1993 Houston Astros season

April—May

For Opening Day, April 5, the Astros hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Right-hander Doug Drabek made his first Opening Day start on the mound for Houston, while Philadelphia countered with southpaw Terry Mulholland. Drabek and Mulholland fabricated a pitchers' duel; however, Mulholland distinguished himself as the winner in a 3–1 Phillies' triumph. He surrendered just an unearned run in a four-hit complete game effort, while Drabek tossed eight frames, charged with two of the runs.^[10]

Astros starter Doug Drabek crushed the game-winning home run off reliever Pedro Martínez on May 16, a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. He helped himself to his fourth win of the season as Houston prevailed over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Drabek stuck out nine and allowed both runs as earned on the way to tossing 7+2⁄3 solid innings.^[11][12]

For the month of May, Bagwell agglomerated a .412 batting average / .467 on-base percentage (OBP) / .676 slugging percentage (SLG) / 1.143 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Over 27 games, he totaled 42 hits, 22 runs, 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 25 RBI and 69 total bases.^[13] Thus, he received NL Player of the Month honors, his first such honor. Bagwell succeeded Kevin Bass during June 1986 as the most recent Astro to win the award.^[14]

June

In the Astros' first-ever road trip to face the Colorado Rockies on June 12, they took a 7–0 lead only to wind up losing the game, 14–11.^[15]

On June 22, Jeff Bagwell homered, doubled, and singled, driving in two runs in a 5–1 victory over Los Angeles. He also scored twice, including stealing home. Meanwhile, each run the Astros scored was unearned.^[16]

For the month of June, right-hander Darryl Kile posted a 5–0 win–loss record (W–L), 1.15 earned run average (ERA), one complete game and 23 strikeouts. Kile won all five appearances (including four starts), surrendered 26 hits and 1.1.194 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP).^[17] Hence, Kile was named NL Pitcher of the Month for the first time. Kile became the first Astro so recognized since Danny Darwin in July 1990.^[18]

July

Pitcher Darryl Kile tossed his first career shutout and belted his first home run on July 3, to lead the win over the St. Louis Cardinals and run his record to 9–1. By games' end, he had added to a 23+1⁄3 scoreless innings streak.^[19]

On July 10, the Astros approached history just a single away—both on pitching and offense. During the opening contest of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field, Pete Harnisch (8–6) delivered a no-hitter through 6+2⁄3 innings, while Luis Gonzalez came just a single short of hitting for the cycle.^[20] Harnisch discharged his first career one-hitter^[21] during a 4–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. With 10 strikeouts and just three walks issued, this effort earned Harnisch a game score of 92. Harnisch's no-hit bid lasted until Mark Grace lined a single to center field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Meanwhile, Gonzalez, batting second, lined a double off Mike Harkey to right field to bring home Craig Biggio, who had led the contest off with a single. However, Sammy Sosa gunned down Gonzalez attempting to take third base. In the top of the third frame, Biggio was again aboard for Gonzalez, who hit a fly ball off Harkey to left field for a triple and drive in Biggio. In the top of the sixth, Biggio doubled to set the table for Gonzalez a third time, who homered off Harkey. In the top of the eighth, Shawn Boskie issued a walk to Gonzalez during his final opportunity to obtain the single.^[20] This was Gonzalez' fourth career 4-RBI effort.^[22]

During the July 10 night cap, Gonzalez drilled a José Guzmán offering to deep right in the top of the first to score Kevin Bass.^[23] Gonzalez was later issued two intentional base on balls, his first time receiving two or more during one game.^[22] Following Gonzalez' first-inning shot, the Astros maintained the extra-base hit momentum with six doubles and a triple by Biggio. Bass and Bagwell doubled twice to lead Houston to a twinbill sweep, 5–2.^[23]

August

On August 31, Bagwell collected his sixth career four-hit game and his first with at least two stolen bases.^[24] Every Astros starter had at least one hit while the team piled on 18 and pasted the New York Mets, 10–2. Craig Biggio went deep and doubled twice, and Eddie Taubensee also homered. Harnisch (12–8) allowed three hits and two runs over seven frames.^[25]

Darryl Kile's no-hitter

Opposite the 39-year-old Frank Tanana, the 24-year-old Kile no-hit the New York Mets on September 8, leading a 7–1 Astros win. Third baseman Ken Caminiti hit his 12th home run in the bottom of the second inning. In the bottom of the fifth, shorstop Andújar Cedeño also hit a blast off Tanana for his seventh of the season. The ninth no-hitter in franchise history, this was Houston's sixth^[19]—and the final no-hitter ever—thrown at the Astrodome.^[a][26]

In addition to providing the offense, Houston's left side of the infield contributed two spectacular defensive gems in the seventh inning. First, Caminiti dove to his left to snag a bullet off the bat of Mets first baseman Eddie Murray. In the next at bat, Cedeño's leaping dive—a game-saver like Caminiti's—deep into the hole to trap a shot from Joe Orsulak was equally astonishing. Cedeño's singular twirl-and-heave to Jeff Bagwell at first base nipped Orsulak prior to touching the bag.^[27]

Kile polished off the contest by whiffing pinch hitters Tito Navarro and Chico Walker consecutively. Kile improved to 15–6, while walking just one batter.^[27] His outing required just 83 pitches—getting 9 strikeouts.^[28]—and Kile retired each of the final 17 batters consecutively.^[27]

So rare in the manner this no-hitter was executed, that Kile became just 14th major league hurler to achieve a complete game no-hitter without the benefit of a shutout. The most recent had been by Joe Cowley for the Chicago White Sox in a 7–1 win over the California Angels on September 19, 1986, while Ervin Santana pitched the next for the Los Angleles Angels to lead a 3–1 triumph over the Cleveland Indians. Moreover, this was the third non-shutout, complete game no-hitter by the Houston Colt .45s/Astros franchise, a major league record. The first two no-hitters in franchise history were non-shutout complete games, spun by Don Nottebart on May 17, 1963, and by Ken Johnson on April 23, 1964.^[b][29][30]

Following his no-hit effort, Kile was recognized as the NL Player of the Week for September 12.^[31] Kile's masterpiece succeeded Mike Scott's no-hit effort on September 25, 1986 (which succeeded Cowley's), as the previous by an Astro, and was succeeded by a six-man effort on June 11, 2003, composed of Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner.^[32]

Rest of September

Pete Harnisch fired a one-hitter of the San Diego Padres on September 17 to lead a 3–0 Astros win. The lone hit for the Padres arrived via a bunt single by Jarvis Brown. However, controversy ensued as to whether the play should have been officially scored as an error charged to Chris Donnels. Donnels, meanwhile, atoned for the blemish with a two-run double to provide the offensive support.^[33] This was Harnisch's second one-hit shutout of the campaign and second of his career.^[21]

Performance overview and aftermath

The Astros concluded the 1993 interval with a final record of 85–77, in third place, and 19 games trailing the first-place Atlanta Braves. The seventh time in club history that Houston had won at least 85 games, it was 13th time finishing the complete season in third place or higher.^[c] With an improvement by 4 wins, this was the second consecutive year that the Astros produced a record of .500 or better, and would continue to do so 15 times over a span of 17 seasons through 2008 to produce an era by far with the most consistency through that point in franchise history. Additionally, this Astros squad embarked on seven successive campaigns each with both a winning record and finish no lower than third place through 1999, both achievements ultimately arranging club records.^[34]

Moreover, the 85 victories represented the most Astros had won during a non-playoff qualifying campaign since they collected 89 wins in 1979, and most overall since winning 96 during their NL West division title drive in 1986.^[34] With a run differential of +86, the Astros' Pythagorean expectation computed to a record of 90–72 (.556).^[35]

This Astros squad established then-club records, including a .267 batting average, to break the .264 mark by the 1984 team, .739 OPS (.722 in 1970), and 138 home runs (134 each in 1972 and 1973). These records stood until they batted .278 and .792 OPS the following season, and launched 166 home runs in 1998.^[36] Seven hitters logged 10 or more home runs to establish a club record, surpassing six each by the 1977 and 1987 teams.^[d][37]

Harnisch, who tossed two one-hit shutouts,^[21] individually led the National League in complete games of one hit or fewer, tied with Mike Moore of the Detroit Tigers for the Major League lead. Combined with Kile's no-hitter, the Astros' pitching staff tied the Cincinnati Reds with three one-hit or fewer complete games for the Major League lead.^[e][38] Harnish also led the NL in hits per nine innings surrendered (7.070 H/9). It was the right-hander's second time in three seasons (also 1991) as a member of Houston's staff. This was the 11th occasion in club history a Houston pitcher had led the league; Nolan Ryan in 1987 was the Astros' most recent league leader.^[39]

Conversely, the 1993 campaigned signified the end of other eras. Concurrent with Major League Baseball's second round of playoff expansion since 1969, the league commissioned one new Central division each for both the American and National leagues beginning the following season. Hence, the Astros, among 10 teams reshuffled, would no longer occupy the NL West and instead assumed position as charter members of the NL Central division starting in 1994.^[34] The league's expansion further included reintroduction of the Division Series—previously held as a one-time event during the 1981 playoffs—and the installation of the Wild Card playoff qualifier for each league. Second, locally for the Astros, manager Art Howe was fired and replaced by Terry Collins for the next season.^[40]

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