| 2005 Houston Astros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League champions National League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | Central | |||
| Ballpark | Minute Maid Park | |||
| City | Houston,Texas | |||
| Record | 89–73 (.549) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | Drayton McLane Jr. | |||
| General managers | Tim Purpura | |||
| Managers | Phil Garner | |||
| Television | KNWS-TV FSN Southwest (Bill Brown,Larry Dierker,Jim Deshaies) | |||
| Radio | KTRH (Milo Hamilton,Alan Ashby) KLAT (Francisco Ernesto Ruiz,Alex Treviño) | |||
| Stats | ESPN.com Baseball Reference | |||
| ||||
The2005Houston Astros season was the44th season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise located inHouston,Texas, their 41st as the Astros, 44th in theNational League (NL), 12th in theNL Central division, and sixth atMinute Maid Park. The Astros entered the season with a 92–70record, runners-up in the NL Central and 13games behind the division-champion and NLpennant-winningSt. Louis Cardinals. Houston qualified for their first-everWild Card title; however, their season ended after getting swept in four games by theChicago White Sox in the2005 World Series.
On April 5, pitcherRoy Oswalt made his third consecutiveOpening Day start for the Astros, who hostedSt. Louis, but were defeated, 7–3. In theamateur draft, the Astros'first round selections included left-handed pitcherBrian Bogusevic (24th overall) and outfielder Eli Iorg (38th). On June 25, the Astros retired theuniform number of former outfielderJimmy Wynn With expectations of a deeper postseason run in 2005, Houston initially underperformed, starting at 15–30.
Four Astros were selected to theMLB All-Star game, including pitchersRoger Clemens,Brad Lidge, and Oswalt, and third basemanMorgan Ensberg. It was the 11th career selection for Clemens, and first for each of Oswalt, Lidge, and Ensberg.
The Astros rebounded to win 74 of the final 117 games (.632winning percentage) and posted an 89–73 overall record, runners-up in the NL Central for a fourth consecutive season and 11 games behind the repeat division-champion St. Louis Cardinals. In the Wild Card race, the Astros finished one game ahead of thePhiladelphia Phillies to obtain both their second-consecutive NL Wild Card title andplayoff berth. It was the Astros' sixth playoff appearance in a span of nine seasons. The ninthpostseason appearance overall in franchise history, it was their second wild card qualification.
The Astros faced and defeated theAtlanta Braves in a second consecutiveNational League Division Series (NLDS), their fifth matchup in nine seasons in theNLDS format. In a rematch of the 2004 NLCS, the Astros faced St. Louis in the2005 NLCS, winning this time, 4 games to 2. Oswalt, who won both of his starts and allowed just 2earned runs over 14innings pitched (IP) for a 1.29earned run average (ERA), was recognized asNational League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (NLCS MVP). Oswalt led Houston to their first-ever National League pennant, while advancing to theWorld Series for the first time in franchise history. Hence, this gave the Astros the privilege of hosting the first World Series games played in the state of Texas. However, the Astros were swept by theChicago White Sox, 4 games to 0.
Clemens won the NLearned run average (1.87 ERA) title, while, following the season,Craig Biggio was recognized with theHutch Award, Ensberg with theSilver Slugger Award, and center fielderWilly Taveras was selected as thePlayers Choice Award winner for NLOutstanding Rookie,The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year,[a] and to the Topps All-Rookie Team. Three Astros received consideration for the NLCy Young Award, including Clemens (third place), Oswalt (fourth, 20-game winner), andAndy Pettitte (fifth, 2.39 ERA), and, for NLRookie of the Year, Taveras finished second in the voting.
The 2005 season was the Astros' final playoff appearance as a National League team, and for the next ten seasons, until2015, after having transitioned to theAmerican League. First basemanJeff Bagwell, who spent his entire career with the Astros, made his final major league appearance as a player in the 2005 World Series, retiring after 15 seasons.
In February 2005, longtime Astros playersJeff Bagwell andCraig Biggio were jointly inducted into theTexas Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
| 28 | Adam Everett | SS |
| 7 | Craig Biggio | 2B |
| 5 | Jeff Bagwell | 1B |
| 14 | Morgan Ensberg | 3B |
| 30 | Luke Scott[b] | LF |
| 16 | Jason Lane | RF |
| 11 | Brad Ausmus | C |
| 1 | Willy Taveras | CF |
| 44 | Roy Oswalt | P |
| Venue: | Minute Maid Park • STL 7, | HOU 3 |
The Astros hosted theChicago Cubs on April 29, which featured a matchup betweenacesRoger Clemens andGreg Maddux, both already300-game winners. Clemens worked 7 innings with three runs allowed and four strikeouts, while Maddux surrendered two runs over six innings, striking out three.[8] First basemanJeff Bagwell, who was playing through injury, hit his final major league home run against Maddux on April 29, tying him for the most against any pitcher with seven.[9] With the contest tied 2–2,Conroe nativeJeromy Burnitz led off the seventh with a home run, allowing Maddux to get the win as the Cubs won, 3–2. The 306th win of Maddux' career, Clemens entered the game with 329. The Clemens–Maddux duel was the first time in the major leagues that two pitchers who had already attained 300 or more career wins faced each other sinceDon Sutton of theCalifornia Angels andSteve Carlton of theMinnesota Twins on August 4,1987. It was the first such matchup in theNational League (NL) since July 21,1892, whenTim Keefe of thePhiladelphia Phillies pitched againstJim "Pud" Galvin of theSt. Louis Browns.[8]
Having announced season-ending shoulder surgery, on May 15, Bagwell's club routed theSan Francisco Giants, 9–0. Filling in for the injured star,Morgan Ensberg launched a career day, blasting three home runs with 5 RBI to lead the way for the Astros.[10]
During apre-game ceremony on June 25, the club officially retired theuniform numbers of former outfielderJimmy Wynn. Dubbed "The Toy Cannon," the 5-foot-9 Wynn became the Colt.45s/Astros' original slugger who slammed 291 home runs during his 15-year career, including 223 with Houston—a franchise record that remained until Bagwell surpassed him in1999. A native of theCincinnati metropolitan area, Wynn signed out of high school with theReds in 1962. Later that year, Houston selected him in the first-year player draft. Wynn became the first Astros player to connect for three runs in one game and departed Houston ranked among club leaders in hits (1,291), home runs andruns batted in (719 RBI).[11]
For the second consecutive year, four Astros were selected to theMLB All-Star Game, hosted atComerica Park inDetroit. The Astros' corps included pitchersRoger Clemens,Brad Lidge, andRoy Oswalt, and third basemanMorgan Ensberg. This was the sixth time that the Astros had sent at least four players to Midsummer Classic, succeeding the1979,1986,1994,1999, and2004 editions.[12]
TheAmerican League defeated the NL squad, 7–5. All Astros selectees appeared in the contest. Owalt was charged win two runs in his inning, Clemens pitched a clean inning while Lidgestruck out the side. Ensberg was substituted in at first base forDerrek Lee in the seventh inning.[13]
On September 7,Craig Biggio hit his 20th home run of the season off former Astros closerBilly Wagner (4–3) in the top of the ninth inning, a three-run shot that decided an Astros 8–6 final, and sealed 6–0 sweep of the season series over thePhiladelphia Phillies. In the ninth, the Astros'José Vizcaíno reached on a fielding error andWilly Taveras beat out an infield single to set up Biggio. Another former AstroBobby Abreu hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and aShane Victorino RBI single temporarily gave the Phillies the lead againstDan Wheeler, butChad Qualls (5–4) got the final two outs of the eighth beforeBrad Lidge locked down the bottom of the ninth for his 35th save. It was the Astros' 12thconsecutive win over Philadelphia, allowing them to hold a one-game lead over theFlorida Marlins in the NL Wild Card race.[14]
Bagwell was activated on September 9 after having missed most of the season following shoulder surgery on June 7. Rendered unable to throw, he was limited topinch hitting opportunities for the rest of the year. Were the Astros able to make the playoffs, he'd be placed on the roster.[15]
After having starting the season with a 15–30won–loss record, the Astros reversed the momentum to post a 74–43 record over their final 117 games and capture the NL Wild Card title.[16]
With a regular-season conclusion that largely resembled2004, Houston produced an 89–73 showing, while capturing their second-successive National LeagueWild Card title.[17] First, Houston wound up second to another NL Central division championSt. Louis Cardinals powerhouse who had claimed upward of 100 wins, 11 games ahead of Houston. Moreover, the Astros finished just one game ahead in the Wild Card race, this time outlasting thePhiladelphia Phillies.[18] Hence, the club actualized the third era in franchise history featuring sequential playoff entrances, succeeding the1980,1981,1997,1998,1999, and2004 squads.[17]
For the eighth time in franchise history, Houston reached the 89-win threshold, while qualifying for their ninthplayoff appearance, the second via theWild Card position. Since the inception of the NL Central division in1994, Houston had concluded the regular season in either first or second place eleven times in 12 seasons, excluding the2000 campaign. Furthermore, during a span of 17 seasons commencing in1992, the 2005 campaign signified the thirteenth of 15 having completed with a .500 winning percentage or above.[17]
As such, managerPhil Garner joinedBill Virdon,Hal Lanier, andLarry Dierker as those who distinguished themselves by guiding Astros clubs to the playoffs.[17]
Clemens won the NLearned run average title (1.87 ERA)—also leading the major leagues—to become the first Astro to lead the league sinceDanny Darwin in1990 (2.21), the fifth Astro and sixth time overall in franchise history. Clemens was preceded byJ. R. Richard (2.71 in1979),Nolan Ryan (twice, 1.69 in1981, and 2.76 in1987), andMike Scott (2.22 in1986).[19]
Oswalt, having won 20 games, repeated this feat in consecutive seasons, the first Astro to do so sinceJoe Niekro in 1979 (21) and1980 (20).[20]
Third basemanMorgan Ensberg was honored with his first careerSilver Slugger Award, also becoming the first player in club history to win the award at his position. Ensberg became the first Astro to win the award win since Bagwell andMike Hampton in1999.[21]
Willy Taveras was selected as thePlayers Choice Award winner for NLOutstanding Rookie, the first Houston Asto selected for this award.[22] He also wonTheSporting News (TSN) NLRookie of the Year[a] to became the eighth Astro to win TSN Rookie of the Year Award,[23][24] and first since Oswalt in2001,[25]
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 100 | 62 | .617 | — | 50–31 | 50–31 |
| Houston Astros | 89 | 73 | .549 | 11 | 53–28 | 36–45 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 81 | 81 | .500 | 19 | 46–35 | 35–46 |
| Chicago Cubs | 79 | 83 | .488 | 21 | 38–43 | 41–40 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 73 | 89 | .451 | 27 | 42–39 | 31–50 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 67 | 95 | .414 | 33 | 34–47 | 33–48 |
Source:MLB Standings Grid – 2005 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | WAS | AL |
| Arizona | — | 3–3 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 13–5 | 2–4 | 1–6 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 10–9 | 7–11 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| Atlanta | 3–3 | — | 6–1 | 7–3 | 2–4 | 10–8 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 13–6 | 9–10 | 4–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 10–9 | 7–8 |
| Chicago | 2–5 | 1–6 | — | 6–9 | 4–3 | 5–4 | 9–7 | 4–2 | 7–9 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 11–5 | 4–3 | 5–2 | 10–6 | 1–5 | 6–9 |
| Cincinnati | 4–2 | 3–7 | 9–6 | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–12 | 3–4 | 6–10 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 9–7 | 4–2 | 3–5 | 5–11 | 5–1 | 7-8 |
| Colorado | 7–11 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 3–3 | — | 3–3 | 1–5 | 11–8 | 1–5 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 3–7 | 7–11 | 7–11 | 4–4 | 2–4 | 6–9 |
| Florida | 4–2 | 8–10 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 4–3 | 5–2 | 3–4 | 8–10 | 9–10 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 9–9 | 10–5 |
| Houston | 3–3 | 1–5 | 7–9 | 12–4 | 5–1 | 3-4 | — | 4–2 | 10–5 | 5–5 | 6–0 | 9–7 | 4–3 | 3–4 | 5–11 | 5–2 | 7–8 |
| Los Angeles | 5–13 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 8–11 | 2–5 | 2–4 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–2 | 11–7 | 9–10 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 5–13 |
| Milwaukee | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–7 | 10–6 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 5–10 | 1–5 | — | 3–3 | 4–5 | 9–7 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 5–11 | 4–4 | 8–7 |
| New York | 6–1 | 6–13 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 10–8 | 5–5 | 3–3 | 3–3 | — | 11–7 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 11–8 | 5–10 |
| Philadelphia | 4-3 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 10–9 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 5–4 | 7–11 | — | 4–3 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 11–8 | 7–8 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–3 | 3–4 | 5–11 | 7–9 | 7–3 | 4–3 | 7–9 | 2–5 | 7–9 | 3–3 | 3–4 | — | 3–4 | 2–4 | 4–12 | 1–5 | 5–7 |
| San Diego | 9–10 | 5–1 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 7–11 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 4–3 | — | 12–6 | 4–3 | 5–1 | 7–11 |
| San Francisco | 11–7 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 5–3 | 11–7 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 10–9 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 6–12 | — | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–12 |
| St. Louis | 5–2 | 3–3 | 6–10 | 11–5 | 4–4 | 4-3 | 11–5 | 5–2 | 11–5 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 12–4 | 3–4 | 4–2 | — | 4–2 | 10–5 |
| Washington | 4–2 | 9–10 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 9-9 | 2–5 | 4–2 | 4–4 | 8–11 | 8–11 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 12–6 |
Known as theLone Star Series, the annualinterleague games between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers were played in June and July.
| Date | Winning team | Score | Winning Pitcher | Losing Pitcher | Attendance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Texas | 7–3 | Kenny Rogers | Brandon Backe | 38,109 | Arlington |
| May 21 | Texas | 18–3 | Chris Young | Ezequiel Astacio | 35,781 | Arlington |
| May 22 | Texas | 2–0 | Chan Ho Park | Roy Oswalt | 40,583 | Arlington |
| June 24 | Houston | 5–2 | Roy Oswalt | Ricardo Rodríguez | 36,199 | Houston |
| June 25 | Texas | 6–5 | Chris Young | Brandon Backe | 41,868 | Houston |
| June 26 | Houston | 3–2 | Chad Qualls | Juan Dominguez | 35,331 | Houston |
| 2005 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders | Outfielders | Manager Coaches
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Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; AVG = Batting average; SLG = Slugging average
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | AVG | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willy Taveras | 152 | 592 | 82 | 172 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 34 | 25 | .291 | .341 |
| Craig Biggio | 155 | 590 | 94 | 156 | 40 | 1 | 26 | 69 | 11 | 37 | .264 | .468 |
| Adam Everett | 152 | 549 | 58 | 136 | 27 | 2 | 11 | 54 | 21 | 26 | .248 | .364 |
| Morgan Ensberg | 150 | 526 | 86 | 149 | 30 | 3 | 36 | 101 | 6 | 85 | .283 | .557 |
| Jason Lane | 145 | 517 | 65 | 138 | 34 | 4 | 26 | 78 | 6 | 32 | .267 | .499 |
| Lance Berkman | 132 | 468 | 76 | 137 | 34 | 1 | 24 | 82 | 4 | 91 | .293 | .524 |
| Brad Ausmus | 134 | 387 | 35 | 100 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 47 | 5 | 51 | .258 | .331 |
| Mike Lamb | 125 | 322 | 41 | 76 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 53 | 1 | 22 | .236 | .419 |
| Chris Burke | 108 | 318 | 49 | 79 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 11 | 23 | .248 | .368 |
| Orlando Palmeiro | 114 | 204 | 22 | 58 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 15 | .284 | .431 |
| José Vizcaíno | 98 | 187 | 15 | 46 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 2 | 15 | .246 | .337 |
| Eric Bruntlett | 91 | 109 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 10 | .220 | .413 |
| Jeff Bagwell | 39 | 100 | 11 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 18 | .250 | .380 |
| Raúl Chávez | 37 | 99 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | .172 | .263 |
| Luke Scott | 34 | 80 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | .188 | .288 |
| Humberto Quintero | 18 | 54 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | .185 | .259 |
| Todd Self | 21 | 45 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | .200 | .311 |
| Charles Gipson | 19 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .182 | .273 |
| Charlton Jimerson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .--- | .--- |
| Pitcher Totals | 163 | 304 | 13 | 51 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 13 | .168 | .197 |
| Team Totals | 163 | 5462 | 693 | 1400 | 281 | 32 | 161 | 654 | 115 | 481 | .256 | .408 |
Source:[1]
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Oswalt | 20 | 12 | 2.94 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 241.2 | 243 | 85 | 79 | 48 | 184 |
| Andy Pettitte | 17 | 9 | 2.39 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 222.1 | 188 | 66 | 59 | 41 | 171 |
| Roger Clemens | 13 | 8 | 1.87 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 211.1 | 151 | 51 | 44 | 62 | 185 |
| Brandon Backe | 10 | 8 | 4.76 | 26 | 25 | 0 | 149.1 | 151 | 82 | 79 | 67 | 97 |
| Wandy Rodríguez | 10 | 10 | 5.53 | 25 | 22 | 0 | 128.2 | 135 | 82 | 79 | 53 | 80 |
| Ezequiel Astacio | 3 | 6 | 5.67 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 81.0 | 100 | 56 | 51 | 25 | 66 |
| Chad Qualls | 6 | 4 | 3.28 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 79.2 | 73 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 60 |
| Dan Wheeler | 2 | 3 | 2.21 | 71 | 0 | 3 | 73.1 | 53 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 69 |
| Brad Lidge | 4 | 4 | 2.29 | 70 | 0 | 42 | 70.2 | 58 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 103 |
| Russ Springer | 4 | 4 | 4.73 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 59.0 | 49 | 34 | 31 | 21 | 54 |
| Chad Harville | 0 | 2 | 4.46 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 38.1 | 36 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 33 |
| Mike Burns | 0 | 0 | 4.94 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 | 29 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 20 |
| Mike Gallo | 0 | 1 | 2.66 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 20.1 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| Brandon Duckworth | 0 | 1 | 11.02 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 16.1 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 10 |
| John Franco | 0 | 1 | 7.20 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 16 |
| Scott Strickland | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Travis Driskill | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Team Totals | 89 | 73 | 3.51 | 163 | 163 | 45 | 1443.0 | 1336 | 609 | 563 | 440 | 1164 |
Source:[2]
| Legend | ||
|---|---|---|
| Astros Win | Astros Loss | Game Postponed |
| 2005 Regular Season Game Log: 89–73 (Home: 53–28; Away: 36–45) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April: 9–13 (Home: 8–3; Away: 1–10)
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May 10–19 (Home: 6–7; Away: 4–12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
June: 16–9 (Home: 10–3; Away: 6–6)
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July: 22–7 (Home: 12–2; Away: 10–5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August: 13–14 (Home: 8–7; Away: 5–7)
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September: 17–11 (Home: 7–6; Away: 10–5)
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| 2005 Postseason Game Log (7–7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NL Division Series (3–1)
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NL Championship Series (4–2)
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World Series (0–4)
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The Astros faced a rematch in the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series. This was the fifth time the two teams had met in the postseason (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005), and the Astros were looking to add on reaching the second round of the postseason in back-to-back years; the two teams had met for six games in the regular season, for which Houston won only once. In Game 1 in Atlanta, the Astros struck first on aMorgan Ensberg RBI single, butChipper Jones tied the game as the first inning ended. Ensberg gave the Astros the lead again on a bases-loaded single made it 3–1.Craig Biggio hit a sacrifice fly to drive inBrad Ausmus to make it 4–1 in the fourth, butAndruw Jones cut into the lead with a two-run shot to make it 4–3. Enberg struck again in the seventh with a RBI hit to drive in Andy Pettitte after he had hit a double. The Astros finally broke the game all the way through in the eighth, scoring five runs on the bases of four hits, three walks, and a wild pitch. The Astros prevailed in Game 1 by a score of 10–5. Despite havingRoger Clemens on the mound for Game 2, he was outmatched byJohn Smoltz, who allowed just one run while the Braves used the efforts of rookieBrian McCann (who hit a three-run shot in the second) to win 7–1.
Back in Houston for Game 3, the Astros struck first again by the efforts ofMorgan Ensberg andJason Lane, who made it 2-0 after one inning. McCann and pitcherJorge Sosa tied the game on hits with two out in the next inning, butMike Lamb would hit a home run in the third inning to make it 3–2. In the seventh, the Astros took advantage ofChris Reitsma (and others) on the mound, scoring four runs in the inning after hits byLance Berkman, Ensberg and Lane went with a sacrifice fly byAdam Everett; the Astros prevailed 7–3. Game 4 proved to be a classic for the ages despite its initial misgivings for Houston.Adam LaRoche hit a grand slam offBrandon Backe to make it 4–0 in the third inning. The Braves added another run in the fifth that was matched by Houston, but the Braves scored in the top of the eighth inning with a McCann home run offWandy Rodríguez to make it 6–1. However, the Astros would strike back, doing so whenLance Berkman hit a grand slam offKyle Farnsworth to make it 6–5. Then, in the ninth inning with two out,Brad Ausmus stepped up to the plate against Farnsworth and proceeded to hit a home run, tying the game at six that sent it to extra innings. The two teams traded zeroes for the next eight innings while setting a record for the longest postseason game in MLB history;Roger Clemens pitched three innings of relief due to a lack of relievers. In the bottom of the 18th, withJoey Devine on the mound for Atlanta,Chris Burke would line a shot to left field that cleared the scoreboard for a walk-off home run. This was the second postseason series victory for the Astros, and it sent them back to the National League Championship Series.
The opponent for the Astros in the Championship Series was a familiar foe: the St. Louis Cardinals, their rival in the National League Central. They had previously matched up against each other in theprevious NLCS, which saw the Astros lose in seven games, needing only one more win to reach the Series. The Cardinals had won 100 games and had beaten Houston in eleven of sixteen games this season (worst among their division foes) Game 1 was controlled by St. Louis from the jump.Reggie Sanders hit a two-out homerun withDavid Eckstein on base to make it 2–0. A sacrifice bunt by the pitcher drove in a third run in the second inning. Eckstein drove a run in with a single whileAlbert Pujols capped the scoring for the Cardinals with a single. The only scoring for Houston came late, as Chris Burke hit a two-run shot off the bullpen to make it 5–2 in the seventh before Brad Ausmus hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5–3, but relieverJason Isringhausen finished the Astros off with no further damage. This was the fifth straight loss for the Astros in a postseason game played in St. Louis. Game 2 proved a different story. Burke lined a tripe with one out and then scored later when Cardinals pitcherMark Mulder threw a ball past the catcher.Brad Ausmus lined a double in the fifth inning and then was driven home on a bunt and ground out to make it 2–0.Albert Pujols lined a home run to start the sixth inning, but the Cardinals were out-hit 11-6 and scored no more; Burke andAdam Everett would lend a hand with RBI hits to even the series at one.
In Game 3 back in Houston,Mike Lamb hit a two-run shot off Matt Morris to give them a 2–0 lead in the fourth inning. Roger Clemens would allow back-to-back hits in the fifth and sixth inning that saw the Cardinals score a run each to tie the game. However, in the sixth inning, Lamb hit a double that set him up to score when Jason Lane hit a single. A further single lead toAdam Everett at the plate, who hit into a fielder's choice that made it 4–2. While the Cardinals scored a run in the ninth inning on an RBI double, they could not crackBrad Lidge (who until this game had allowed no runs against St. Louis since May 2003) as Houston now led the Series. Game 4 was a tight affair that saw the bullpens flicker more than the offense, which saw eleven combined hits lead to three runs. Pujols gave the Cardinals the lead on a sacrifice fly in the 4th, but Jason Lane hit a home run offJeff Suppan to tie it. In the seventh inning, the Astros had the bases loaded with less than two outs. With Morgan Ensberg at the plate, he hit a flyout that gave enough room to score a run from the third base. The Cardinals had a prime chance in the ninth inning when Lidge allowed back-to-back singles, but this would be followed by a groundball that led to a play at the plate that saw Pujols out at home for one out.John Mabry then grounded into a double play to give Houston a 3–1 lead. In Game 5, the Astros were one away from history. Craig Biggio started the scoring with an RBI single in the second, but St. Louis responded by hitting a single with the bases loaded to drive in two runs. In the seventh inning, with two on base and starterChris Carpenter trying to go through the inning clean,Lance Berkman hit a home run to give the Astros a 4–2 lead. It set the stage for a pivotal ninth inning with Lidge set to close the inning. He got two easy outs before Eckstein lined a single with two strikes; this was followed byJim Edmonds drawing a walk. Lidge now facedAlbert Pujols at the plate; he hit a shot to left field that would give St. Louis a 5–4 lead that proved the difference in making the series now 3–2 in favor of Houston. Game 6, played at Busch Stadium, was a rematch between Game 2 starters Roy Oswalt and Mark Mulder. Houston set up the scoring with getting runners on second and third base in the third inning before Mulder threw a wild pitch that scored a run; Biggio then hit a single to drive in the other runner to make it 2–0. Jason Lane hit his second home run of the series in the fourth inning to make it 3–0. Roy Oswalt would dominate the Cardinals for seven innings, allowing only a run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning as the bullpen took control from there while adding two insurance runs in the sixth and seventh. WithDan Wheeler on the mound,Yadier Molina hit a flyball to right field that was caught by Jason Lane for the final out, clinching the first ever pennant for the Astros in history. Oswalt, who went 2–0 with a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings, was named NLCS MVP, the second time an Astro had won the award and first sinceMike Scott in1986.[27][28]
After having played 4,714 games and their entire major league careers together in Houston, Bagwell and Biggio appeared in their first World Series in 2005.[29]
October 22, 2005 atU.S. Cellular Field inChicago
Playing in their first World Series home game since 1959, theWhite Sox took an early lead with a home run fromJermaine Dye in the first inning. The Sox scored two more in the second whenJuan Uribe doubled inA. J. Pierzynski afterCarl Everett had already scored on a groundout earlier in the inning. The Astros responded again in the next inning whenLance Berkman hit a double, driving inAdam Everett andCraig Biggio. In the White Sox half of the fourth,Joe Crede hit what turned out to be the game-winning home run. In the bottom of the eighth,Scott Podsednik hit a triple with Pierzynski on second.Roger Clemens recorded his shortest World Series start, leaving after the second inning with 53 pitches including 35 for strikes, due to a sore hamstring that he had previously injured (and caused him to miss his last regular season start) as the loss went toWandy Rodríguez.José Contreras pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits for the win, andBobby Jenks earned the save to give the White Sox a 1–0 lead in the series. When Neal Cotts entered the game in the top of the 8th it marked the first time in 5 games that the White Sox had gone to their bullpen.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 5 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:José Contreras (1-0) LP:Wandy Rodríguez (0-1) Sv:Bobby Jenks (1) Home runs: HOU:Mike Lamb (1) CHW:Jermaine Dye (1),Joe Crede (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October 23, 2005 atU.S. Cellular Field inChicago
On a miserably cold (51 degrees) and rainy evening,Morgan Ensberg's first-pitch home run off starterMark Buehrle put the Astros on top in the second inning. The White Sox answered in the bottom of the second with two runs of their own offAndy Pettitte.Lance Berkman drove in three runs in the game, two of them on a go-ahead double in the top of the fifth. In the seventh inning,Dan Wheeler loaded the bases with a double toJuan Uribe, a walk toTadahito Iguchi, and home plate umpireJeff Nelson's ruling thatJermaine Dye was hit by a pitched ball. The ruling was considered questionable, as television replays showed that the ball hit Dye's bat (which would have made the pitch a foul ball rather than a HBP). The Astros brought inChad Qualls, who promptly served up agrand slam toPaul Konerko on the very first pitch he threw, theeighteenth grand slam in the annals of theFall Classic. In the top of the ninth, White Sox closerBobby Jenks blew the save when he gave up a two-run game-tying pinch hit single toJosé Vizcaíno. In the bottom half of the ninth, Astros closerBrad Lidge gave up a one-out,walk-off home run — thefourteenth in Series history — toScott Podsednik, giving Lidge his second loss in as many post-season appearances (his previous appearance was in Game 5 of2005 National League Championship Series). Podsednik had not hit a single homer in the regular season, and this was his second of the postseason. The Series moved to Houston with the White Sox leading 2–0.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Houston | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Neal Cotts (1-0) LP:Brad Lidge (0-1) Home runs: HOU:Morgan Ensberg (1) CHW:Paul Konerko (1),Scott Podsednik (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October 25, 2005 atMinute Maid Park inHouston, Texas
Game 3 was the first ever World Series game played in the state ofTexas. Before the game, it was ruled by CommissionerBud Selig that the retractable roof would be open at Minute Maid Park, weather permitting. The Astros objected, citing that their record in games with the roof closed was better than with the retractable roof open. Selig's office claimed that the ruling was based on the rules established by Houston and were consistent with how the Astros organization treated the situation all year long, as well as the weather forecasts for that period of time.
In the game – the longest World Series game in length of time (five hours and forty-one minutes) and tied for the longest in number of innings (fourteen, tied with Game 2 of the1916 World Series) –Lance Berkman singled with one out after aCraig Biggio lead-off double in the bottom of the first as the Astros struck early. The White Sox had a rally snuffed in the top of the second inning; afterPaul Konerko hit a lead-off double andA. J. Pierzynski walked,Aaron Rowand hit into a line-drive double play.Adam Everett caught the ball and then doubled Konerko off second by flipping the ball to Biggio, who stepped on the bag. Houston scored in the bottom of the third when Everett led off with a walk. Everett got caught in a rundown and got hit by the ball on aJuan Uribe throwing error that hit Everett. ARoy Oswalt sacrifice bunt and a Biggio single sent Everett home. Berkman singled again with two out, sending Biggio to third. ThenMorgan Ensberg singled Biggio home for the third run of the game.Jason Lane led off the Astros' fourth with a home run to left-center field. It was later shown in replays that the ball should not have been ruled a home run, hitting the left side of the yellow line on the unusual wall in left-center field.
The White Sox rallied in the top of the fifth, true to their"Win Or Die Trying" mantra of 2005, starting with aJoe Crede lead-off homer. Uribe, on first after hitting a single, scored on aTadahito Iguchi base hit with one out, followed byScott Podsednik coming home on a duck-snort single byJermaine Dye. Pierzynski hit a two-out double toTal's Hill, driving in two runs, scoring Iguchi and Dye giving the White Sox the lead. The Astros rallied in the last of the eighth with two outs when Lane's double scored Ensberg with the tying run after back-to-back walks by Ensberg andMike Lamb, givingDustin Hermanson a blown save. Houston tried to rally to win in the ninth, but strandedChris Burke at third, after he had walked, reached second on an error and stolen third.
The Astros tried again in the tenth as well as in the eleventh, but failed each time. In the top of the fourteenth, after the Sox hit into a spectacular double play started by Ensberg,Geoff Blum (a former Astro) homered to right with two outs offEzequiel Astacio. After two infield singles by Rowand and Crede that went a total of 150 feet according to McCarver, Uribe walked, and thenChris Widger walked thanks to Astacio's sudden wildness. The Astros tried to rally with the tying runs on first and third and two outs after a Uribe error, but Game 2 starterMark Buehrle earned the save for winning pitcherDámaso Marte when Everett popped out, bringing the White Sox one game closer to their first World Championship in eighty-eight years. Buehrle became the first pitcher ever to start a game in the Series, and save the next one.
Many records were set or tied in the game besides time and innings: The teams combined to use seventeen pitchers (nine for the White Sox, eight for the Astros), throwing a total of 482 pitches, and walking twenty-one batters combined (a dozen by Chicago, nine by Houston); forty-three players were used (the White Sox used twenty-two and the Astros used twenty-one), and thirty men were left on base (fifteen for each team), all new high-water marks in their categories in Fall Classic history. Scott Podsednik set a new all-time record with eight official-at-bats in this game. One record that was tied was most double plays turned, with six (four by the Astros, two by the White Sox).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| WP:Dámaso Marte (1-0) LP:Ezequiel Astacio (0-1) Sv:Mark Buehrle (1) Home runs: CHW:Joe Crede (2),Geoff Blum (1) HOU:Jason Lane (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October 26, 2005 atMinute Maid Park inHouston, Texas
Before the game, Major League Baseball unveiled itsLatino Legends Team.
The fourth game was the pitchers' duel that had been promised throughout the series. Both Houston starterBrandon Backe and Chicago starterFreddy García put zeros on the scoreboard through seven innings, the longest since Game 7 of the1991 World Series.Scott Podsednik had a two-out triple in the top of the third, butTadahito Iguchi grounded out to second, thus snuffing that threat. The Astros had the best chance of scoring in the sixth, butJason Lane struck out with the bases loaded to end that rally. The White Sox had a chance in the top of the seventh with runners at second and third and two out, but shortstopJuan Uribe struck out to snuff the rally. The White Sox were able to break through in the next inning against embattled Houston closerBrad Lidge.Willie Harris hit apinch-hit single. Podsednik moved Harris to second with a sacrifice bunt.Carl Everett pinch-hit for Iguchi and grounded out to the right side to allow Harris to move over to third.Jermaine Dye, theMost Valuable Player of the series, had the game-winning single, driving in Harris.
Things got a little sticky for the Sox in the Astros half of the eighth when relieverCliff Politte hitWilly Taveras, threw awild pitch, sending Taveras to second, and walkedLance Berkman. AfterMorgan Ensberg flew out to center, ChiSox managerOzzie Guillén brought inNeal Cotts to finish the inning. Cotts induced pinch-hitterJosé Vizcaíno into a ground out to Uribe.Bobby Jenks, the 24-year-oldfireballer, started the ninth inning. He allowed a single toJason Lane and a sacrifice bunt toBrad Ausmus.Chris Burke came in to pinch-hit; he fouled one off to the left side, but Uribe made an amazing catch in the stands to retire Burke.
The game ended whenOrlando Palmeiro grounded to Uribe. It was a bang-bang play asPaul Konerko caught the ball from Uribe at 11:01 p.m.CDT to begin the biggest celebration in Chicago since the sixth NBA championship by theBulls in 1998, and end the second-longest period without a World Series title (the cross-townChicago Cubs owned the longest such streak at the time, as they had not won since1908, until winning in2016). The 1–0 shutout was the first 1-run game to end a World Series since the1995 World Series, in which Game 6 was won by theAtlanta Braves over theCleveland Indians, and the first 1–0 game in any Series game since Game 5 of the1996 World Series when theNew York Yankees shut out the Braves in the last game ever played atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Freddy García (1-0) LP:Brad Lidge (0-2) Sv:Bobby Jenks (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005 World Series(4-0):Chicago White Sox (A.L.) overHouston Astros (N.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||
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| Chicago White Sox | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 44 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Houston Astros | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 29 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 166,422 Average attendance: 42,106 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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