| 2004 Houston Astros | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | Central | |||
| Ballpark | Minute Maid Park | |||
| City | Houston, Texas | |||
| Record | 92–70 (.564) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | Drayton McLane, Jr. | |||
| General managers | Gerry Hunsicker | |||
| Managers | Jimy Williams andPhil Garner | |||
| Television | KNWS-TV FSN Southwest (Bill Brown,Larry Dierker,Jim Deshaies,Greg Lucas, Bill Worrell) | |||
| Radio | KTRH (Milo Hamilton,Alan Ashby) KLAT (Francisco Ernesto Ruiz,Alex Treviño) | |||
| Stats | ESPN.com Baseball Reference | |||
| ||||
The2004 Houston Astros season was the43rd season for theMajor League Baseball (MLB) franchise inHouston, Texas. Five years removed from openingMinute Maid Park, the Astros hosted theAll-Star Game, which was the first held in Houston since 1986. Having limped into the All-Star break with a 44–44 record,Phil Garner was named to replaceJimy Williams asmanager. The Astros finished second in theNational League Central and captured the NLWild Card. The Astros won a postseason series for the first time in franchise history by defeating theAtlanta Braves in theNational League Division Series (NLDS), scoring an NLDS-record 36 runs.Roger Clemens won the NLCy Young Award, becoming the fourth pitcher to win the award in both leagues,[1] and the only one with seven overall.[2]
When he hit his sixth careergrand slam against theMilwaukee Brewers on April 9,first basemanJeff Bagwell tied a club record.[7]Starting pitcherRoger Clemens was namedNational LeaguePitcher of the Month in April after going 5–0 in awin–loss record (W–L) with a 1.95earned run average (ERA), 32strikeouts and 14bases on balls in32+1⁄3 innings pitched. In just one start did he allow more than one run.[8] Clemens passedSteve Carlton to move into then-second place behindNolan Ryan on theall-time strikeout list on May 6 against thePittsburgh Pirates in a 6–2 victory while striking out nine and bringing his career total to 4,140.[9] In May,outfielderLance Berkman produced a .785slugging percentage with 24runs batted in (RBI), winning his first career National LeaguePlayer of the Month honors.[10]
In a three-team deal involving theKansas City Royals andOakland Athletics, the Astros acquiredcenter fielderCarlos Beltrán. The Royals sent Beltrán to Houston for minor leaguecatcherJohn Buck and cash. The A's sent minor leaguers pitcherMike Wood and first basemanMark Teahen to the Royals. The Astros sentrelief pitcherOctavio Dotel to the A's. Dotel, the Astros'closer, had a 0–4 W–L with a 3.12 ERA in34+1⁄3 innings pitched, 50 strikeouts and 14saves in 17 opportunities. He had replacedBilly Wagner in that role following his trade to Philadelphia in the previous off-season.[11]
The Astros firedmanagerJimy Williams and replaced him withPhil Garner at theAll-Star break. With a 44–44 record, the team had been slumping after spending the first month and a half of the season in first place in theNational League Central division. That was considered a disappointment due to hopes of reaching theWorld Series after signing free agent starting pitchers Clemens and Pettitte, and acquiring Beltrán weeks earlier.[12]
The2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 75th playing of the midseason exhibitionbaseball game between theall-stars of theAmerican League (AL) andNational League (NL). The game was held on July 13, 2004, atMinute Maid Park inHouston, Texas, the Houston Astros' homestadium. The previous All-Star Game held inHouston was in1986 in theAstrodome. In theHome Run Derby,Miguel Tejada of theBaltimore Orioles defeated Berkman in the final round, 5–4. Tejada established records of both 27 home runs overall, and 15 in a single round, while Berkman hit the longest home run of the competition at 497 feet (151 m).[13]
Three members of the Astros were in the starting lineup;Roger Clemens, who had played in the 1986 All-Star Game, was the starting pitcher,Jeff Kent was at second base, and Berkman was one of the three outfielders starting in the game. Beltrán, first named to theAmerican League team before the trade, was added to the National League team as a reserve. The game had an attendance of 41,886 and boxing legendMuhammad Ali threw the ceremonial first pitch of the game. The final result was the American League defeating the National League 9–4, thus awarding an AL team (which would eventually be theBoston Red Sox)home-field advantage in theWorld Series.
Atriple play and a seven-run seventh inning on August 19 against Philadelphia highlighted an Astros 12–10 win. With the Phillies leading 7–2,Todd Pratt grounded into a bases-loaded triple play in the fifth inning, Houston's first in 13 years. Berkman,Craig Biggio, andEric Bruntlett each homered in the seventh inning.[14]
Bagwell recorded his 200th careerstolen base on August 30 against theCincinnati Reds to become the tenth player in MLB history to reach that plateau while hitting 400 home runs. On September 18, Bagwell collected his 1,500th career RBI with a single in the third inning against the Brewers. Two innings later, hehomered for his 1,500thrun scored, becoming just 29th player in MLB history and first Astro to reach both milestones. Bagwell finished with 27 home runs, stopping a streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least 30 but extending a streak of 12 with at least 20.[7]
The Astros won 36 of their final 46 games to win the National Leaguewild card.[15]
After the Astros acquired Beltrán from the Royals, he played 90 games batting .258 with 23 home runs, 53 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. His combined totals in 2004 included 159 games with a .267 batting average, 38 home runs, 104 RBI, 42 stolen bases, and 121 runs scored.
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 105 | 57 | .648 | — | 53–28 | 52–29 |
| Houston Astros | 92 | 70 | .568 | 13 | 48–33 | 44–37 |
| Chicago Cubs | 89 | 73 | .549 | 16 | 45–37 | 44–36 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 76 | 86 | .469 | 29 | 40–41 | 36–45 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 72 | 89 | .447 | 32½ | 39–41 | 33–48 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 67 | 94 | .416 | 37½ | 36–45 | 31–49 |
Source:MLB Standings Grid – 2004 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
| Arizona | — | 2–4 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–13 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 3–16 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 7–12 | 5–14 | 1–5 | 6–12 |
| Atlanta | 4–2 | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 14–5 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 15–4 | 12–7 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| Chicago | 2–4 | 3–3 | — | 9–8 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 10–7 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 13–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 8–11 | 8–4 |
| Cincinnati | 3–3 | 4–2 | 8–9 | — | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–11 | 4–2 | 10–8 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–14 | 5-7 |
| Colorado | 13–6 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 1–5 | 1–5 | 8–11 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–3 | 2–4 | 10–9 | 8–11 | 1–5 | 8–10 |
| Florida | 4–3 | 5–14 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 11–8 | 15–4 | 12–7 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 7–11 |
| Houston | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–10 | 11–6 | 5–1 | 3-3 | — | 1–5 | 13–6 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 6–0 | 12–5 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 10–8 | 7–5 |
| Los Angeles | 16–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 11–8 | 3–3 | 5–1 | — | 3–3 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 6–0 | 10–9 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 10–8 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 2–4 | 7–10 | 8–10 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 6–13 | 3–3 | — | 5–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 6–12 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 8–9 | 8–4 |
| Montreal | 6–0 | 4–15 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 8-11 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 1–5 | — | 9–10 | 7–12 | 4–2 | 1–6 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 7–11 |
| New York | 4–3 | 7–12 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 4–15 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 10–9 | — | 8–11 | 1–5 | 1–6 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 10–8 |
| Philadelphia | 5-1 | 9–10 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–5 | 7–12 | 0–6 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 12–7 | 11–8 | — | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 9–9 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–2 | 2–4 | 5–13 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–12 | 0–6 | 12–6 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–3 | — | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–12 | 2–10 |
| San Diego | 12–7 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 4–2 | 6–1 | 6–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 12–7 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| San Francisco | 14–5 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 11–8 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 7–12 | — | 3–3 | 11–7 |
| St. Louis | 5–1 | 4–2 | 11–8 | 14–5 | 5–1 | 4-2 | 8–10 | 4–2 | 9–8 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 12–5 | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 11–1 |
| 2004 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders | Outfielders | Manager Coaches
| ||||||
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 | Brad Ausmus | 129 | 403 | 100 | .248 | 5 | 31 |
| 1B | Jeff Bagwell | 156 | 572 | 152 | .266 | 27 | 89 |
| 2B | Jeff Kent | 145 | 540 | 156 | .289 | 27 | 107 |
| SS | Adam Everett | 104 | 384 | 105 | .273 | 8 | 31 |
| 3B | Morgan Ensberg | 131 | 411 | 113 | .275 | 10 | 66 |
| LF | Craig Biggio | 156 | 633 | 178 | .281 | 24 | 63 |
| CF | Carlos Beltrán | 90 | 333 | 86 | .258 | 23 | 53 |
| RF | Lance Berkman | 160 | 544 | 172 | .316 | 30 | 106 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Vizcaíno | 138 | 358 | 98 | .274 | 3 | 33 |
| Mike Lamb | 112 | 278 | 80 | .288 | 14 | 58 |
| Richard Hidalgo | 58 | 199 | 51 | .256 | 4 | 30 |
| Raúl Chávez | 64 | 162 | 34 | .210 | 0 | 23 |
| Jason Lane | 107 | 136 | 37 | .272 | 4 | 19 |
| Orlando Palmeiro | 102 | 133 | 32 | .241 | 3 | 12 |
| Eric Bruntlett | 45 | 52 | 13 | .250 | 4 | 8 |
| Chris Burke | 17 | 17 | 1 | .059 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Alfaro | 7 | 11 | 2 | .182 | 0 | 0 |
| Willy Taveras | 10 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Tremie | 1 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Oswalt | 36 | 237.0 | 20 | 10 | 3.49 | 206 |
| Roger Clemens | 33 | 214.1 | 18 | 4 | 2.98 | 218 |
| Pete Munro | 21 | 99.2 | 4 | 7 | 5.15 | 63 |
| Wade Miller | 15 | 88.2 | 7 | 7 | 3.35 | 74 |
| Andy Pettitte | 15 | 83.0 | 6 | 4 | 3.90 | 79 |
| Carlos Hernández | 9 | 42.0 | 1 | 3 | 6.43 | 26 |
| Jeremy Griffiths | 1 | 4.1 | 0 | 0 | 10.38 | 5 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Redding | 27 | 100.2 | 5 | 7 | 5.72 | 56 |
| Brandon Backe | 33 | 67.0 | 5 | 3 | 4.30 | 54 |
| Brandon Duckworth | 19 | 39.1 | 1 | 2 | 6.86 | 23 |
| Darren Oliver | 9 | 14.0 | 1 | 0 | 3.86 | 13 |
| Jared Fernández | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 54.00 | 0 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Lidge | 80 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 1.90 | 157 |
| Dan Miceli | 74 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3.59 | 83 |
| Mike Gallo | 69 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.74 | 34 |
| Chad Harville | 56 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4.75 | 46 |
| Octavio Dotel | 32 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 3.12 | 50 |
| Kirk Bullinger | 27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6.16 | 11 |
| David Weathers | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.78 | 26 |
| Chad Qualls | 25 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3.55 | 24 |
| Ricky Stone | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.68 | 16 |
| Russ Springer | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.63 | 9 |
| Dan Wheeler | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.51 | 9 |
In Game 2, Bagwell hit his first career postseason home run offMike Hampton in the first inning in a 4–2 extra-inning loss.[20]
After seven failed attempts[21] in 43 years of franchise history to win a playoff series, the Astros defeated theAtlanta Braves in five games for their first.[22] Behind the quartet dubbed the "Killer B's" – composed of Bagwell, Beltrán, Berkman and Biggio – who batted .395 (34-for-86) with eight home runs, 21 RBI and 24 runs scored, the Astros' offense ignited, scoring an NLDS-record 36 runs. Beltrán homered four times in this series.[23]
| Game | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston 9, Atlanta 3 | October 6 |
| 2 | Atlanta 4, Houston 2 (11 innings) | October 7 |
| 3 | Houston 8, Atlanta 5 | October 9 |
| 4 | Atlanta 6, Houston 5 | October 10 |
| 5 | Houston 12, Atlanta 3 | October 11 |
The Astros faced theSt. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs for the first time in 2004 in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). By hitting one home run in each of the first four home runs in the NLCS, including the game-winner in Game 4, Beltrán tiedBarry Bonds' record for home runs in single postseason-record with eight, continuing a strong performance from the NLDS. Counting a two home-run performance in Game 5 of the NLDS, that gave Beltrán at least one home run in a record-setting five consecutive postseason games,[24] later eclipsed byDaniel Murphy's home runs in six consecutive postseason games in2015.[25]
Cardinals center fielderJim Edmonds hit the game-winning home run offDan Miceli in the 12th inning of Game 6, for a 6–4 final score and forcing a Game 7. It was the third game Miceli lost of the 2004 postseason.[26]
| Game | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis 10,Houston 7 | October 13, 2004 |
| 2 | St. Louis 6,Houston 4 | October 14, 2004 |
| 3 | Houston 5,St. Louis 2 | October 16, 2004 |
| 4 | Houston 6,St. Louis 5 | October 17, 2004 |
| 5 | Houston 3,St. Louis 0 | October 18, 2004 |
| 6 | St. Louis 6,Houston 4 | October 20, 2004 |
| 7 | St. Louis 5,Houston 2 | October 21, 2004 |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Greeneville
In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and the game tied 5–5, Beltran dipped down like agolfer and scooped a 2-and-2 slider from St. Louis righthanderJulián Tavárez into the right-centerfieldbullpen. It was a record fifth straight postseason game in which Beltran hit a home run. 'Theump was reaching back to get another ball,' says Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who was watching from theon-deck circle, 'because that [pitch] was in the dirt.'