Regular season
Summary
April—May
- Opening Day starting lineup [4] [5]
| 7 | Craig Biggio | 2B |
| 28 | Adam Everett | SS |
| 17 | Lance Berkman | 1B |
| 45 | Carlos Lee | LF |
| 14 | Morgan Ensberg | 3B |
| 30 | Luke Scott | RF |
| 2 | Chis Burke | CF |
| 11 | Brad Ausmus | C |
| 44 | Roy Oswalt | P |
| Venue: | Minute Maid Park • PIT 4, | HOU 2 |
Shortstop Adam Everett connected for a go-ahead home run on April 9 in the eighth inning off Bob Howry of the Chicago Cubs and set up an eventual 5–3 Astros' win. The drive was the 34th of Everett's career, which set a franchise record for the position, surpassing Dickie Thon, who was the club's shortstop from 1981–1987. [6]
On April 28, the Astros purchased the contract of Hunter Pence, the organization's top prospect from Triple-A affiliate, and made his debut that night where he got his first career hit and run scored.
In backing up Roy Oswalt on May 12, Craig Biggio smashed his 647th double to pass Carl Yastrzemski into seventh place all-time in major league history. Meanwhile, Houston cruised to a 10–4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. [7]
By May 2007, the Astros had suffered one of their worst losing streaks since the 1995 season with 10 losses in a row, losing 4–3 to the Cincinnati Reds on May 30. The Astros were just one loss shy of tying their worst skid in franchise history, before snapping that streak the next day, also against the Reds.
June–July
On June 12, the Astros defeated the Oakland Athletics for the first time in team history.
Second baseman Craig Biggio hit an extra innings RBI double on June 24, as raising the Astros' lead to 12–9 after having surrendered two separate leads. This double was the 658th of his career, the most for right-handed batters in major league history. [8]
During a 5-for-5 performance on June 28, Biggio recorded his 3,000th career hit in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies, becoming the 27th player in MLB history to do so, first in Astros history, and the first Astro with all 3,000 with the club. Number 3,000 was a single in that drove in Brad Ausmus for one of eight runs in an 8–5 Astros win. [9] Jeff Bagwell, who played first base for the Astros alongside Biggio for 15 seasons, was in the dugout and emerged to congratulate him. The Astros fans, who had momentarily quieted after cheering Biggio for his achievement, erupted into cheers again the moment Biggio dragged Bagwell onto the playing field and to the first base line. "The thing with Baggy is that he and I worked so hard here for this city and for this organization," Biggio remarked. "We made so many sacrifices as far as playing the game and giving your body to a city, a team." Together, they bowed to the crowd as Bagwell raised Biggio's arm and returned to the dugout. [10] In the bottom of the 11th inning of the same game, Carlos Lee hit a towering walk-off grand slam to win the game for the Astros.
On July 24, Biggio announced that he would be retiring at the end of the 2007 season, his 20th season with the club (and a franchise record). He hit a grand slam in that night's game which broke a 3–3 tie and led to an Astros win.
On July 28, the Astros traded RHP Dan Wheeler to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for right-handed slugger 3B Ty Wigginton and cash considerations. He was signed through 2009. On July 29, long time and former All-Star third baseman Morgan Ensberg was designated for assignment to make room for newly acquired Wigginton.
August—September
On August 26, the club officially retired Bagwell's jersey number 5 prior to the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the eighth player in Astros history to have his number retired. [11] Three first bases were used in the game, each embossed with a commemorative insignia that said, "No. 5, Jeff Bagwell jersey retirement, Aug. 26, 2007." One was given to Bagwell and the other two were auctioned to raise funds on behalf of the Astros in Action Foundation. [12]
On August 27, manager Phil Garner and General Manager Tim Purpura were relieved of their duties. Cecil Cooper and Tal Smith were named as temporary replacements, respectively.
On September 17, in a 6–0 loss to the Brewers the Astros were officially eliminated from the 2007 playoffs.
On September 20, Ed Wade was named as the new General Manager of the Astros. He made his first move as GM by trading Jason Lane to the Padres on September 24.
In just his sixth major league game, on September 20, catcher J. R. Towles established a single-game club record with eight runs batted in (RBI). Towles doubled twice, homered, and drew a base on balls and hit by pitch on the way to leading an 18–1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals [Note 2] [13]
Towles also ended each of his first 41 plate appearance and 38 at bats in the major leagues without having been retired via strikeout, a streak that concluded on September 28 versus the Atlanta Braves. He had made his major league debut on on September 5 in a 14–2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. [14] These streaks were second to the franchise records of 43 plate appearances and 41 at bats established by infielder Alex Taveras on September 29, 1976. [15]
On September 30, Craig Biggio retired, ending a 20-year playing career with the Astros.
For the first time since 2002, the Astros had two sluggers reach the 30-home run mark (Berkman, Lee). Lee, in his first year as an Astro of six after having signed as a free agent in the offseason, also drove in a career-best 119 runs. Rookie Hunter Pence added 17 home runs, at the time, the third-highest for a rookie in club history. [16]
The Houston Astros concluded the 2007 season with a record of 73–89, in fourth place in the NL Central division, and 12 games behind division-champion Cubs. The Astros ended the season by winning five of their final six games, and 10 of 15. With a home record of 42–39, it was the seventh consecutive season the club concluded with a winning record at Minute Maid Park. [16] Since 1992, Houston had finished below .500 overall just one other time, in 2000 (72–90), part of one of the most successful periods in franchise history. [17]
Season standings
National League Central
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | 85 | 77 | .525 | — | 44–37 | 41–40 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 83 | 79 | .512 | 2 | 51–30 | 32–49 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 78 | 84 | .481 | 7 | 43–38 | 35–46 |
| Houston Astros | 73 | 89 | .451 | 12 | 42–39 | 31–50 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 72 | 90 | .444 | 13 | 39–42 | 33–48 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 68 | 94 | .420 | 17 | 37–44 | 31–50 |
Record vs. opponents
Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2007 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | WAS | AL |
| Arizona | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 6–1 | 5–2 | 8–10 | 2–5 | 3–4 | 5–1 | 5–4 | 10–8 | 10–8 | 4–3 | 6–1 | 8–7 |
| Atlanta | 2–4 | — | 5–4 | 1–6 | 4–2 | 10–8 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 5–2 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 5–1 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 3–4 | 11–7 | 4–11 |
| Chicago | 2–4 | 4–5 | — | 9–9 | 5–2 | 0–6 | 8–7 | 2–5 | 9–6 | 2–5 | 3–4 | 8–7 | 3–5 | 5–2 | 11–5 | 6–1 | 8–4 |
| Cincinnati | 4–2 | 6–1 | 9–9 | — | 2–4 | 4–3 | 4–11 | 2–4 | 8–7 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 9–7 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 6–9 | 1–6 | 7-11 |
| Colorado | 10–8 | 2–4 | 2–5 | 4–2 | — | 3–3 | 3–4 | 12–6 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 11–8 | 10–8 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 10–8 |
| Florida | 1–6 | 8–10 | 6–0 | 3–4 | 3–3 | — | 2–3 | 4–3 | 2–5 | 7–11 | 9–9 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 1–6 | 2–4 | 8–10 | 9–9 |
| Houston | 2–5 | 3–3 | 7–8 | 11–4 | 4–3 | 3-2 | — | 4–3 | 5–13 | 2–5 | 3–3 | 5–10 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 7–9 | 2–5 | 9–9 |
| Los Angeles | 10–8 | 3–4 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 6–12 | 3–4 | 3–4 | — | 3–3 | 5–5 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 8–10 | 10–8 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–10 |
| Milwaukee | 5–2 | 2–5 | 6–9 | 7–8 | 2–4 | 5–2 | 13–5 | 3–3 | — | 2–4 | 3–4 | 10–6 | 2–5 | 4–5 | 7–8 | 4–2 | 8–7 |
| New York | 4–3 | 9–9 | 5–2 | 5–2 | 2–4 | 11–7 | 5–2 | 5–5 | 4–2 | — | 6–12 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 9–9 | 8–7 |
| Philadelphia | 1-5 | 9–9 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 9–9 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 12–6 | — | 4–2 | 4–3 | 4–4 | 6–3 | 12–6 | 8–7 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–5 | 1–5 | 7–8 | 7–9 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 10–5 | 2–5 | 6–10 | 2–4 | 2–4 | — | 1–6 | 4–2 | 6–12 | 4–2 | 5–10 |
| San Diego | 8–10 | 2–5 | 5–3 | 4–2 | 8–11 | 4–3 | 3–4 | 10–8 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 6–1 | — | 14–4 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 6–9 |
| San Francisco | 8–10 | 3–4 | 2–5 | 3–4 | 8–10 | 6–1 | 4–2 | 8–10 | 5–4 | 2–4 | 4–4 | 2–4 | 4–14 | — | 4–1 | 3–4 | 5–10 |
| St. Louis | 3–4 | 4–3 | 5–11 | 9–6 | 4–3 | 4-2 | 9–7 | 3–3 | 8–7 | 2–5 | 3–6 | 12–6 | 4–3 | 1–4 | — | 1–5 | 6–9 |
| Washington | 1–6 | 7–11 | 1–6 | 6–1 | 3–4 | 10-8 | 5–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 5–1 | — | 9–9 |
Roster
| 2007 Houston Astros | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
| Outfielders
| Manager Coaches
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