2006 Houston Astros season

Regular season

Summary

April

;Opening Day starting lineup

During the second game of a doubleheader on April 13 at AT&T Park versus the San Francisco Giants, Morgan Ensberg commenced a personal season-high 10-game hitting streak, that lasted until April 23. During that time, he posted a batting average of .410, and the Astros went 8–2.

From April 15–21, Ensberg established a club record by homering over six consecutive contests, during a series at the Arizona Diamondbaks, and hosting the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates. During the streak, Ensberg hit 7 home runs with 13 runs batted in (RBI), while slashing .480 batting average (12-for-25) /.536 on-base percentage (OBP) / 1.400 slugging percentage (SLG) / 1.936 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). After going 1-for-4 (single) with two bases on balls on April 22, he added another home run on April 23, for eight over a span of eight games.

On April 17, Preston Wilson became the first player in club history to earn the platinum sombrero, a mythical award for striking out five times in one game, also tying the major league record for a nine-inning game. Ensberg and Jason Lane, batting before and after Wilson in the order, respectively, helped picked their teammate by supplying deep drives. Craig Biggio had three hits and doubled as the Astros pulled off an 8–7 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers.

May—June

Houston started the season off strong, in club-record fashion, by winning 19 of their first 28 games.

On the verge of losing their sixth consecutive game on May 28, Houston trailed the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–0 heading into the ninth inning. The tied the score thanks in part to two bases-loaded wallsk, and in the 10th inning, Preston Wilson hit the walk-off single to win the game for the Astros.

The Astros and right-hander Roger Clemens agreed to terms on May 31 that brought him back to Houston for the final four months of the season. The total value of the contract amounted to $22 million. Clemens started 19 games and posted a 2.30 earned run average (ERA).

Lance Berkman connected for his 200th career home run on June 21, a solo shot in the bottom of the first at Minute Maid Park off Carlos Silva During the bottom of the eighth, Jason Lane singled in Preston Wilson for the go-ahead run. Dan Wheeler (1–4) tossed a scoreless eighth to earn his first victory of the season while, in the ninth, Brad Lidge struck out the side to close out his 19th save and preserve the Astros' 4–3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

On June 25, the Chicago White Sox nearly completed a comeback with Houston ahead, 9–2, after eight strong innings from Roy Oswalt. The Astros won, 10–9 in the 13th inning via an RBI triple from Adam Everett. Tadahito Iguchi, who belted a three-run home run, started the comeback for Chicago.

July

Sponsored by DHL, Major League Baseball announced a one-time poll on July 17 among five pre-selected candidates for each major league club. In this format, fans could cast their vote for each MLB team for the player whom they deemed as the greatest in that franchise's history, whether that person was retired or still active. The Astros' full field of nominees included Biggio, former first baseman Jeff Bagwell, pitchers Nolan Ryan and Larry Dierker, and outfielder Jimmy Wynn.

Commencing July 27 versus the Cincinnati Reds, center fielder Willy Taveras amassed a 30-game hitting streak to set the Astros' franchise record, which surpassed Jeff Kent's 25-game streak accomplished in 2004. The streak ended on August 29 when Taveras went 0-for-3, including twice hit by pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers. During the streak, Taveras had a .349 batting average, .441 on-base percentage (OBP), and .867 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Taveras' streak ranked as second-longest in the major leagues that season to 35 by Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, whose transpired from June 23–August 3.

Luke Scott's cycle

On July 28, right fielder Luke Scott hit for the cycle, which spanned six at bats and 11 innings in an 8–7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the fourth inning, Scott homered, then hit a triple onto Tal's Hill in the fifth, and doubled in the seventh. He grounded out in the ninth inning, but got the single in his final at bat in the 11th inning.

Having occurred in the "reverse" order of extra-base hits, Scott's was a "reverse cycle," the fourth in National League history, and seventh in the major leagues.

Scott's cycle was the first-ever by an Astros rookie, and first by a Houston Astro since teammate Craig Biggio did so on April 8, 2002. The next Astros player to hit for cycle was Brandon Barnes on July 19, 2013.

August

From August 2–11, Morgan Ensberg coaxed a base on balls in nine consecutive games, for 11 total.

September

Clemens, making his 15th start on September 4, faced rookie Cole Hamels of Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. Through three innings, Clemens had struck four and surrendered just one hit—to the pitcher Hamels. Clemens became uncharacteristically wild in the fourth by issuing a leadoff base on balls to Shane Victorino, hit Chase Utley, and walked Ryan Howard to load the bases. Another walk with one out to Jeff Conine forced home a run, but a double play ground ball then ended the frame to avert further damage. Clemens then exit early due to a stained groin, and in the sixth, with his spot due in the lineup, manager Phil Garner chose to pinch hit for Clemens with rookie Charlton Jimerson. Jimerson, who had never had a prior plate appearance in the major leagues, had made just one appearance as a defensive substitution for his major league debut nearly one year prior, on September 14, 2005. At this point, Hamels was cruising with a perfect game in progress. On a count of two balls and one strike, Jimerson launched the next Hamels offering deep over the center field fence for his first career home run, simultaneously ending the bid for a perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout after innings, and tying the contest, 1–1. The contest ended tied through regulation, 2–2. Astros reliever Dave Borkowski assumed the bottom of the tenth with the scored still tied. However, after getting two outs, Utley blasted a walk-off home run to end it, 3–2.

On September 13, 2006, Lance Berkman became just the second switch hitter in Major League history to crank 40 or more homers over multiple seasons, with Mickey Mantle being the first.

On September 20, Houston, in second place, trailed St. Louis by games. The Astros gave a close chase by winning 10 of the final 12 games, including gaining eight games over eight days, to pull within a game with three remaining. However, they lost two of their final three to the Atlanta Braves to arrive at an overall record of 82–80. Houston remained in second place and finished out games behind the eventual World Series champion Cardinals, narrowly missing the playoffs for the first time since 2003. This represented the sixth consecutive winning season for St. Louis.

Performance overview

The Astros concluded the 2006 season with an 82–80 record, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals—that year's World Series champion—by games. For the third successive campaign, Houston wound up runners-up in the NL Central to the Cardinals. Hence, for the second time in four seasons, Houston missed the playoffs by fewer than 2 games, likewise following the 2003 season. This was the first of nine consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs through 2014, a streak that lengthy had last occurred from 1987 to 1996.

In continuation of a long era of regular-season success, since the inception of the NL Central division in 1994, Houston had concluded the regular season in either first or second place twelve times in 13 seasons, excluding the 2000 campaign. Furthermore, during a span of 17 seasons commencing in 1992, the 2006 campaign represented the fourteenth of 15 having posted a .500 winning percentage or higher.

Retired right-hander Nolan Ryan was unveiled as the Astros' DHL Hometown Hero on October 1 based on a fan vote available during the summer. The award was intended to recognize each MLB team's marquee player throughout all their history, including past and present legends. In fact, Ryan received the same award as a Texas Ranger, the only player who represented two teams. The Astros' full field of nominees included Biggio and former players first baseman Jeff Bagwell, outfielder Jimmy Wynn, and pitcher Larry Dierker.

Second baseman Craig Biggio concluded his 19th major league campaign with 2,930 hits. Just 70 away from the 3,000 hit club, the small margin implied inevitability of realizing the milestone hit the following season. Including hits, Biggio held many career franchise records.

Oswalt won the NL earned run average title (2.98 ERA) to succeed Clemens (1.87 ERA in 2005) as the second-consecutive Astro to lead the league. The duo also joined Mike Scott (2.22 in 1986) and Nolan Ryan (2.76 in 1987) as Astros pitcher who have led the league in ERA in consecutive seasons. The seventh ERA title overall in franchise history, Oswalt was preceded by J. R. Richard (2.71 in 1979), Ryan (twice, first 1.69 in 1981), Scott in 1986, Ryan again in 1987, and Danny Darwin in (2.21 in 1990). Oswalt also excelled with control, yielding career-bests in ERA-qualified seasons with an NL-leading 4.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB), while surrendering just 1.5 bases on balls per nine innings pitched (BB/9), good for second in the NL.

Berkman produced 45 home runs and 136 runs batted in (RBI) to establish National League records among switch hitters in both categories, while setting the franchise RBI record, which surpassed Jeff Bagwell's 135 RBI in 1997.

Shortstop Adam Everett recorded a .990 fielding percentage, the fourth-best in major league history at the position.

Standings

National League Central

Record vs. opponents

Transactions

• March 30, 2006: Cody Ransom was purchased by the Houston Astros from the Seattle Mariners.
• July 12, 2006: Aubrey Huff was traded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with cash to the Houston Astros for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot (minors).

Roster

Player stats

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 percentage

Source:https://baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2006-batting.shtml

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

Source:https://baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2006-pitching.shtml

Awards and achievements

;Career honors

• DHL Hometown Hero: Nolan Ryan

;Annual awards

• Darryl Kile Good Guy Award: Brad Lidge
• Fielding Bible—shortstop: Adam Everett
• Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball: Dan Cunningham
• Heart & Hustle Award: Craig Biggio
• Houston-Area Major League Player of the Year: Carl Crawford (TBR)
• Houston Astros Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award: Lance Berkman
• Houston Astros Pitcher of the Year: Roy Oswalt
• Houston Astros Rookie of the Year: Luke Scott
• National League (NL) Pitcher of the Month—September: Roy Oswalt

;NL batting leaders

• Sacrifice hits: Roy Oswalt (20)

;NL pitching leaders

• Earned run average (ERA): Roy Oswalt (2.98)
• Games started: Andy Pettitte (35)
• Strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB): Roy Oswalt (4.27)

Minor league system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Corpus Christi

;Awards

• All-Star Futures Game: Jason Hirsh, RHP
• Pacific Coast League All-Star: Jason Hirsh, RHP
• Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year: Jason Hirsh, RHP
• Texas League Pitcher of the Year: Matt Albers, RHP
• Triple-A All-Star: Jason Hirsh, RHP

Notes

References

;Footnotes

References

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