Regular season
Summary
April
- Opening Day starting lineup [5]
Julio Lugo ss
Craig Biggio 2b
Jeff Bagwell 1b
Lance Berkman lf
Richard Hidalgo cf
Daryle Ward ff
Brad Ausmus C
Chris Truby 3b
Scott Elarton P
May
With an infield single on May 4, Craig Biggio realized his 2,000th career hit, doing so at Olympic Stadium. He became the first Astros to attain the entirety of his 2,000 hits with the franchise, as well as the first player to attain this career milestone with the club. [6]
On May 6, right-hander Roy Oswalt made his major league debut at Olympic Stadium, as a relief appearance to close out a 13–7 Astons win over the Montreal Expos. Jeff Bagwell was 4-for-5 with a home run and 5 runs batted in (RBI), Richard Hidalgo and Moisés Alou homered, and Lance Berkman went 3-for-4 with a triple and a stolen base. Scott Elarton earned the win for Houston in spite of allowing nine hits and six runs over five innings. Mike Jackson and Octavio Dotel followed Elarton with three scoreless innings. Oswalt pitched the ninth and got Vladimir Guerrero for the first strikeout of his career. Next, José Vidro hit a line drive for a single, and former Astro Geoff Blum, who was 4-for-5, doubled to deep left center to score Vidrio. Finally, Oswalt retired Milton Bradley on a ground ball to Bagwell to limit the damage to one run surrendered that day and close out the game. [7]
By connecting for a triple on May 7 against the Chicago Cubs, Bagwell achieved the 700th extra base hit of his career. [8]
While tossing six innings with three runs surrendered on May 30, Wade Miller also helped himself at the plate with a 3-for-3 performance to earn his seventh win and lead Houston to a 7–4 win over the San Diego Padres. The win also ended an eight-game losing streak that had plunged the Astros below .500. [9]
June
Richard Hidalgo slugged the walk-off home run and his fourth hit of the night on June 1, in the bottom of the ninth against the Los Angeles Dodgers for Houston's 10–9 win. Hidalgo’s effort was augmented by Vinny Castilla, who collected three hits and a home run. [10]
On June 8, the first-ever interleague game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers took place at The Ballpark at Arlington, initiating the rivalry known as the Lone Star Series. The Astros won the first game by a score of 5-4, [11] on a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning from designated hitter Moisés Alou. [12] The team that would win the most games between the two in a season would be awarded the Silver Boot. On June 10, Orlando Merced stroked a pinch-hit, two-out, three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give the Astros the lead and eventual 6–5 win, which also decided into the Astros winning their first series against the Rangers. [13]
Bagwell and Lance Berkman had 4 RBI apiece on June 18 to lead a 13–5 win over the Colorado Rockies, although the Rockies outhit the Astros, 14–12. [14]
The Astros launched five home runs on June 21 against the Cincinnati Reds, but still lost in 11 innings, 8–7. Craig Biggio, Bagwell, Hidalgo and Berkman (twice) all connected for Houston. The Reds hit four home runs. [15] The following game, Alou commenced a 23-game hitting streak and had 2 RBI, though Housston dropped a second-consecutive extra innings contest to Cincinnati, 7–5. [16]
July
For the second time in his career, Bagwell amassed seven runs batted in (RBI) in a game – the second time he tied the club record – against the Kansas City Royals on July 7. [8] Over four successive games from July 8–13, Bagwell homered and totaled five home runs in that span. [17]
While hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at Enron Field on July 18, Bagwell hit for the cycle. He went 4-for-5 with a BB and five RBI as the Astros won, 17–11. [18] [19] In the second-highest scoring game in the stadium's history, he collected each of the four hits off a different pitcher, including two in the same inning: a single in the first off Mike Matthews, double in the fifth off Luther Hackman, homer in the fifth off Gene Stechschulte and a triple in the seventh off Andy Benes. [20] It was the Astros' first cycle since Andújar Cedeño at The Astrodome on August 25, 1992, and Biggio hit the next on April 8, 2002. [21] With 11 extra-base hits, the Astros tied the franchise record set the year prior in a game against the Cubs. [22] The two clubs combined for 14 runs in the fifth inning: St. Louis scored six to erase a 6–2 deficit, and in the bottom of the inning, Houston tallied eight to take the lead for good. Meanwhile, Alou also homered among three hits to extend the 23rd consecutive and final game of his hitting streak, [16] tying Ichiro Suzuki for longest in the majors that year, [22] and tying Art Howe (1981) and Luis Gonzalez (1997) for the-second longest in club history. Teammate Tony Eusebio had hit in 24 consecutive the year prior to establish the club record at the time. [23]
Bagwell was named NL Player of the Month for July after batting .333 with nine HR, breaking his own club record with 36 RBI in a month, exceeding 34 RBI in August 2000. [8]
August
While hitting his 32nd HR on August 19, 2001, against Pittsburgh, Bagwell collected his 100th RBI. It was the sixth consecutive season he reached at least 30 HR and 100 RBI, making him the eighth player in MLB history to achieve such a streak, and the only Houston player to do so. Five days later, also against Pittsburgh, he scored his 100th run, joining Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history with six consecutive seasons of 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. On September 30 at Chicago, Bagwell walked for his 100th of the season, thus making him the only player in MLB history register six consecutive seasons of at least 30 HR, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks. [8]
Starting August 30 to September 18, Oswalt tossed 24 consecutive scoreless innings before yielding a home run at Pacific Bell Park to Andrés Galarraga of the San Francisco Giants. [24]
September—October
Oswalt earned his first major league shutout on September 9, tossing it at home against the Milwuakee Brewers and striking out a career-high 12. [24]
On October 4, Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season off Houston pitcher Wilfredo Rodríguez to tie Mark McGwire's single season home run record. [25]
Having lost seven of their previous eight, on October 7, the Astros commenced the final day of the regular season needing just one win to clinch their fourth NL Central division title in five years. Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo homered, while starter Shane Reynolds stymied the Cardinals for just one run over 7+1⁄3 innings. His 100th career win, Reynolds led the Astros to a 9–2 win. Though the win evened Houston and St. Louis with identical 93–69 records, the Astros became the division champions by winning the season series, 9–7, from St. Louis. [26]
Oswalt, who pitched 28 games including 20 starts in total as a first-year major leaguer, turned in a 2.73 earned run average (ERA). With a stellar 14–3 win–loss record, this set the franchise record for wins by a rookie pitcher. [27]
Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | 93 | 69 | .574 | — | 44–37 | 49–32 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 93 | 69 | .574 | — | 54–28 | 39–41 |
| Chicago Cubs | 88 | 74 | .543 | 5 | 48–33 | 40–41 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 68 | 94 | .420 | 25 | 36–45 | 32–49 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 66 | 96 | .407 | 27 | 27–54 | 39–42 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 100 | .383 | 31 | 38–43 | 24–57 |
Record vs. opponents
Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2001 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
| Arizona | — | 5–2 | 6–3 | 5–1 | 13–6 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 10–9 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 12–7 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 7–8 |
| Atlanta | 2–5 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 3–3 | 13–6 | 10–9 | 10–9 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–9 |
| Chicago | 3–6 | 2–4 | — | 13–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 8–9 | 4–2 | 8–9 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 10–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 9–8 | 9–6 |
| Cincinnati | 1–5 | 2–4 | 4–13 | — | 3–6 | 4–2 | 6–11 | 4–2 | 6–10 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 9–8 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 7–10 | 4–11 |
| Colorado | 6–13 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–3 | — | 4–2 | 2–4 | 8–11 | 5–1 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 9–10 | 9–10 | 6–3 | 2–10 |
| Florida | 2–4 | 10–9 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | — | 3–3 | 2–5 | 4–2 | 12–7 | 7–12 | 5–14 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 12–6 |
| Houston | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–8 | 11–6 | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 2–4 | 12–5 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 9–8 | 3–6 | 3–3 | 9–7 | 9–6 |
| Los Angeles | 9–10 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 11–8 | 5–2 | 4–2 | — | 5–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 7–2 | 9–10 | 11–8 | 3–3 | 6–9 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 9–8 | 10–6 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 5–12 | 1–5 | — | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 6–11 | 1–5 | 5–4 | 7–10 | 5–10 |
| Montreal | 3–3 | 6–13 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 7–12 | 0–6 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 8–11 | 9–10 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| New York | 3–3 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 12–7 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 11–8 | — | 11–8 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 10–8 |
| Philadelphia | 4–3 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 14–5 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 10–9 | 8–11 | — | 5–1 | 5–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 7–11 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–4 | 1–5 | 6–10 | 8–9 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 8–9 | 2–7 | 11–6 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 1–5 | — | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–14 | 8–7 |
| San Diego | 7–12 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 10–9 | 4–3 | 6–3 | 10–9 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–5 | 4–2 | — | 5–14 | 1–5 | 6–9 |
| San Francisco | 9–10 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 8–11 | 4–5 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 14–5 | — | 4–2 | 10–5 |
| St. Louis | 4–2 | 3–3 | 8–9 | 10–7 | 3–6 | 3–3 | 7–9 | 3–3 | 10–7 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 14–3 | 5–1 | 2–4 | — | 8–7 |
Transactions
- June 5, 2001: Kirk Saarloos was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 3rd round of the 2001 amateur draft. Player signed June 24, 2001. [28]
- July 9, 2001: Charlie Hayes was released by the Houston Astros. [3]
Roster
| 2001 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
| Outfielders
Other batters
| Manager Coaches
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