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2019 Houston Astros season
Major League Baseball team season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2019 Houston Astros season was the 58th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 55th as the Astros, seventh in both the American League (AL) and AL West division, and 20th at Minute Maid Park. They entered the season as having set a franchise record with 103 wins, defending two-time AL West champions, both with 100 or more wins, an unprecedented feat for Houston. Having reached a second consecutive American League Championship Series (ALCS), their 2018 season ended in a 4-games-to-1 loss to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
Following the 2018 season, the Houston Astros announced that their weekly night games would air on KTRH 740.[1]
Outfielder and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez made his major league debut in June, set a number of records and rare feats, and proceeded to win the AL Rookie of the Month Award each of his first three months.
The Astros sent six players to the All-Star Game held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the most in baseball, including four starters: Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, Justin Verlander, and George Springer; pitchers Gerrit Cole and Ryan Pressly were also selected.
At the July trade deadline, the Astros acquired starting pitchers Zack Greinke—adding a seventh 2019 All-Star to their roster—and Aaron Sanchez. In his Astros debut on August 3, Sanchez tossed the first six innings of a combined no-hitter versus the Seattle Mariners, while Greinke was 8–1 with a 3.02 earned run average (ERA) over 10 starts for Houston. On September 1, Verlander pitched his third career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays while striking out 14. The 12th and 13th no-hitters in club history, it marked the first time that Houston authored two in the same season.
On September 18, the Astros clinched a postseason berth against the Texas Rangers and became the first team since the 2002—2004 New York Yankees to produce three consecutive 100-win seasons. On September 22, the Astros clinched their third straight AL West title. For the first time in franchise history, the Astros led baseball with the best regular-season record. The AL West title signaled the 13th playoff appearance—the fourth since moving to the American League—and 10th division title in franchise history.
In the playoffs, Houston defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series (ALDS) by a margin of three games to two. They proceded to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS by a margin of four games to two, capped by ALCS MVP Jose Altuve's deep series-ending, walk-off home run. Hence, the Astros secured their second AL pennant, third league pennant overall, and a trip to the World Series for the second time in three years. However, Houston were defeated by the Washington Nationals in seven games, a result of the first occurrence in a major league postseason series in which the road team won each of the seven games.
Despite the World Series upset, this Astros team is still considered to have put together one of the best regular seasons, and most talented rosters, in the history of baseball, owing largely to its historic 107-win campaign, earning the biggest share of season-end accolades, and record-breaking individual achievements.[2][3] With seven 2019 All-Stars on its postseason squad, the Astros fielded among the most in baseball history.
Following the season, the Astros led the league with a record six players selected to 2019's inaugural All-MLB Team, including Altuve, Alvarez, Bregman, Cole, Greinke and Verlander. Bregman and Springer were honored with AL Silver Slugger Awards, while Greinke was likewise named along with a Gold Glove based on his play in the National League.
Verlander and Cole, anchoring the starting rotation, virtually replicated each other's production, combining to lead the AL in the pitching Triple Crown categories, and led or placed in the top five in virtually every other measure. Verlander—who led MLB in wins (21), and finished second to Cole in MLB in strikeouts (326 to 300) and in the AL in ERA (2.50 to 2.58)—clinched his second American League Cy Young Award. Cole's second-place finish signaled one of the closest Cy Young votes in history. Alvarez further won AL Rookie of the Year after posting the highest slugging and on-base plus slugging percentages for rookies in history, while Bregman was runner-up for the AL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).
This was the Astros' final season with A. J. Hinch as manager and Jeff Luhnow as general manager; both were fired in January 2020 after MLB investigators confirmed that the team had used electronics to steal opponents’ signs back in the 2017 regular season.
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Off-season
On March 24, 2019, the Astros signed right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander to a two-year, $66 million contract extension to keep him with Houston through the 2021 season.[4]
Regular season
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Game log
Season standings
American League West
Record against opponents
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March and April
In the March 28 contest versus the Tampa Bay Rays, Justin Verlander made his 11th career Opening Day start, and second consecutive for the Astros, earning a 5–1 victory versus reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.[5]
On April 3 versus the Texas Rangers, Carlos Correa collected the 500th hit of his career.[6]
In April 9 game against the New York Yankees, Jose Altuve connected for his 100th career home run off Jonathan Loáisiga in a 6–3 win. Altuve became the 16th player in Astros history to reach 100 home runs.[7] On April 12, Altuve connected for his second career grand slam, and first since 2014, in a 10–6 win over the Seattle Mariners. He hit another home run the next night off Félix Hernández, homering for the fifth consecutive game and sixth home run in that span. Altuve was the first Astro to hit a home run in five consecutive games since Morgan Ensberg's franchise-record six consecutive games in 2006. Verlander, the starting pitcher, struck out eight of the first 10 batters that he faced and 11 of 20 overall. He allowed one run in six innings.[8]
June
On June 9, Yordan Alvarez made his major league debut versus the Baltimore Orioles.[9] He went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in his debut.[10] The following game, Alvarez again homered, this time versus Matt Albers of the Milwaukee Brewers. He became the first Astro to homer in both of his first two games.[11]
Alvarez became the fourth player in MLB history to hit four home runs in his first five career games when he homered off Clayton Richard of the Toronto Blue Jays, joining Trevor Story, Yasiel Puig and Mike Jacobs.[12] On June 23, Alvarez hit a 2-run home run for his seventh home run of the season in only 12 games, establishing an Astros franchise record. He also became the first player in MLB history to drive in 16 runs in his first 12 games.[13]
July
Yuli Gurriel became the first Astro to score a run and RBI in seven consecutive games, and the fifth to homer in five consecutive games on July 7, including a game-tying grand slam in an 11–10 win versus the Los Angeles Angels. He won the AL Player of the Week Award for the week ending July 8, his second weekly honor. He homered six times in all five of the Astros games, collecting nine hits with an OPS of 1.812.[14]
During a contest versus the St. Louis Cardinals on July 28, Jose Altuve homered for his 1,500th career hit, one of three hits in a 6–2 win that afternoon, in his 1,190th career game. The only players in the divisional play era to reach the milestone faster were Ichiro Suzuki, Wade Boggs, Kirby Puckett, Nomar Garciaparra, Tony Gwynn and Derek Jeter.[15]
For the month of July, Gurriel batted .398, .427 OBP, .837 SLG, 18 runs scored, seven doubles, 12 home runs, 31 RBIs over 24 games.[16]
Prior to the trade deadline on July 31, the Astros made three separate trades. From the Arizona Diamondbacks, they acquired right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke for right-handers J. B. Bukauskas and Corbin Martin, outfielder Seth Beer and infielder Joshua Rojas. From the Toronto Blue Jays, the Astros received right-handers Joe Biagini and Aaron Sanchez and minor league OF Cal Stevenson for OF Derek Fisher. Additionally, the Astros sent catcher Max Stassi to the Los Angeles Angels for minor league outfielders Rainier Rivas and Raider Uceta.[17]
MLB named three Astros as winners of three of four AL monthly awards for July, including Gurriel as Player of the Month, Gerrit Cole as Pitcher of the Month, and Alvarez as Rookie of the Month.[18]
August
On August 3, Sanchez and Biagini, both making their Astros debuts, tossed part of a combined no-hitter of the Seattle Mariners, along with Will Harris and Chris Devenski, to lead a 9–0 win. It was the twelfth no-hitter in club history overall, the second combined, and first no-hitter for each pitcher. Sanchez started and worked the first six innings with six strikeouts and two walks allowed, and Harris, Biagini, and Devenski each followed with one inning apiece. The Astros lineup got 15 hits, with Jose Altuve connecting for his 18th home run, and Michael Brantley went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles.[19]
On August 4, Verlander struck out 10 batters over 6 innings in a 3–1 win over the Mariners. With this 10-K performance, Verlander surpassed 200 strikeouts in a season for the ninth time in his career. He joined Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, Pedro Martinez, and Bob Gibson as the only pitchers with nine or more seasons of 200+ strikeouts. All but Clemens and Verlander (ineligible at the time due to still being active) were in the Hall of Fame.[20]
In a 14–3 romp over the Colorado Rockies on August 7, Gurriel homered and tied J. R. Towles with eight RBIs for the club record in one game.[21]
The Astros set a franchise record with 23 runs scored on August 10 at Camden Yards versus the Baltimore Orioles, In the 23–2 win, they also set the franchise record for extra base hits with 13, including six home runs.[22] Three of the home runs came via rookie Yordan Alvarez, including a grand slam. With a career-high seven runs driven in, his total stood at 51 to establish the major league record for the first 45 games.[23]
On August 15, Carlos Correa hit his 100th career home runs in 7–6 loss to the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. He joined Cal Ripken Jr. and Alex Rodriguez as the only major league shortstops to hit 100 career home runs before their 25th birthday. He was also the youngest Astro to hit the milestone home run.[24]
Sanchez was removed from his fourth start for the Astros on August 20 after 2+2⁄3 innings due to pectoral muscle tightness, and later underwent surgery, prematurely ending his season.[25]
September
In the September 1 contest versus the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Verlander pitched his third career no-hitter, the second of the season for the Astros, and 13th in team history. He allowed one baserunner, a walk to Cavan Biggio in the first inning, and struck out 14 batters. The Astros' only runs came on a two-run home run by Abraham Toro in the top of the ninth inning. This was also Verlander's second career no-hitter against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, making him just the third pitcher of the modern era to no-hit the same team twice, and the first to pitch both no-hitters against the same team on the road.[a] He is the sixth pitcher to throw three or more no-hitters in his career.[26][27] On September 7, Verlander continued his domanance, reaching 32 consecutive batters retired, a streak that established an Astros franchise record and was tied by teammate Ryan Pressly in 2022.[28]
On September 8, Gerrit Cole struck out 15 batters over eight innings in a 21–1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. He became just the second pitcher to strike out 14 or more hitters in three consecutive games, joining Pedro Martínez in 1999. It was the sixth outing of the season of at least 10 strikeouts and no walks for Cole, tying the major league record. The 15 strikeouts tied Verlander's Minute Maid Park record, set earlier in the season on June 12 versus the Brewers. It was Cole's 12 consecutive decision won, dating back to May 27, with the Astros going 16–2 in those 18 starts.[29]
The Astros established a major league record on September 9 by hitting six home runs within the first two innings of a 15–0 rout of the A's. Robinson Chirinos and Yordan Alvarez each homered twice, and Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Michael Brantley all added home runs to give the Astros a club record-tying seven in the game.[b] Alvarez (24) passed Correa for the club rookie record for home runs, while increasing his RBI total to 72, which tied for second-highest total through the first 71 games of a career in major league history.[c] Former Astro Mike Fiers (14–4), starting for Oakland, allowed career-highs of both nine runs and five home runs on nine hits in one-plus innings. Combined with the 21-run output the day before versus Seattle, the Astros established a club record with 36 runs scored over two games, including 32 runs over a nine-inning span. The 32 runs were second in major league history within a nine-inning span only to the 2007 Texas Rangers, which included a record 30–3 win over Baltimore, per the Elias Sports Bureau.[30] The following day, the Athletics won, 21–7, on a franchise record-tying 25 hits, which they had last achieved in 1969. Astros starter Wade Miley (13–5) had got just one out when pulled in the first after the A's led 6–0, following his last start in Seattle where he had allowed five runs without recording any outs. Still, it was his first loss since June 17. The Astros became the first MLB team since 1893 to play three consecutive contests decided by 14 or more runs each.[31]
On September 18 versus Texas, Cole struck out his 300th batter of the season, Shin-Soo Choo, in a 3–2 win. Cole became the 18th major leaguer and third Astros pitcher to reach the milestone, following J. R. Richard (303 in 1978 and 313 in 1979) and Mike Scott (306 in 1986). Cole also became the second-fastest pitcher to register 300 strikeouts in terms of innings pitched; his 198+1⁄3 innings trailed only Randy Johnson's 197+2⁄3 IP in 2001. The win, the Astros' 100th of the season, clinched at least a share of a Wild Card berth, and made them the sixth team in history to win at least 100 games in three consecutive seasons.[32] The Astros clinched the AL West division title at Minute Maid Park on September 22, their 102nd win of the year, third straight division title, and first three-peat since the 1997–99 seasons. Justin Verlander and George Springer led a 13–5 defeat of the Los Angeles Angels. Verlander won his 20th game of the season, Springer connected for three home runs, Yordan Alvarez collected four hits, and Aledmys Díaz added a three-run home run.[33]
Will Harris tossed an immaculate inning in the eighth inning versus the Angels on September 27.[34]
On September 28, Verlander struck out the Angels' Kole Calhoun to register both his 3000th career strikeout and 300th on the season. Verlander and Cole became the second teammate duo since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with the 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks to reach 300 strikeouts.[35]
The Astros also clinched home field advantage throughout the MLB postseason on September 28.
Alvarez' .655 slugging percentage (SLG)[36] and 1.067 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) were both the highest in history for a qualified rookie, exceeding Shoeless Joe Jackson's 1.058 OPS during his 1911 rookie campaign (minimum 350 plate appearances).[37]
- In the clubhouse after their ALCS victory,[38] Houston assistant general manager Brandon Taubman taunted female reporters. The team initially denied a Sports Illustrated report about his behavior, and accused the publication of making up the story. The Astros later fired Taubman, retracted their statement and issued an apology.[39]
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Player stats
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Batting
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
Pitching
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
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Postseason
Game log
Postseason rosters
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Awards and achievements
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Grand slams
Awards
Statistical leaders
All players
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Roster
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Farm system
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See also
- List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason streaks
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning
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References
External links
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