1991 Houston Astros season

April

On April 8, right-hander Mike Scott made the Opening Day start for Houston,^[5] while first baseman Jeff Bagwell^[6] and right-hander Darryl Kile^[7] each made his major league debut, with the defending World Series-champion Cincinnati Reds^[8] hosting the Astros at Riverfront Stadium. Bagwell, batting sixth, drew a base on balls during the top of the second inning from Reds' Opening Day starter Tom Browning for his first plate appearance. In the top of the fourth, Craig Biggio golfed the Astros' first home run and scored the club's first run of the season to take a 1–0 lead. The Reds got to Scott in the bottom of the fourth. Leading off, Barry Larkin homered to left and the Reds collected three doubles, capped by Browning's bases-loaded double for a 4–1 advantage. Kile assumed the bottom of eighth, and punched out his first hitter looking, Hal Morris. Bagwell recorded the final outs of the contest by lining out to Larkin for an unassisted double play. Bagwell was hitless in three at bats for his first game while the Reds won, 6–2.^[5]

His fifth Opening Day start, Scott matched J. R. Richard's then-club record for pitchers,^{[Note 1]} which stood until Roy Oswalt started his sixth in a row for Houston's opener in 2008.^{[Note 2][9]} However, this outing would be the penultimate appearance of Scott's major league career.^[10][11]

Scott made his final major league appearance on April 13 at the Astrodome. He took the loss against the San Francisco Giants, to whom he surrendered six hits and five runs surrendered over three innings.^[10] Having navigated lingering rotator cuff injuries since the 1989 campaign, the Astros placed Scott on the disabled list (DL) the following day. Later in April, Scott attempted to resume throwing, but a setback halted his progress.^[12]

On April 15, Bagwell crushed his first major league home run,^[13] which was as well-timed as could be, for both the player, batting .143, and the club. Starters Jim Deshaies and John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves remained in lockstep in a duel at 1–1 through seven innings at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Smoltz' only blemish was a solo home run to Craig Biggio in the sixth inning. The score remained tied until the top of the ninth. With two out, Ken Caminiti singled off Kent Mercker, who then served a two-run blast to Bagwell for his first major league homer. The Astros bullpen ensured the lead stood, as fellow rookie Al Osuna (1–0) recorded two outs to earn his first win of the season and Curt Schilling induced the final two outs for the save (2).^[14]

On April 16, Houston turned the seventh triple play in franchise history, during the bottom of the second inning against Atlanta. This feat mirrored the most recent triple play to have occurred in the major leagues, during the previous September 21, in which the Astros also turned one against the Braves on the road.^[15]

Right-hander Darryl Kile made his first major league start on April 24, and proceeded to toss six no-hit frames prior to being removed.^[16] Facing the Reds, Kile surrendered a leadoff base on balls to Paul O'Neill for the first baserunner. Reds starter Jack Armstrong was also overpowering, allowing a fifth inning single to Tuffy Rhodes. Southpaw Al Osuna took over for Kile in the seventh and added two hitless innings. Curt Schilling then assumed the mound for the ninth, and former Astro Bill Doran singled for Cincinnati's first hit. D oran advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Schilling whiffed Barry Larkin to extinguish the threat. The contest remained scoreless through regulation. In the bottom of the 13th, Ken Oberkfell hit a looping, walk-off single that caromed off the glove of second baseman Mariano Duncan to score Rafael Ramírez for the winning run.^[17] Kile's performance earned a game score of 75, while yielding just two walks for his only baserunners.^[18]

May

Inserted as a pinch hitter on May 5, Jeff Bagwell pummeled a home run that reached the upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium, just the ninth hitter to do so. The blast, which tied the game, 4–4, covered a distance of 456 feet (139 m).^[19] Steve Finley followed up by slugging a two-run bomb to provide the margin for a 6–4 Astros win.^[20]

June

After surrendering three runs and the lead in the top-half of the ninth inning on June 6, the Astros rallied against the Montreal Expos to win, 9–8. Luis Gonzalez and Ken Caminiti each hit run batted in (RBI)-doubles to spark the walk-off comeback.^[21]

On June 23, Darryl Kile earned his first major league victory, during which he tossed seven innings with two runs allowed in a 6–4 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies.^[16] Kile withstood high-quality hitting from Phillies catcher Darren Daulton, who took Kile deep twice for his only runs surrendered, had three total hits and reached base four times. In the top of the sixth, Kile coaxed a bases-loaded walk that plated Luis Gonzalez to garner his first major league RBI. Ken Oberkfell pinch hit for Kile in the top of the eighth and provided crucial insurance with a two-run double that extended the Astros' advantage to 6 to 2.^[22]

July

On July 29, Ken Caminiti connected for his first career grand slam off Bryn Smith, during the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4–1 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.^[23] The decisive event, the slam ensured the margin for victory with a 6–2 final score. Biggio collected four hits, while Finley legged out a triple and scored. Deshaies went the distance to pick up his fourth win.^[24]

August

On August 4, Houston implemented the eighth triple play in franchise history, during the top of the fifth inning versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was the third time in club history that the Astros turned more than one triple play during the same season, first accomplished in 1971, and then 1978 (one of which during the latter season was also prosecuted against the Dodgers). Moreover, this event was distinguished the first occasion that Houston turned as many as three triple plays within one calendar year.^[d][15]

September

For the week ended September 1, Ken Caminiti received National League (NL) Player of the Week honors.^[25] Over 7 games, Caminti hit .363 / .419 / .679, two doubles, two home runs, and 14 RBI.^[26]

On September 6, Pete Harnisch tossed an immaculate seventh inning, retiring Wes Chamberlain, Dickie Thon, and José DeJesús^[27] of the Philadelphia Phillies. Harnish (9–8) allowed four hits and one run over seven innings, whiffing 12 total for a game score of 75, leading a 3–1 Astros win. Jeff Bagwell homered (14) and doubled (22) off DeJesús. Al Osuna worked the final two innings to obtain the save (11).^[28] Harnisch succeeded David Cone as the most recent to toss an immaculate inning in the National League. This was the second immaculate inning in club history, joining Bob Bruce on April 19, 1964.^[27]

Center fielder Kenny Lofton made his major league debut on September 14,^[29] batting leadoff at Riverfront Stadium. Lofton drew a base on balls from left-hander Randy Myers in his first plate appearance. Bagwell doubled in Lofton and Biggio for a 2–0 Astros lead and Lofton's first run in the major leagues. In the bottom of the fourth, the Reds led off with a trio of consecutive home runs via Mariano Duncan, Hal Morris, and Paul O'Neill, taking Astros starter Mark Portugal deep for a 3–2 lead. During the bottom of the fifth, Lofton singled off Myers on a line drive between shortstop and second base for his first major league hit. The Astros regained the lead in the eighth after Lofton hit a leadoff infield single, and singles from Biggio and Caminiti. Lofton doubled in the top of the ninth for a third hit, and again scored as the Astros added insurance for a 7–3 win. During his debut, Lofton went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk.^[30]

The Astros held a pre-game ceremony for Scott on September 25 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his NL West division-clinching no-hitter. He had remained unable to throw since being placed on the DL in April and, at that time, predicted that his playing career was over.^[12] In November following the season, Scott formally announced his retirement.^[31]

Performance overview

The Astros concluded the 1991 campaign with a 65–97 record, for sixth and last place with in the NL West, trailing the division-champion and NL pennant-winning Atlanta Braves. Theirs was also the worst record in the National League.^[32] A decline by 10 wins from the year prior, the 97 losses tied for most in club annals with the 1965 and 1975 editions. The 97 defeats remained the club record until 2011, with 106—Houston's first-ever season dropping 100 or more contests. However, the Astros would not have another losing season again until 2000; moreover, the 1990 to 1991 campaigns represented the final period of successive losing records for the Astros until 2009 to 2014.^[33]

Former Astro Dickie Thon received the second iteration of the Tony Conigliaro Award, bestowed annually to the Major Leaguer who supersedes “an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage." Early in the 1984 campaign as a member of the Astros, Thon was struck on the temple by a Mike Torrez fastball, resulting in permanent vision changes that degraded his efficacy as a Major League player. Like Thon, Conigliaro endured catastrophic vision change after having been struck in the head by a pitch as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 1967.^[34]

Pete Harnisch led the National League in hits per nine innings surrendered (7.020 H/9). This was the 10th time that a Houston pitcher led the league; in 1987, Nolan Ryan had been the Astros' most recent league leader.^[35]

For the first and only time during the era in which The Sporting News recognized one Rookie of the Year each for one position player and one pitcher in the each league,^[b] both NL awards went to Astros: Bagwell^[36] and to left-hander Al Osuna.^[37] Bagwell became the fourth rookie to win for position players, following Joe Morgan (1965), Greg Gross (1974), and Jeffrey Leonard (1979). Meanhile, Osuna became the second Astros pitcher to win the award, following Tom Griffin in 1969,^[37] amounting to six total Astros who had won The Sporting News rookie award.

After four occasions prior to the 1991 seasons in which The Sporting News had recognized Astros players with their Rookie of the Year Award, Bagwell also became Houston's first-ever NL Rookie of the Year Award, as voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).^[38]

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 bid