The 1995 Houston Astros season was the 34th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 31st as the Astros, 34th in the National League (NL), second in the NL Central division, and 31st at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season with a 66âÂÂ49 record, a second-place finish and game behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds, prior to the cancellation of the remaining 47 games of the regular season and entire playoffs as a response to the players' strike.
The strike continued to impact the start of the 1995 season, leading to further cancellation of the first 18 games of the regular season. The season began for Houston on April 26 at Jack Murphy Stadium, where pitcher Doug Drabek made his second Opening Day start for the Astros, who defeated the San Diego Padres, 10âÂÂ2.
Second baseman Craig Biggio was selected to represent the Astros at the MLB All-Star game, his fourth career selection. The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher Tony McKnight, at 22nd overall.
With a 76âÂÂ68 finish and 9 games out of first place behind the division-champion Cincinnati in the NL Central, the Astros secured their fourth consecutive season with a record of at least .500âÂÂan unprecedented feat for the organization at the timeâÂÂand a second-consecutive finish as high as second place. The Astros were also runners-up in the NL Wild Card race, trailing the Colorado Rockies by 1 game.
Following the season, Biggio earned his third career Silver Slugger Award, and second career Gold Glove Award, while shortstop Orlando Miller was selected to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.
The Houston Astros concluded the strike-shortened 1994 campaign with a record through 115 games, trailing the Cincinnati Reds by a game for the National League (NL) Central division lead and the Atlanta Braves by games in the NL Wild Card race. No playoffs were held, either, as a response to the players' strike. Awards were still bestowed in spite of the truncated campaign, and first baseman Jeff Bagwell became the fourth National Leaguer to be unanimously selected for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and first Astro to win an MVP. Bagwell ranked second in the league each with a .368 batting average and 39 home runs, while leading with 104 runs scored, 116 runs batted in (RBI), and .750 slugging percentage (SLG), the latter figure of which was highest in the National League since Rogers Hornsby in 1925 (.756). Second baseman Craig Biggio led the NL in doubles (44) and stolen bases (39). Moreover, the infield duo became the first players in club history to be conferred with the both Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards for their respective positions during the same season.
The Astros commenced their 1995 campaign on April 26 at Jack Murphy Stadium, where they defeated the San Diego Padres, 10âÂÂ2. During the top of the third inning, Jeff Bagwell cranked the premier home run of the season off his final pitcher faced from the year priorâÂÂa hit by pitch had fractured his left handâÂÂPadres starter Andy Benes. The following batter, Derek Bell, took Benes deep to give the Astros a 3âÂÂ0 advantage. Former Padre Phil Plantier also homered and delivered two runs batted in (RBI). During the top of the eighth, the Astros scored five unearned runs as Bagwell and Bell coaxed bases-loaded walks, and Luis Gonzalez scored on an error by new Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti. Dave Magadan then singled in Bagwell and Bell. Doug Drabek made his second Opening Day start for Houston, worked five innings, and picked up the victory.
Catcher Tony Eusebio cranked his first career grand slam on May 19, in the bottom of the seventh off Reid Cornelius. This punctuated a 10-2 triumph over the Montreal Expos. Earlier in the contest, young pitcher Pedro Martinez yielded a home run to Jeff Bagwell, his third of the season.
With the score tied 1âÂÂ1 on May 20, Expos pitcher Jeff Shaw walked in Craig Biggio for the game-winning run as Houston won, 2âÂÂ1.
Greg Swindell got a run batted in (RBI)-double on June 5 to bring the Astros back against the Florida Marlins. Meanwhile, Biggio delivered a three-run, walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a 6âÂÂ5 Houston win.
On June 16, the Astros outlasted the New York Mets in a 16-inning thriller to win, 7-5. Houston had gained the lead two separate times in extra innings, first in the 12th and again in the 15th. The Astros recaptured the lead for good after loading the bases for Jeff Bagwell.
Bagwell crushed his 100th career home run on June 20, launching a Gil Heredia offering over the left field wall at Olympic Stadium in the top of the seventh inning. The solo home run extended Houston's lead to 5âÂÂ2 over the Montreal Expos.
Derek Bell had four hits on June 23 against the Chicago Cubs, while the Astros tied the game 2âÂÂ2 in the bottom of the ninth. Bell's fourth hit came in the 12th inning, where he delivered the game-winning RBI for a 3âÂÂ2 Astros win.
On June 25, the Astros erupted for a club-record 19 runs, pulverizing Cubs pitching in a 19âÂÂ6 final at the Astrodome. Bagwell connected for a three-run blast in the seventh and led the way with five RBI. The home team poured it on during their final at bat in the eighth. John Cangelosi drilled a three-run blast off Bryan Hickerson as the Astros scored nine more times.
Orlando Miller crushed a three-run blast on June 26 and drove in five to lead an 11âÂÂ0 blanking of the St. Louis Cardinals. Greg Swindell spun a complete game shutout as he received 10 runs of support within the opening two frames. Luis Gonzalez provided three hits and plated three runs.
On June 28, Eusebio launched his career grand slam and second of the season, during the bottom of the eighth inning at the Astrodome, to put the finishing touches on a 9âÂÂ0 blowout over the Cardinals. The Astros cranked five doubles, including two from Bagwell. Mike Hampton fired eight shutout innings to pick up his second win of the season. Meanwhile, coinciding with the contest of Eusebio's first grand slam, a Pedro MartÃÂnez took the mound, this time for the Astros, with the left-hander finishing off the contest with a scoreless ninth inning.
Second baseman Craig Biggio was selected to the starting lineup for the National League at the MLB All-Star game, where he slugged a home run, the first Astro to hit a home run in the All-Star Game since César Cedeño in the 1976 Classic. The first Houston Astros All-Star starter at any position since pitcher Mike Scott in 1987, Biggio joined Joe Morgan as Astros second basemen to be elected as starters. However, it was Biggio who became first in club history to be in the All-Star starting lineup at second base.
Left-hander Billy Wagner landed his major league debut on September 13, facing a single batter during the one and only major league appearance of the season for the southpaw who bore jersey number 13. Wagner entered during the bottom of the sixth at Shea Stadium and faced and retired Rico Brogna on fly ball to center field. The Mets ran away with this one, 10âÂÂ5. Damon Buford took Astros starter Mike Hampton (9âÂÂ7) deep twice. Future Astros Carl Everett and Jeff Kent also feasted on mistake offerings, taking them deep.
The Astros took the chase for MLB's first-ever Wild Card since the conclusion of the players' strike to the final day of the regular season, and finished as runners-up to the Colorado Rockies for the NL title by one game. Thus, they made their closest bid to their first playoff berth in nine seasons.
With a final record of 76âÂÂ68, this Astros club produced the fourth consecutive arc since 1992 with a record of at least .500âÂÂunprecedented in any prior instance in franchise historyâÂÂwhile also matching the 1979, 1980, 1981 clubs with three successive winning campaigns, the longest to that point in franchise history. Not losing momentum, Houston surpassed this franchise record the following year, and would continue to intervene to extend this new record through the 1999 campaign.
The 1995 Astros set club records for runs scored (747) and on-base percentage (.353 OBP), surpassing the 1970 (744 runs) and 1994 squads (.347 OBP), while finishing second to the latter team in batting average (.278, .275). The Astros broke the franchise runs-scored record again the following year and for OBP in 1998. In the National League, Houston ranked first in OBP and bases on balls (566), second in each of batting, hits (1403), and stolen bases (176), and fourth in on-base plus slugging (.752 OPS).
Biggio was recognized with both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards for the second consecutive year, becoming the first Astros player with both awards over successive campaigns, and the first Astro to win either award for the position at second base. Having won the Silver Slugger at catcher in 1989, Biggio took over the lead for total Silver Sluggers won in club history, with three. He joined José Cruz (1983 and 1984) as just the second Astro to win the Silver Slugger in consecutive years. Biggio became the first Astro since César Cedeño (1975 and 1976) to win consecutive Gold Glove Awards, while also joining Cedeño and Doug Rader as the third Astro with multiple Gold Gloves (5 each).
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts