1988 Houston Astros season

April

On April 5, the Astros hosted the San Diego Padres on Opening Day, with right-hander Mike Scott making his second consecutive Opening Day start. In the top of the eighth, he surrendered two runs to the Padres. However, in the bottom of the inning, Kevin Bass' two-run single keyed a five-run rally which stood as Houston held on for the 6–3 win. Hence, the decision for the pitching win went to Scott.^[8] The Opening Day victory was also the 2,000th win in the history of the Houston Astros franchise.^{[Note 1][9][10]}

On April 27, Nolan Ryan came within two outs of his sixth no-hitter, maintaining a 2–0 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the top of the ninth,^[8] when Mike Schmidt singled into center field. In the bottom of the third inning, Bill Doran singled home Rafael Ramírez and Gerald Young, staking Houston to a 2–0 lead. Leading off the top of the ninth, Greg Gross' weak grounder to second allowed him to reach via an error, Schmidt singled, Juan Samuel struck out, and Von Hayes flied out. Lance Parrish then lined a two-run double to the left-center field gap to tie the game, with both runs being unearned. Ryan departed with a game score of 84. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth, Glenn Davis scored as the walk-off run when Craig Reynolds hit into a fielder's choice. Dave Smith (1–1) retired the Phillies in order in the top of the tenth to earn the win.^[11]

May

On May 8, Bill Doran tied a major league record among second basemen for a 9-inning game by turning six double plays.^[12]

Having gone more than two years since his most recent complete game, on May 13, Nolan Ryan went the distance to lead an 8–2 win over the Chicago Cubs. First baseman Glenn Davis collected four runs batted in (RBI), while Gerald Young stroked four hits to lead the Astros' offense.^[13]

With strong windy conditions all around Pittsburgh on May 23, the Astros held a 3–0 advantage going into the ninth inning. However, the game was called due to debris on the field at Three Rivers Stadium, and Mike Scott, who had held the Pirates scoreless for 8 innings, got the win.^[14]

June

On June 6, Gerald Young became the first player in club history to reach base six times within a nine-inning game, and seventh overall. He reached on two singles and drew four base on balls. Young also looted three bases.^[a][15] Kevin Bass (12), Terry Puhl (3), and Billy Hatcher (16) each also performed larceny on the basepaths. Glenn Davis homered (12), and he, and Denny Walling each delivered three RBI to lead a 10–6 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bob Knepper (7–1) allowed two runs in six frames to pick up the victory.^[16]

On June 12, Mike Scott was denied a second career no-hitter when Ken Oberkfell of the Atlanta Braves laced a clean single to right field with two outs in the ninth inning. Oberkfell's single was the only blemish on an otherwise stellar evening for Scott as he fanned eight, walked none, and led the Astros to victory, 5–0. Terry Puhl, Kevin Bass and Craig Reynolds each contributed three hits.^[8]

Craig Biggio made his major league debut at catcher on June 26 in a 6–0 win over the San Francisco Giants. Though he went hitless, Biggio stole second base and scored Houston's final run.^[17] Starting in place of an injured Alan Ashby, at the plate, Biggio also drew a walk, struck out and flied out. During the second inning, Biggio pegged José Uribe at third base for his first baserunner caught stealing. Biggio caught southpaw Jim Deshaies, also the winning pitcher.^[18]

On June 29, Biggio singled off Orel Hershiser during the third inning at the Astrodome for his first major league hit.^[19] Biggio also pilfered his second base. However, Hershiser (12–3) was dominant, hurling a two-hit, 2–0, shutout victory to outduel Ryan (5–6), who took the defeat. Ryan yielded four hits, four walks and two runs while striking out 10 over 7+1⁄3 frames.^[20]

July

During the nightcap of a doubleheader on July 1 at Shea Stadium, Biggio led off the top of the third inning with a short line drive off Rick Aguilera down the left field line for his first double and extra-base hit in the major leagues. During the top of the 13th inning, Kevin Bass singled in Billy Hatcher for the game-winning run and 6–5 triumph over the New York Mets.^[21] Rafael Ramírez recorded his first four-hit game as a member of the Astros.^[22]

Nolan Ryan: 100 wins each on two teams in two leagues

During a nationally-televised broadcast on July 9, Nolan Ryan earned his 100th victory in an Astros uniform. He joined Cy Young as the only major leaguers to win 100 or more games each with two teams, along with 100 games each in the National and American Leagues. Ryan also had 138 wins as a member of the California Angels. Winless over his previous seven starts while carrying a personal seven-game losing streak to the Mets, Ryan allowed three runs on eight hits over 7+1⁄3 frames, walking three and striking out five in a 6–3 Astros triumph. This was Ryan's 267th career win overall, ranking him 28th at the time.^[23]

Prior to the milestone win with Houston, Ryan (6–7) had already paralleled Young, Jim Bunning, Gaylord Perry, and Ferguson Jenkins with the feat of attaining 100 victories in each league. Moreover, Ryan became the seventh pitcher to have won at least 100 contests with two clubs, which included Young, Pud Galvin, John Clarkson, Bob Caruthers, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and Lefty Grove.^[23]

After a sluggish start by Ryan, the Astros found themselves in a three-run hole early against baseball's best team 53–32 (.624). However, four Astros responded with multi-hit games. In the second inning, Glenn Davis and Buddy Bell scorched back-to-back singles, prior to a ground rule double by Billy Hatcher that blazed over the center field wall. With one run in, Mets starter Sid Fernandez then halted additional damage by retiring Rafael Ramírez on a foul out, and struck out Biggio and Ryan.^[23]

In the third, a control lapse by Fernandez opened an opportunity Gerald Young, who led off the inning with a walk, stole second base, advanced to third on Gary Carter's throwing error, and scored on a wild pitch.^[23]

During his second inning of relief, Rick Aguilera (0–4) began to lose touch of his command, issuing three base on balls. Davis, Bell, and Hatcher each stung run-scoring singles. Biggio then drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the Astros' sixth run.^[23]

The Astros won their second game in a row after having lost six in a row at home for the first time since the outset of the 1983 campaign.^[23]

Ryan became the fifth moundsman to claim at least 100 victories for the Astros, following Larry Dierker, Don Wilson, J. R. Richard, and Joe Niekro.^[23] Biggio was the starting catcher as Ryan's batterymate, just his 12th contest as a major leaguer.^[24]

Rest of July

On July 17, Glenn Davis connected for the 100th home run of his career, launching an offering from Mike Maddux deep to left field. This shot occurred in the top of the sixth at Veterans Stadium, breaking a scoreless tie.^[25]

August

On August 22, Craig Biggio cranked his first major league home run, a tie-breaking solo shot served by Rich Gossage that touched off an extra-innings rally past the Chicago Cubs.^[26] Later in the top of the tenth inning, Gerald Young scored on a misplay of Kevin Bass' fly ball to center field, and Davis followed with a single to score Bass and raise the score, 9–6. In the bottom of the tenth, a balk called on Juan Agosto scored Shawon Dunston; however, Agosto buckled down to record the final out and preserve a 9–7 Houston triumph.^[27]

September

Owing both to longevity and a propensity to issue walks, on September 8, Ryan furnished just the second complete game of his career without having issued any base on balls. This was the 184th complete game for "The Ryan Express."^{[Note 2][b][28]} Ryan (11–11) led the Astros to a 2–1 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium, yielding five hits and whiffing seven. Kirk Gibson's home run to deep right in the bottom of the fourth was the only play that prevented a shutout. In the top of the fourth, Ryan's batterymate, Alex Treviño, homered to temporarily inject a 1–0 lead for Houston. In the top of the eighth, Glenn Davis singled to right field and advanced on a throwing error by Mike Davis. Buddy Bell followed with a single to center which scored Davis for the go-ahead run, 2–1.^[29]

On September 14, Ryan maintained the momentum and delivered a second consecutive outing that featured a complete game without a base on balls. He struck out 13 as Houston defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 7–1.^[b][28]

The Astros became the fifth chapter of Orel Hershiser's scoreless innings streak on September 19, during which Hershiser totaled a major-league record 59.^[30] Los Angeles defeated Houston, 1–0, as Hershiser (22–8) fired a four-hit shutout. The only run of the contest arrived via a solo home run from John Shelby in the top of the seventh off a Danny Darwin offering (7–12), who allowed just three hits over six frames in relief of Nolan Ryan. Ryan, the Astros' starter for the game,^[31] departed after two innings due to a hamstring cramp. Prior to the injury, Ryan struck out four and issued a base on balls to Franklin Stubbs,^[32] hallmarking a career-long streak of 21 consecutive innings without having issued a base on balls,^[33] This would be his final appearance in an Astros uniform.^[34]

Bob Knepper tossed his first career one-hit shutout on September 21,^[35] and second shutout of the season, leading a 1–0 triumph over the Atlanta Braves. Knepper also obtained his top game score of the season at 91.^[36] Knepper (14–5) faced the minimum, yielding just one walk while striking out seven. The lone blemish was Dale Murphy's slow roller to third base for a leadoff single in top of the second inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Gerald Young singled in Ken Caminiti for the contest's only run off Pete Smith. Smith nearly matched Knepper pitch for pitch, earning a complete game despite an eight-inning loss.^[37]

Performance overview

The Astros concluded the season with an 82–80 record, in fifth place and 12+1⁄2 games behind the division- and World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers.^[38] In spite of the fifth-place ranking, this finalization indicated the team's seventh winning campaign over the prior ten dating to 1979—at the time, a figure superior to any ten-year span in club history. The Astros also drew over 1.9 million fans for the second consecutive season, an increase of nearly 24 thousand, and most since 1980. This was the third consecutive season drawing an attendance of at least 1.7 million, also a club first.^[39]

Nolan Ryan concluded the season as the NL leader in strikeouts (228), his second consecutive (270 in 1987), and in his final season as a Houston Astro.^[c][40] Counting Mike Scott's strikeout title in 1986 (306), this was the third consecutive season that an Astros hurler had led the league in strikeouts, the first time in franchise history that this had been accomplished. It was Houston's fifth individual strikeout title in 11 seasons. Moreover, Ryan joined J. R. Richard as the second Astros hurler to win consecutive strikeout titles (303 in 1978 and 313 in 1979).^[41] As it was with the season prior, Ryan again became the oldest pitcher in major-league history to lead the in strikeouts.^[42]

Except for the 1986 season, Ryan led the Astros pitching staff in strikeouts in eight of the nine seasons he was with the team. He left Houston their franchise leader in strikeouts (1,866), furnished the most 10-strikeout contests (53),^[43] and the most 200-strikeout seasons (five).^[d][44] Ryan departed for the Texas Rangers during the offseason.^[40]

This roster included pitchers with a portfolio of eight career no-hitters, with five (at the time) by Nolan Ryan,^[e] two by Bob Forsch, and one by Mike Scott.^[45] The 1988 staff tossed three one-hit complete games. Two additional no-hit bids were broken up in the ninth inning: Nolan Ryan on April 27,^[11] and Mike Scott on June 12;^[8] while, on September 21, Bob Knepper hurled a one-hit shutout.^[37]

The Astros set a club record with 198 stolen bases, surpassing 1980 squad, in which they aggregated 194 stolen bases.^[46]

Gerald Young also set the individual franchise single-season stolen base record with 65 bags, outdistancing the 61 by César Cedeño in 1977. Young became the third baserunner in franchise history with 50 or more steals, while this was the eight such campaign overall. Cedeño generated the first six—all successively—launching in 1972, and Billy Hatcher joined Cedeño in 1987.^[f][47]

Manager Hal Lanier was dismissed from his post following three seasons leading the Astros, concluding his tenure with a record of 254–232 (.523).^[48] In 1986, Lanier became the first Houston Astro to win the NL Manager of the Year Award,^[49] having guided the Astros to a then-club-record 96 victories and their second NL West division title. However, the Astros slipped in the standings to third place in 1987 and fifth in 1988.^[39]

Draft picks

• June 1, 1988: 1988 Major League Baseball draft:
  • Dave Silvestri was drafted by the Astros in the 2nd round. Player signed October 18, 1988.^[52]
  • Kenny Lofton was drafted by the Astros in the 17th round. Lofton signed on June 16, 1988.^[53]

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

No-hit bids

Batting leaders

• Caught stealing: Gerald Young (27—led MLB)

Pitching leaders

• Strikeouts (SO or K): Nolan Ryan (228)
• Strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9): Nolan Ryan (9.3)

Major League debuts