2022 - Timeline
from This Date in Astros History

Mar 10 - With the season on the verge of collapse over a 99-day lockout, owners and the players union amazingly hammer out a series of compromises to salvage the 162-game schedule and ratify a five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Commissioner Rob Manfred had already cancelled two weeks of the season before the final deal was struck. The season will begin seven days late but lost games will be made up through doubleheaders and playing on off dates.

Mar 19 - Carlos Correa shocks the baseball world by declaring he has agreed to a three-year free agency deal with Minneosta for $105 million. The Twins were not considered in the running for the Astros captain and the years/dollars were far less than what Correa's previous demands were. His former teammates express sadness that he won't be joining them at training camp. Catcher Martin Maldonado tweeted "Sorry. I tried.", regarding his efforts to talk Correa into staying.

Mar 26 - The Astros scheduled an early getaway back to Houston but their final game in Florida caught the Cardinals napping. Houston scored eight runs the first two innings and coasted to a 24-1 victory. Yainer Diaz was the batting star with three hits, including a double, grand slam homer and six RBIs. Corey Julks scored three times, homered and drove in a pair.

Apr 24 - Rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena snaps Houston's four-game losing streak when he blasts a two-run homer in the tenth inning to shock Toronto, 8-7. It's the young infielder's third homer of the season to tie for the club lead. Michael Brantley had earlier homered. The Astros' record sits at 7-8 despite the win.

May 03 - Dusty Baker gets his 2,000th career managerial win in a 4-0 whitewash of Seattle. Baker becomes the 12th manager and first African-American to reach that plateau. Cristian Javier and three relievers complete the four-hitter while Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve support them with home runs.

May 13 - The Astros run their winning streak to 11 with a 6-1 triumph over the Nationals. Framber Valdez got the victory, supported by home runs from Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel and Yordan Alvarez. Pitching has dominated, allowing just 1.09 runs per game during the streak. The win also pushes Dusty Baker past Leo Durocher on the All-Time managerial list with 2009 victories.

May 17 - Houston ties a big league record with five homers in one inning during a 13-4 blowout of Boston at Fenway Park. Nathan Eovaldi surrenders bombs from Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena, Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel in the second inning for a nine-run frame. Tucker has the encore with a grand slam in the fourth to give him six RBIs. Jose Urquidy is the lucky winning pitcher.

May 30 - Framber Valdez spins a complete-game two-hitter while toppling Oakland, 5-1. Yordan Alvarez cracks two homers, including a 469-foot missile off the facade of the second deck in right-center. Jose Altuve adds a two-run shot of his own. At 31-18, Houston opens a four-game lead over Anaheim in the AL West.

Jun 15 - On Dusty Baker's 73rd birthday, Houston overpowers the Rangers, 9-2, boosted by a six-run first inning. Martin Maldonado homers and drives in three but the big headline came while he was behind the plate. In the second inning, starter Luis Garcia threw a perfect inning - three strikeouts on nine pitches. He fanned Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller in order. Later, in the seventh, reliever Phil Maton struck out the same three batters on nine pitches, marking the first time in big league history that a team had thrown two perfect innings in one game. Before that, there had never been two perfect innings on the same day.

Jun 17 - The Astros bomb the White Sox with ten runs in the sixth inning to blow them out, 13-3. Five home runs were hit, including a grand slam by Michael Brantley. Framber Valdez was the beneficiary. Houston, at 40-24, lead their division by nine games.

Jun 25 - Cristian Javier tosses seven hitless innings while fanning 13 against the Yankees. Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly complete the gem in a 3-0 no-hitter in the Bronx. J.J. Matijevic and Jose Altuve launch solo shots to give Houston a lead they would never relinquish.

Jul 03 - Jeremy Pena launches his second homer of the day to complete a sweep of Anaheim with a 4-2 walk-off win. Pena totals four hits on the afternoon. Framber Valdez plus relievers Hector Neris, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly combine for a franchise-record 20 strikeouts.

Aug 13 - Lance McCullers returns after ten months rehabilitating a sore right flexor injury to toss six innings of two-hit shutout ball as part of an 8-0 whitewash of the Athletics. Phil Maton and Bryan Abreu finish up. Alex Bregman cracks a two-run homer as the club honors the people of Uvalde, TX, who suffered the loss of 21 lives during a shooting at Robb Elementary School back in May.

Aug 18 - Astros crack open a 21-5 whupping of the Chicago White Sox to close out a four-game series split. Alex Bregman clubs four extra base hits, including two homers, while driving in six. Chas McCormick homers and drives in five. Among the 25-hit assault were four hits each from Kyle Tucker and Christian Vazquez.

Sep 05 - Top prospect Hunter Brown makes his big league debut, tossing six shutout innings in a 1-0 whitewash of the Rangers. The righthander from Detroit allows three hits and a walk while fanning five. Bryan Abreu, Hector Neris and Rafael Montero close out with three no-hit innings.

Sep 16 - Yordan Alvarez smashes three home runs during a 5-0 whitewash of the A's. All three missiles travel 430 feet or beyond with the last one reaching a dining pavilion to the right of the batters eye beyond center field. Jeremy Pena also goes deep. Justin Verlander, recovering from a sore calf, tossed five no-hit innings and struck out nine to claim his 17th win.

Oct 11 - Behind the entire contest against Seattle during Game 1 of the A.L.D.S., Yordan Alvarez wins it with a dramatic three-run walk-off homer into the upper deck of the right field stands to post an 8-7 shocker. Justin Verlander allowed six runs early but Houston chipped away as Alvarez poked a two-run double, Yuli Gurriel went deep and Alex Bregman cracked a two-run homer to trail, 7-5, before Alvarez' two-out bomb in the ninth.

Oct 15 - History repeats itself as the Astros close out an LDS with an 18-inning marathon. This time, it was a 1-0 shutout over Seattle with rookie Jeremy Pena supplying the game's only run with a blast into the seats in left center. Luis Garcia, normally a starter, works the last five innings of relief to sweep the A.L.D.S., 3-0. The six-hour-22-minute contest is the longest shutout game in playoff history.

Oct 19 - Three Astros homer while Justin Verlander fans eleven in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees in Game One of the A.L.C.S. Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Pena take New York pitchers deep.

Oct 20 - Framber Valdez escapes trouble then he and the Houston bullpen lock down the Yankees, 3-2, in Game Two of the A.L.C.S. for a 2-0 series lead. Alex Bregman's three-run homer provides all of the Astros' offense. Valdez lasts seven innings, allowing the two unearned runs from his own miscue.

Oct 22 - Cristian Javier and five relievers blank the Yanks, 5-0, to take Game Three of the A.L.C.S. and earn a dominant 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. New York is limited to three hits. An opposite field homer by Chas McCormick off former Astro Gerrit Cole gives Houston the lead. A dropped fly by Harrison Bader keys a three-run sixth to put the game away.

Oct 23 - CELEBRATE AGAIN! Houston sweeps the Yankees in the A.L.C.S with a 6-5 triumph in Game 4 to earn a trip to the World Series. A three-run homer by Series MVP Jeremy Pena ties the game in the third but New York's Harrison Bader homers for a 5-4 lead in the sixth. RBI singles by Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman plate the decisive runs.

Oct 28 - Justin Verlander, winless in World Series play despite his excellent career, is given a 5-0 lead over the Phillies in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. But the Phils get it all back in the fourth and fifth innings. The game settles into a 5-all tie until the 10th inning when J.T. Realmuto blasts a solo homer off Luis Garcia for a 6-5 decision. Kyle Tucker smoked two homers for four RBIs before the roof fell in.

Oct 29 - Astros even the World Series at a game apiece with a 5-2 triumph over the Phillies in Houston. Three straight doubles off Zack Wheeler get the Astros started in the first. Alex Bregman adds a two-run shot in the fifth. Framber Valdez worked 6-1/3rd innings for the win.

Nov 02 - Cristian Javier, with help from Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly, NO-HIT the Phillies, 5-0, just the second no-no in World Series history. The win ties the Fall Classic at two apiece. Houston pitchers fan 14 Phils. Alex Bregman drills a two-run double to key a five-run fifth.

Nov 03 - Justin Verlander, 0-for-6 in Worlds Series play for his career, finally wins his first - taking a 3-2 victory over Phildelphia in Game 5 of the World Series to grab a 3-2 edge in the Fall Classic. Verlander pitched around four hits, four walks and a homer over five innings while Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly worked the final four frames. Jeremy Pena was the star on offense with three hits, including a home run and two RBIs.

Nov 05 - WORLD CHAMPIONS AGAIN! Behind solid pitching from Framber Valdez and a three-run bomb over the batter's eye by Yordan Alvarez, Houston defeats Philadelphia, 4-1, in Game 6 of the World Series, winning the trophy, 4-2. It's the second Worlds title in franchise history. Rookie Jeremy Pena is voted the World Series MVP for his .400 batting average, slick defense and 1.023 OPS.

Nov 11 - James Click refuses an extension offer as General Manager, ending his employment with the team. A rift had formed between Click and Owner Jim Crane which, it was revealed, that Crane had sided with Manager Dusty Baker over Click in some propsed trade deadline deals. Crane says he will not fill the position until after the new year and will, himself, run the front office in the meantime.

Nov 17 - Justin Verlander is the unanimous winner of his third A.L. Cy Young Award. It's his second as an Astro. Verlander, who later won the A.L. Comeback Player of the Year Award for his return from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss almost two years, posted an 18-4 record and a 1.75 ERA while leading Houston to their second Worlds Championship.

Nov 28 - Astros agree to sign former A.L. MVP Jose Abreu to a three-year contract for a reported $58.5 million dollars. The three-time All-Star is expected to replace fellow Cuban Yuli Gurriel as the team's first baseman.