The rookie gave up a run in the first inning, then held the Astros at bay until the sixth inning.

On October 9, 2005, Clemens made his first relief appearance since 1984, entering as a pinch hitter in the 15th, then pitching three innings to help the Astros defeat the Atlanta Braves in the longest postseason game in MLB history.

Over the next three seasons, he advanced through the Astros ' farm system, playing with the single-A Dubuque Packers in, then splitting the season between the double-A Columbus Astros and the triple-A Memphis Blues in, and finally with the triple-A Charleston Charlies in.

The Los Angeles Dodgers then lost a one-game playoff-and thus the division championship-to the Astros.

At that time, they had MLB prospect Dickie Thon, then also of the Houston Astros, on their roster.

Thon then suffered a life-threatening and career-affecting eye injury during an Astros game in 1984.

His major league debut was with the Orioles (–), and he then spent one year with the Houston Astros ().

He then pitched 10 shutout innings in Game 3 of the NLCS and the Astros won 1 – 0, though they lost the series to the Philadelphia Phillies, 3 – 2.

On October 11, 1980, Keith Jackson called an Oklahoma-Texas college football game for ABC in the afternoon, then flew to Houston to call Game 4 of the NLCS between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies.

* Captains outfielder, and 2006 SAL All-Star, Johnny Drennen hit a memorable home run on June 6, against Roger Clemens, then pitching for the Lexington Legends to prepare for a return to the Houston Astros.

Left unprotected in the 1997 MLB Expansion Draft when Astros decided to keep fellow Venezuelan outfielder Richard Hidalgo, Abreu was selected by the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but hours later was traded to the Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker.

Prior to their arrival in Troy, the club was based first in Little Falls, New York, as the Little Falls Mets from 1977 to 1988, and then in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as the Pittsfield Mets ( 1989 to 2000 ), and Pittsfield Astros ( 2001 ).

The New Jersey Cardinals put together a 43-32 regular-season mark, and then defeated the Jamestown Jammers, 2 games to 1, and the Auburn Astros, 2 games to 0, to win the league title.

He then managed the Houston Astros for the final 31 games of the 1972 season and the entire season before retiring.

The Braves won their fifth consecutive National League East Division title and then defeated the Houston Astros in four games in the 1999 National League Division Series.

The teams then battled for 9 more innings in what became the longest game in Major League Baseball playoff history, with the Astros eventually winning the game ( and the series ) in the bottom of the 18th inning on a Chris Burke home run.

He was president ( and chief operating officer ) of the Yankees ( 1978 – 79 ), then the Astros ( 1980 – 85 ), then president and general manager of the Giants ( 1985 – 92 ).

On June 28, 1998 at Jacobs Field, Gutiérrez, then a member of the Astros, squared off against Cleveland Indians pitcher Bartolo Colón to open the top of the eighth inning.

However, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig had moved the starting time of Game 5 to primetime, due to the rematch, and Fox had a triple-header, first the Seattle Seahawks – New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium at 1: 00 pm ET, then Game 4 of the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park at 4: 30 pm ET.

The San Diego Padres won the National League West division by twelve games over both the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros, then defeated the Chicago Cubs, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East division by one game over the Montreal Expos then defeated the Houston Astros, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series.

The Cincinnati Reds won the National League West division by games over both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros, then defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series, marking the first year in which an LCS series in either league went the full five games since divisional play was introduced in 1969.

They led the Wild Card by 1. 5 games over San Francisco and Houston on September 25, and both of those teams lost that day, giving the Cubs a chance at increasing the lead to a commanding 2. 5 games with only eight games remaining in the season, but reliever LaTroy Hawkins blew a save to the Mets, and the Cubs lost the game in extra innings, a defeat that seemingly deflated the team, as they proceeded to drop 6 of their last 8 games as the Astros won the Wild Card.

Surgery was done to save his life, but the Astros had lost their ace pitcher after a 10 – 4 start with a stingy 1. 89 ERA.

An Astros lead was lost when Bob Boone hit a two out single in the second, but the Astros tied the game in the sixth with an Alan Ashby single scoring Denny Walling.

The Astros lost the first game in St. Louis, but would win the next three games, with Roy Oswalt getting the win.

A dramatic season end included wins in 10 of their last 12 games, but the Astros missed a playoff appearance when they lost the final game of the season to the Atlanta Braves.

The Astros lost five Clemens starts by scores of 1 – 0.

However, the Astros lost all three of those starts by a 1 – 0 score in extra innings.

While he has two championship rings with the 1999 – 2000 Yankees, Clemens has also been on the losing end of four World Series ( 1986 Red Sox, 2001 and 2003 Yankees, and 2005 Astros ), which is tied with Tom Glavine and John Smoltz ( who were both on the Braves when they lost the ' 91, ' 92, ' 96 and ' 99 World Series ) for the most among active players.

Ryan got a no-decision as his Astros lost in 12 innings.

He lost a narrow vote for the Cy Young Award to the Astros ' Mike Scott.

During the playoffs, however, the Astros lost the NLDS to the San Diego Padres, 3 – 1.

Marichal won in his first game back, 2 – 1 vs. the Astros on September 9, ( the same day Koufax pitched his perfect game vs. the Cubs ,) but lost his last three decisions as the Giants slumped in the season's final week.

In 2005, the Braves lost to the Houston Astros, with the finale taking eighteen innings to decide in the 2005 NLDS.

The day before, Koosman had lost to the Houston Astros to fall to 9-8 ; he would win eight of his final nine decisions.

In the off-season, the Astros traded starting pitcher Claude Osteen to the Cardinals, and lost pitching ace Don Wilson, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 29 on January 5, 1975.

The Astros lost the series, 4 games to 2, but those two Astros ' victories were courtesy of Scott's overwhelming starting pitching performances in Games 1 and 4.

Instead, they were forced to play the Astros in a one game playoff – which they lost.

Under his leadership in the last 12 games of the 2006 season, the Astros won 10 and lost 2 putting them a game and half behind the Division winners.

The remaining five teams were separated by as few as one-and-one-half games in the standings on August 18, despite the Houston Astros team having lost 20 of its first 24 games.