What happened today in team history?
1963 – First Sunday night game
For the first time in National League history, a game is played on Sunday night. Taking place in Colt Stadium between the Colt .45s and San Francisco Giants, Houston won 3-0 to sweep the series. The reason for the night game was because of the heat that was making it difficult to play during the 1962 season.
1985 – Joe Niekro day
Houston Astros pitcher Joe Niekro became the winningest pitcher in franchise history after a two-hit shutout against the Giants. Niekro had six other chances to get this win, but failed in all of them to get his 138th win. There were even stories of Niekro jokingly offering to pay hitters to let him win.
2015 – Slam for Correa
After singling in his MLB debut the night before, Astros rookie Carlos Correa goes yard for his first time in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. This home run also gave him his first multi-hit game of the season; one that ended in Rookie of the Year honors.
What else happened on this day?
1914
Pittsburgh Pirates legend Honus Wagner became the first player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits with a double during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
1946
Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams hit the furthest home run in Fenway Park history, going 37 rows up into right field. The seat was eventually painted red in commemoration of it.
1966
Minnesota Twins first baseman Harmon Killebrew starts off a rally to help the Twins become the first team in baseball history to homer five-consecutive times in one inning.