York–Penn League Gary Tuck Rookie GCL Astros Gulf Coast League Julio Linares See also Texas Baseball List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game starting pitchers List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders List of Major League Baseball individual streaks Notes "Note" MLB Re-entry References External links 1987 Houston Astros season at Baseball Reference Category:Houston Astros seasons Houston Astros season Houston Astros