Wikipedia

2017 Houston Astros season

The 2017 Houston Astros season was the 56th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 53rd as the Astros, fifth in both the American League (AL) and AL West division, and 18th at Minute Maid Park. They entered the season as having posted an 84–78 record, in third place and 11 games behind the division-champion Texas Rangers.

2017 Houston Astros
World Series champions
American League champions
American League West champions
LeagueAmerican League
DivisionWest
BallparkMinute Maid Park
CityHouston, Texas
Record101–61 (.623)
Divisional place1st
OwnersJim Crane
General managersJeff Luhnow
ManagersA. J. Hinch
TelevisionRoot Sports Southwest (April–July)
AT&T SportsNet Southwest (July–October) (Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum)
RadioSportstalk 790
(Robert Ford, Steve Sparks, Geoff Blum)
KLAT (Spanish)
(Francisco Romero, Alex Treviño)
StatsESPN.com
Baseball Reference
← 2016
2018 →

Dallas Keuchel made his third consecutive Opening Day start on April 3 for Houston, who hosted the Seattle Mariners and won, 3–0. The Astros' first-round draft pick in the amateur draft was pitcher J. B. Bukauskas; they also chose outfielders Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick in the 13th and 21st rounds, respectively.

The Astros sent six players to the 88th All-Star Game, including second baseman Jose Altuve, center fielder George Springer, shortstop Carlos Correa, and pitchers Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr., and Chris Devenski. First baseman Jeff Bagwell, who had spent his entire 15-year major league career with Houston, became the second inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame as an Astro.

Near the end of August, the Astros acquired pitcher Justin Verlander at the trade deadline, who won his first five starts. Meanwhile, as Hurricane Harvey impacted Greater Houston, the Astros relocated their August 29–31 series with the Rangers from Minute Maid Park to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Following the storm, Astros personnel assisted with rebuilding and charitable efforts around Houston.

On September 17, the Astros clinched the AL West with a 7–1 victory over the Seattle, for their first AL West division title, eighth division title overall, and 11th postseason qualification. The Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox, 3–2, on September 29 to claim their 100th win of the season for their first 100-win season since 1998.

Following the regular season, the Astros met the Red Sox at home in the American League Division Series (ALDS), and defeated them in four games. Houston then advanced to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and defeated the New York Yankees in seven games for their first AL pennant. After going 2–0 with a 0.56 earned run average (ERA) and 21 strikeouts, Verlander was named ALCS Most Valuable Player (MVP). The pennant was Houston's first since winning the National League (NL) pennant in 2005. The Astros' season culminated with the first World Series championship in franchise history, winning in seven games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.[1] Springer, who tied a World Series record with five home runs, was named World Series MVP.

The 2017 Astros featured the highest-scoring offense in the major leagues (896 runs), the highest batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.346), and slugging percentage (.478). AL batting champion Jose Altuve (.346) won a number of distinctions, including Most Valuable Player (AL MVP), Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Altuve joined Bagwell as the second Astro to win the MVP, winning it in 1994.

Because of its record-setting numbers and individual accolades, this Astros batting lineup is often cited as one of the highest-performing in history.

The season was later marred by a sign stealing scandal that ultimately led to significant backlash from baseball fans, the loss of draft picks and a record setting fine from the MLB, and the dismissal of employees in the organization that were directly linked to the scandal.

Offseason

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November 2016

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Source[2]

November 3, 2016 Claimed OF Nori Aoki off waivers from Seattle.
November 4, 2016 Traded RHP Pat Neshek to Philadelphia for a player to be named or cash. Exercised the 2017 option on C Evan Gattis.
November 6, 2016 Selected the contract of LHP Reymin Guduan from Fresno (PCL).
November 15, 2016 Named Alex Cora bench coach.
November 16, 2016 Agreed to terms with RHP Charlie Morton on a two-year contract.
November 17, 2016 Traded RHP Albert Abreu and RHP Jorge Guzman to New York for C Brian McCann.
November 19, 2016 Announced Buies Creek (Carolina) will serve as a temporary Class A-Advanced affiliate through the 2018 season.
November 23, 2016 Agreed to terms with OF Josh Reddick on a four-year contract.

December

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Source[2]

December 5, 2016 Agreed to terms with Carlos Beltrán on a one-year contract.
December 6, 2016 Claimed LHP Ashur Tolliver off waivers from the L.A. Angels.
December 9, 2016 Agreed to terms with LHP Cionel Perez on a minor league contract.
December 13, 2016 Signed a 30-year lease agreement with Fayetteville, N.C. to relocate their Class A Advanced affiliate to Fayetteville beginning with the 2019 season.

January 2017

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Source[3]

January 9, 2017 Agreed to terms with C Luis Barajas on a minor league contract.
January 10, 2017 Named Darryl Robinson hitting coach, Aaron DelGiudice development coach and Lee Meyer trainer of Fresno (PCL); Omar Lopez manager, Chris Holt pitching coach, Troy Snitker hitting coach, Mickey Storey development coach, John Gregorich trainer and Mark Spadavecchia strength coach of Buies Creek (Carolina), Russ Steinhorn manager, Drew French pitching coach, Ben Rosenthal hitting coach, Jason Bell development coach, Elliot Diehl trainer and Hazael Wessin strength coach of Quad Cities (MWL); Morgan Ensberg manager, Bill Murphy pitching coach, Jeremy Barnes hitting coach and Daniel Cerquera trainer of Tri-City (NY-P); Erick Abreu pitching coach and Jacob Behara strength coach of Greeneville
January 14, 2017 Agreed to terms with LHP Dallas Keuchel and OFs Jake Marisnick and George Springer on one-year contracts and with INF Reid Brignac, C Juan Centeno and LHP C.J. Riefenhauser on minor league contracts.
January 19, 2017 Agreed to terms with RHP Mike Fiers on a one-year contract.

February

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Source[3]

February 2, 2017 Agreed to terms with RHP Dayan Diaz on a minor league contract.
February 7, 2017 Agreed to terms with RHP Will Harris on a two-year contract.
February 17, 2017 Agreed to terms with INF Marwin Gonzalez on a one-year contract.

March

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Source[3]

March 14, 2017 Reassigned RHPs Edison Frias, Cy Sneed and Aaron West, LHP Brian Holmes and C Garrett Stubbs to their minor league camp.
March 16, 2017 Reassigned OF Andrew Aplin, RHP Brady Rodgers and LHPs Reymin Guduan and Ashur Tolliver to minor league camp.
March 16, 2017 Optioned OF Andrew Aplin, RHP Brady Rodgers and LHPs Reymin Guduan and Ashur Tolliver to Fresno (PCL).
March 18, 2017 Reassigned OF Ramon Laureano and RHP Francis Martes to their minor league camp.
March 22, 2017 Assigned C Max Stassi outright to Fresno (PCL). Optioned INF/OF Tony Kemp, OF Teoscar Hernandez, 3B Colin Moran and 1B A.J. Reed and Tyler White to Fresno. Reassigned C Tyler Heineman and 1B Jonathan Singleton to minor league camp.
March 25, 2017 Reassigned OF Alejandro Garcia, RHP Jordan Jankowski, OF Jon Kemmer and RHP Tyson Perez to their minor league camp. Granted LHP C.J. Riefenhauser his unconditional release.
March 29, 2017 Optioned OF Preston Tucker to minor league camp.

April

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Source[3]

April 1, 2017 Optioned RHP James Hoyt to Fresno (PCL).

Regular season

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Summary

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April

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The Astros wore a patch during the 2017 season in support of Hurricane Harvey victims in Houston
Opening Day starting lineup
Uniform Player Position
4George SpringerCenter fielder
2Alex BregmanThird baseman
27Jose AltuveSecond baseman
1Carlos CorreaShortstop
15Carlos BeltránDesignated hitter
22Josh ReddickRight fielder
10Yuli GurrielFirst baseman
16Brian McCannCatcher
3Nori AokiLeft fielder
60Dallas KeuchelPitcher
Venue: Minute Maid Park • Final: Houston 3, Seattle 0

Sources:[4][5]

The Astros commenced the 2017 regular season on April 3 on Opening Day, at home hosting the Seattle Mariners. Dallas Keuchel made his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros, with Félix Hernández as his counterpart. George Springer led off the Astros' offensive season with a home run. During the fourth inning, Carlos Correa homered. In the bottom of the sixth, Alex Bregman drew a leadoff base on balls, advanced to third on Jose Altuve's line drive single, and scored on Correa's sacrifice fly. Bregman also had a stolen base. Meanwhile, Keuchel remained in complete control, tossing seven two-hit shutout frames, two walks, and earned a game score of 75. Keuchel also earned the win while leading the Astros to a 3–0 decision. Luke Gregerson pitched the eighth inning to receive credit for the hold, and Ken Giles closed out the ninth to convert the save.[6] Correa's home run on Opening Day was his second consecutive,.[7] while Springer's home run was the first of his career on Opening Day, and tenth leadoff.[8] The triumph was the fifth in succession on Opening Day for Houston, tying the club record set in 1977, and continuing into a winning streak of ten through 2022.[9]

One of the most memorable and debated manifestations to hallmark the 2017 season was Jose Altuve's height and style of play contrasts with that of New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge. At 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and 280 pounds (130 kg), Judge was a rookie who emerged as his chief rival in the 2017 American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) race,[10] eventually breaking the record for both home runs hit (52) and walks drawn (127) by a rookie while leading the AL.[11] In July, a photo emerged of the pair standing side by side in game versus the Yankees that displayed their drastic size difference and became a viral phenomenon.[10]

Two Astros pitchers were awarded the AL Pitcher of the Month Award in the first two months of the season. In April, left-handed starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel posted a 5–0 win–loss record (W–L), allowing six runs in six games started and 1.21 earned run average (ERA) over 44+2⁄3 innings pitched (IP). It was his fourth career monthly award, making him the first Astros pitcher to win four; J. R. Richard was the other Astros pitcher who had won three. Keuchel joined Bartolo Colón, Félix Hernández, Justin Verlander as active pitchers who had won at least four.[12]

May

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On May 4, the Astros tied a then-club record for a nine-inning game with 16 runners left on base (LOB) during a 10–4 defeat to the versus Texas Rangers.[a][13] This was the 24th game in club history played in 9 innings or fewer in which the Astros collected at least 10 hits and 10 walks each, and just the third that ended in a loss.[b][14]

From May 6−23, starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. completed a scoreless innings streak of 22, which among Astros pitchers, was the longest scoreless inning streak since Roy Oswalt delivered 32 from August 27 through September 11, 2008. In that same span, McCullers also became the first Astros pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1984 to allow no earned runs over at least five innings pitched in each of four consecutive appearances.[15]

During the May 14 game versus New York at Yankee Stadium, third baseman Alex Bregman hit his first major league grand slam off Masahiro Tanaka in a 10–7 Astros win.[16] On May 20, Keuchel was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a pinched nerve in his neck.[17]

Facing an 8–2 deficit on May 29, the Astros engineered an epic comeback by exploding for 11 runs in the eighth and ninth innings to outlast the Minnesota Twins, 16 to 8. Carlos Beltrán led the way, slugging a home run, and collecting four of Houston's 18 hits.[18] Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Marwin González each tallied three safeties.[19] This was Beltrán's third four-hit bout as a member of the Astros, and first since October 11, 2004, during Game 5 of the National League Division Series (NLDS).[20]

Shortstop Carlos Correa delivered a career-best five consecutive multiple-hit games from May 25−29, and totaled 14 such games on the month. In May, he was selected for his first AL Player of the Month Award, and McCullers his first AL Pitcher of the Month Award. In 26 games, Correa batted .386, eight doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBI and a 1.130 OPS. His batting average and RBI total led the AL, on-base percentage ranked third, hits and OPS fifth, and slugging tied for sixth.[15]

McCullers was credited with a 4−0 record in six starts during the month of May. He permitted an AL-leading 0.99 earned run average (ERA), 21 hits, and a .164 batting average against (BAA) with 37 strikeouts. He also ranked second in wins, third in BAA, and tied for fifth in strikeouts.[15]

June

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With persistent neck problems, the Astros placed Keuchel back on the disabled list on June 8.[21]

On June 14, Derek Fisher homered and collected an RBI single for his first hits, both as part of an Astros' 9-run sixth inning to lead a defeat the Texas Rangers, 13–2. Fisher became the first major leaguer to get his first two hits in the same inning since Adam LaRoche did so on June 7, 2004, for the Atlanta Braves. Jake Marisnick also homered for the Astros, whose hitting gave Francis Martes (1–0) his first major league win, also making his first major league start.[22]

July: Pre-All Star break

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Yuli Gurriel was AL Rookie of the Month in July.

In the July 9 game versus the Toronto Blue Jays, the Astros won 19–1 as Correa homered twice, collected four hits, and drove in a career-best five runs. He reached the 20-home run mark and saw a 15-game hitting streak snapped the previous day. It was the Astros' 60th win of the season, making them the fifth team within the previous 40 years to reach that many wins before the All-Star break.[23] The Astros entered the All-Star break with the best record in the AL, at 60–29,[24] marking the best 89-game start in franchise history. Their 16+1⁄2-game lead in the AL West marked the largest divisional lead the club had ever attained all-time.[25]

MLB All-Star Game

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For the first time in franchise history, three Astros players were elected by fans as starters for the All-Star Game, held at Marlins Park in Miami. The starters were Altuve, Correa, and center fielder George Springer. As was former Astros manager Brad Mills' selection, Altuve, who typically hit third for the Astros, batted leadoff for the American League. Springer, the Astros leadoff hitter, batted cleanup. Two others Astros made the team, including Keuchel and McCullers.[26][27]

July: Post-All Star break

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On July 18, Correa sustained a torn ligament in the left thumb, and the Astros placed him on the DL.[24]

Rookie third baseman Colin Moran sustained fractures of the facial bones during a game versus the Baltimore Orioles on July 22. The injury occurred as he fouled off a pitch, and the batted ball struck him directly in the face. He underwent surgery to repair the fractures on July 31.[28]

George Springer was placed on the diabled list (DL) on July 28 due to left quadriceps discomfort.[29]

On July 30, 2017, former Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.[30]

In July, Altuve batted .485 for the fifth-highest average in one month since 1961. Over 23 games, he accumulated 48 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 21 RBI and 1.251 OPS. He carried a 19-game hitting streak from July 2–23. He also recorded five consecutive multi-hit games during the week of July 3–9, becoming the ninth player in MLB history to do so. His average set the Astros record for one calendar month—surpassing Richard Hidalgo's .476 average in September of 2000—and he won his second AL Player of the Month Award. Yuli Gurriel won the AL Rookie of the Month Award in July, and he led all AL rookies with .565 slugging percentage, .899 OPS, 28 hits, nine doubles, and 20 RBI. The nine doubles tied Lance Berkman's club record for rookies in a single month.[31]

August

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Carlos Beltrán, who served primarily as the designated hitter for Houston this season, made his final career appearance on defense on August 5. He played left field for the first nine innings of 10-inning loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.[32]

On August 10, Bregman tied the Astros' record for extra-base hits in consecutive games at 10 games, first accomplished by Hidalgo.[33] In a 27-game stretch following the All-Star break, the Astros slumped, going 11–16 (.407).[24]

On August 13, 2017, the Chicago White Sox traded reliever Tyler Clippard to the Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations.[34]

On August 19, Gurriel tied an American League record for first basemen, becoming the seventh to participate in six double plays.[c][35]

On Saturday, August 26, Hurricane Harvey reached Houston. The Astros were playing a series on the read versus the Los Angeles Angels at the time, and were scheduled to return home to host the Texas Rangers. The games versus the Rangers were relocated to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, as more than 50 inches of rain inundated parts of Greater Houston and flooded more than one-third. Team officials planned for the next series versus the New York Mets also to be played at Tropicana Field, but mayor Sylvester Turner encouraged Astros president Reid Ryan to return the team to Houston to play the Mets.[36] "You guys come home and play baseball," said Turner to Ryan. "This will be the beginning of our rebuild."[37]

Having lost 17 of 27 games as of August 31 (.370 winning percentage), the Astros acquired right-handed ace and former Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers just moments before the trade deadline. Detroit received prospects Franklin Pérez, Jake Rogers, and Daz Cameron.[38] The Astros also claimed outfielder Cameron Maybin off waivers from the Angels on August 31.[39] Correa and McCullers returned from the disabled list at that time.[37] Verlander won all five regular season starts in an Astros uniform to help lead them to a 22–8 record over their final month and an overall registry of 101–61, clinching the AL West division title.[37]

September—October

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After the Astros returned to Houston and the New York Mets and MLB agreed to do a Saturday day–night doubleheader, the Astros spent the first Friday of the month surveying the aftermath and visiting with hurricane evacuees. This portended an emotional return to Minute Maid Park, with many evacuees in attendance for the doubleheader. Manager A. J. Hinch addressed the crowd, "Hello, Houston. It's good to be home," adding that it was "a very special day for us to start the rebuild process of our great city." The Mets starter, coincidentally named Matt Harvey, surrendered seven runs in two innings in the first game as the Astros swept the doubleheader, 12–8, and 4–1. Springer also hit a two run home run in the second inning of Game 1. Between games, the Astros and fans received a preview of Verlander's pitching while he tossed a bullpen session.[40]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Astros continue to assist in the rebuild of various parts of the city during their off-time. One establishment included the Houston chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Individual members of the team delivered meals, cleaned up damaged homes, and rescued pets. They visited the George R. Brown Convention Center, which housed more than 7,000 people displaced from their homes.[37]

Verlander's debut as an Astro occurred on September 5 in a 3–1 victory versus the Mariners. The only run he allowed was a home run to Kyle Seager and he struck out seven over six innings. Maybin homered in the seventh inning to break a 1–1 tie, giving the Astros their sixth consecutive win.[41]

Moran returned to the Astros on September 19, having completed a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits. He had sustained a fracture below the left eye in a game on July 22.[42]

On September 19, Altuve was announced as the recipient of MLB's Lou Gehrig Memorial Award for 2017, as the player "who best exemplifies the giving character" of Gehrig.[43]

In the last series of the regular season, the Astros defeated the Red Sox 3–2 on September 29 for their 100th win of the season. Charlie Morton (14–7) pitched six innings to earn the win and Bregman hit a tie-breaking home run. The Astros joined the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians as 100-game winners in 2017, marking the first time since 2003 that three or more teams reached the milestone, and the sixth time overall in major league history. It was Houston's first 100-win season since 1998, when they won a club-record 102 games.[44] The Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, to finish the season with a record of 101–61.

Performance overview

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Overall, Houston finished the 2017 regular season with a 101–61 record, at the time the second-highest win total in franchise history, for a .623 winning percentage, trailing the 1998 team by one win. The 1998 and 2017 campaigns represented the first two having attained 100 victories for the Astros.[45]

Having achieved 200 hits on the season, Altuve became just the fifth hitter since integration in 1947 to record four straight 200-hit seasons, following Wade Boggs (1983−89), Kirby Puckett (1986−89), Ichiro Suzuki (2001−2010), and Michael Young (2003−07).[46] He also became the first hitter in Major League history to solely lead his respective league in hits for four years in a row while also collecting his third career batting title. Suzuki technically led the AL in hits from 2006 to 2010, but tied with Dustin Pedroia in 2008.[47]

Manager A. J. Hinch, who succeed Larry Dierker in 1998 as managers to have guided the club to 100 or more wins, was likewise recognized as Major League Manager of the Year by Baseball America.[d][48]

Season standings

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American League West

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AL West
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Houston Astros 10161 .623 — 48‍–‍33 53‍–‍28
Los Angeles Angels 8082 .494 21 43‍–‍38 37‍–‍44
Seattle Mariners 7884 .481 23 40‍–‍41 38‍–‍43
Texas Rangers 7884 .481 23 41‍–‍40 37‍–‍44
Oakland Athletics 7587 .463 26 46‍–‍35 29‍–‍52

American League division leaders

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Division leaders
Team W L Pct.
Cleveland Indians 10260 .630
Houston Astros 10161 .623
Boston Red Sox 9369 .574
Wild Card teams
(Top 2 teams qualify for postseason)
Team W L Pct. GB
New York Yankees 9171 .562 +6
Minnesota Twins 8577 .525 —
Kansas City Royals 8082 .494 5
Los Angeles Angels 8082 .494 5
Tampa Bay Rays 8082 .494 5
Seattle Mariners 7884 .481 7
Texas Rangers 7884 .481 7
Toronto Blue Jays 7686 .469 9
Baltimore Orioles 7587 .463 10
Oakland Athletics 7587 .463 10
Chicago White Sox 6795 .414 18
Detroit Tigers 6498 .395 21

Record against opponents

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2017 American League record
Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2017
Team BAL BOS CWS CLE DET HOU KC LAA MIN NYY OAK SEA TB TEX TOR NL
Baltimore —10–94–31–63–41–53–32–42–57–124–34–28–116–112–78–12
Boston 9–10—6–14–33–43–42–42–45–28–113–43–311–85–113–616–4
Chicago 3–41–6—6–1310–94–210–93–47–123–41–53–43–34–33–36–14
Cleveland 6–13–413–6—13–65–112–76–012–75–23–44–24–36–14–26–14
Detroit 4–34–39–106–13—3–48–113–48–113–31–51–62–51–53–38–12
Houston 5–14–32–41–54–3—3–412–75–15–212–714–53–412–74–315–5
Kansas City 3–34–29–107–1211–84–3—6–18–112–53–35–24–31–63–39–11
Los Angeles 4–24–24–30–64–37–121–6—2–54–212–712–73–48–114–311–9
Minnesota 5–22–512–77–1211–81–511–85–2—2–43–33–42–44–34–313–7
New York 12–711–84–32–53–32–55–22–44–2—2–55–212–73–39–1015–5
Oakland 3–44–35–14–35–17–123–37–123–35–2—7–122–510–92–57–13
Seattle 2–43–34–32–46–15–142–57–124–32–512–7—5–111–81–612–8
Tampa Bay 11–88–113–33–45–24–33–44–34–27–125–21–5—2–49–1011–9
Texas 1–61–53–41–65–17–126–111–83–43–39–108–114–2—3–414–6
Toronto 7–126–133–32–43–33–43–33–43–410–95–26–110–94–3—9–11

Postseason

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Many buildings in the skyline of Downtown Houston participated in cheering for the Astros during the 2017 World Series.

As winners of their respective division, the Astros received a bye during the procession of the AL Wild Card Game, played between the wild card winners, New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins. The Astros were seeded #2 in the AL, the result of attaining the second-most wins in the league. Their first playoff game of 2017 was in the American League Division Series, versus the Boston Red Sox. It was the first time the Astros had faced the Red Sox in the postseason.

American League Division Series (ALDS)

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The Astros played American League East division champion Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. In Game 1, Altuve hit three home runs in a single game for the first time of his career while becoming the tenth player to hit three home runs in a single postseason game.[49] Verlander won two games in the Astros' 3-games-to-1 triumph over the Red Sox. He started and won Game 1, and picked up the second win with 2+2⁄3 innings of relief in the clinching Game 4.[50]

American League Championship Series (ALCS)

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The Astros faced the wild-card game winning Yankees in the ALCS. The Astros selected Keuchel to start Game 1 versus the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka. In a pitcher's duel, Tanaka allowed no runs through the first three innings before the Astros scored in the bottom of the fourth. Altuve hit an infield single and stole second base before Carlos Correa drove him in with an RBI single. Yuli Gurriel drove in Correa to give the Astros a 2–0 lead. Keuchel recorded ten strikeouts, allowing four hits and no runs in seven innings. Tanaka pitched six innings with three strikeouts and allowed two earned runs. The Yankees scored their only run of the game in the ninth, when closer Ken Giles allowed a solo home run to Greg Bird before striking out Jacoby Ellsbury swinging to end the game. Giles struck out four of six batters faced for his first save of the ALCS and second of the postseason.[51]

On October 14, Verlander started Game 2, throwing a 13-strikeout, 2–1 complete game victory. The Astros won the game on a ninth-inning walk-off double by Carlos Correa that drove home Altuve.[52] Facing elimination in Game 6 of the ALCS, Verlander pitched seven shutout innings in a 7−1 victory over the Yankees.[53]

The Astros also defeated the Yankees 4−0 in Game 7, on October 21, 2017, allowing them to advance to the World Series for the second time in franchise history, and first as a member of the American League. McCullers pitched four scoreless innings in relief to earn his first career save.[54]

Verlander's totals in the ALCS included a 2−0 W−L, 0.56 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. As a result, he was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player (MVP).[55]

World Series

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In Game 2, Springer, Correa, Altuve—and two Dodgers players–Charlie Culberson and Yasiel Puig—all homered in extra innings as the Astros prevailed, 7−6. The five home runs accounted for the most hit in extra innings of any single game in major league history.[56]

George Springer connected for five home runs on the way to being named World Series MVP.

In Game 3, Yu Darvish started for the Dodgers against Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. The Astros scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning on a home run by Yuli Gurriel and RBIs by González, Brian McCann, and Alex Bregman. Darvish left the game after 1+2⁄3 innings, which is the shortest outing of his career (he would tie that feat in Game 7, that time giving up five runs). In the top of the third, McCullers loaded the bases with three consecutive walks. The Dodgers managed to score one run when Corey Seager grounded into a double play.[57][58] The Astros added another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Evan Gattis and the Dodgers added two in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Puig and a wild pitch. McCullers wound up pitching 51⁄3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits.[59] Brad Peacock replaced McCullers, completing the final 3+2⁄3 innings with no hits allowed and four strikeouts to earn his first major league save. It was the longest hitless World Series relief outing since Ron Taylor's four innings in Game 4 of the 1964 Series, and tied Ken Clay for the longest hitless postseason save, first accomplished in the 1978 ALCS.[60]

Game 5 featured a "roller coaster" of momentum changes induced by key home runs. The Astros fell behind by scores of 4–0, 7–4, and 8–7, but hit a game-tying home run to reduce each deficit. They eventually led 12–9 in the ninth inning, but the Dodgers made their own comeback to tie the game at 12 with a home run from Puig and an RBI single from Chris Taylor. In the bottom of the 10th, Alex Bregman singled to left field off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to score pinch runner Derek Fisher for the walk-off hit. That single concluded the second-longest game in World Series history, running at five hours, 17 minutes. Doug Miller of MLB.com ranked World Series Game 5 as the top game of 2017.[61]

Springer homered and doubled in Game 7, finishing with two runs and two RBI. He hit five home runs, tying the World Series record shared by Reggie Jackson and Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley. He also homered in each of the final four games, setting a World Series record for consecutive games with a home run. Springer was named the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP), hitting 11 of 29 at bats and driving in seven as the Astros' leadoff hitter.[62][63]

As a side note, Springer was featured on a 2014 cover of Sports Illustrated magazine that heralded a World Series win for the Astros in 2017.[64]

President Trump poses with the Astros at the White House following their World Series win.

Altuve and Verlander were named co-winners of the Babe Ruth Award as MVPs of the Astros' postseason.[65] In the Astros' 18-game championship run, Altuve batted .310/.388/.634, 22 hits, 14 runs scored, seven home runs, 14 RBI, and nine extra-base hits.[65][66] He established a franchise record for total hits in a postseason. Further, he tied the record for home runs by a second baseman in a single postseason, and hit the fourth-most among all players.[66] Verlander made six appearances and five starts, being credited with a 4–1 record, and gaining a 2.21 ERA, .177 batting average against, eight walks, and 38 strikeouts in 36+2⁄3 innings.[65]

Weeks after the end of the World Series, an unidentified Astros player revealed that Darvish was tipping his pitches. He cycled through 3+1⁄3 IP in two World Series starts and allowed a 21.60 ERA, while striking out no Houston batters. He was much more successful in the NLDS and NLCS, allowing two earned runs over 11+1⁄3 IP with 14 strikeouts.[67]

Altuve, along with Houston Texans defensive end J. J. Watt, were named co-winners of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award for his efforts in leading the Astros to their first World Series title and aiding in the recovery of the Greater Houston area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.[66]

Following the conclusion of the World Series, Beltrán announced his retirement from his professional baseball.[68][69]

Postseason rosters

edit
Playoff rosters
American League Division Series
American League Championship Series
World Series

Game log

edit

Regular season

edit
2017 Game Log: 101–61 (Home: 48–33; Away: 53–28)
April: 16–9 (Home: 9–5; Away: 7–4)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
1April 3Mariners3–0Keuchel (1–0)Hernández (0–1)Giles (1)41,6781–0W1
2April 4Mariners2–1McCullers (1–0)Iwakuma (0–1)Giles (2)21,4062–0W2
3April 5Mariners5–3 (13)Peacock (1–0)De Jong (0–1)—20,3033–0W3
4April 6Mariners2–4Altavilla (1–0)Giles (0–1)Diaz (1)18,3623–1L1
5April 7Royals1–5Vargas (1–0)Fiers (0–1)—30,4913–2L2
6April 8Royals3–7Duffy (1–0)Gregerson (0–1)—35,3733–3L3
7April 9Royals5–4 (12)Devenski (1–0)Strahm (0–2)—32,4114–3W1
8April 10@ Mariners0–6Paxton (1–0)Morton (0–1)—44,8564–4L1
9April 11@ Mariners7–5Musgrove (1–0)Miranda (0–1)—18,5275–4W1
10April 12@ Mariners10–5Peacock (2–0)Altavilla (1–1)—14,4796–4W2
11April 14@ Athletics7–2Keuchel (2–0)Madson (0–1)—15,3857–4W3
12April 15@ Athletics10–6Harris (1-0)Casilla (0-1)20,1408–4W4
—April 16@ AthleticsPostponed (rain). Makeup date: September 9.
13April 17Angels3–0Morton (1–1)Chavez (1–2)Giles (3)23,5019–4W5
14April 18Angels2–5Nolasco (1–2)Musgrove (1–1)Bedrosian (3)21,7609–5L1
15April 19Angels5–1Kechuel (3–0)Ramírez (2–2)—24,02810–5W1
16April 20Angels2–1McCullers (2–0)Shoemaker (0–1)Devenski (1)23,17311–5W2
17April 21@ Rays6–3Feliz (1-0)Cobb (1-2)Giles (4)17,68312–5W3
18April 22@ Rays3–6Pruitt (2–0)Morton (1–2)Colomé (4)17,00812–6L1
19April 23@ Rays6–4 (10)Gregerson (1–1)Garton (0–1)Giles (5)15,54813–6W1
20April 25@ Indians4–2Keuchel (4–0)Tomlin (1–3)—14,58114–6W2
21April 26@ Indians6–7Bauer (2–2)McCullers (2–1)Allen (4)16,05214–7L1
22April 27@ Indians3–4Kluber (3–1)Devenski (1–1)Allen (5)14,45214–8L2
23April 28Athletics9–4Morton (2–2)Cotton (2–3)—28,47215–8W1
24April 29Athletics1–2Triggs (4–1)Musgrove (1–2)Casilla (4)32,14715–9L1
25April 30Athletics7–2Keuchel (5–0)Hahn (1–2)Giles (6)34,88016–9W1
May: 22–7 (Home: 11–5; Away: 11–2)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
26May 1Rangers6–2Devenski (2–1)Cashner (0–3)Giles (7)22,55617–9W2
27May 2Rangers8–7Hoyt (1–0)Kela (0–1)Harris (1)26,20818–9W3
28May 3Rangers10–1Morton (3–2)Martinez (0–1)—27,43919–9W4
29May 4Rangers4–10Griffin (3–0)Musgrove (1–3)—27,39119–10L1
30May 5@ Angels7–6 (10)Giles (1–1)Norris (0–1)Devenski (2)34,55620–10W1
31May 6@ Angels1–2Norris (1–1)Devenski (2–2)—41,09720–11L1
32May 7@ Angels5–3Fiers (1–1)Shoemaker (1–2)Giles (8)38,38321–11W1
33May 9Braves8–3Morton (4–2)Colón (1–4)—28,72422–11W2
34May 10Braves4–2Musgrove (2–3)García (1–2)Giles (9)23,67623–11W3
35May 11@ Yankees3–2Keuchel (6–0)Pineda (3–2)Giles (10)39,05024–11W4
36May 12@ Yankees5–1McCullers (3–1)Montgomery (2–2)—41,15025–11W5
—May 13@ YankeesPostponed (inclement weather). Makeup date: May 14.
37May 14 (1)@ Yankees6–11Warren (1–0)Harris (1–1)—47,88325–12L1
38May 14 (2)@ Yankees10–7Morton (5–2)Tanaka (5–2)—47,88326–12W1
39May 15@ Marlins7–2Musgrove (3–3)Tazawa (1–1)—16,44827–12W2
40May 16@ Marlins12–2Keuchel (7–0)Koehler (1–2)—18,05628–12W3
41May 17@ Marlins3–0McCullers (4–1)Ureña (1–2)Giles (11)24,69929–12W4
42May 19Indians3–5Bauer (4–4)Morton (5–3)Allen (11)36,44629–13L1
43May 20Indians0–3Clevinger (2–1)Fiers (1–2)Allen (12)34,69829–14L2
44May 21Indians6–8Salazar (3–4)Musgrove (3–4)—33,47629–15L3
45May 22Tigers1–0Devenski (3–2)Fulmer (5–2)Giles (12)22,14630–15W1
46May 23Tigers6–2McCullers (5–1)Zimmermann (4–3)—23,17931–15W2
47May 24Tigers3–6Greene (1–0)Devenski (3–3)—26,48131–16L1
48May 25Tigers7–6Gregerson (2–1)Wilson (1–2)Giles (13)25,04632–16W1
49May 26Orioles2–0Musgrove (4–4)Gausman (2–4)Giles (14)31,38033–16W2
50May 27Orioles5–2Keuchel (8–0)Miley (1–3)Harris (2)32,76134–16W3
51May 28Orioles8–4McCullers (6–1)Asher (1–3)—34,72035–16W4
52May 29@ Twins16–8Jankowski (1–0)Breslow (1–1)—24,27236–16W5
53May 30@ Twins7–2Fiers (2–2)Berríos (3–1)—22,61637–16W6
54May 31@ Twins17–6Feliz (2–0)Santiago (4–5)—25,59338–16W7
June: 16–11 (Home: 5–8; Away: 11–3)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
55June 2@ Rangers7–1Keuchel (9–0)Darvish (5–4)—39,72939–16W8
56June 3@ Rangers6–5Devenski (4–3)Cashner (2–5)Giles (15)44,16840–16W9
57June 4@ Rangers7–2Peacock (3–0)Pérez (2–6)—39,20441–16W10
58June 5@ Royals7–3Fiers (3–2)Kennedy (0–6)—21,89242–16W11
59June 6@ Royals7–9Minor (3–1)Giles (1–2)—20,97442–17L1
60June 7@ Royals5–7Vargas (8–3)Díaz (0–1)Herrera (13)25,62842–18L2
61June 8@ Royals6–1Harris (2–1)Herrera (1–2)—32,74743–18W1
62June 9Angels4–9Shoemaker (6–3)Peacock (3–1)—40,78643–19L1
63June 10Angels3–1Fiers (4–2)Nolasco (2–7)Giles (16)41,29644–19W1
64June 11Angels6–12Middleton (1–0)Feliz (2–1)—32,42544–20L1
65June 12Rangers1–6Darvish (6–4)Musgrove (4–5)—25,69844–21L2
66June 13Rangers2–4Leclerc (1–1)Gregerson (2–2)Bush (8)27,61544–22L3
67June 14Rangers13–2Martes (1–0)Cashner (3–6)—37,22145–22W1
68June 16Red Sox1–2Kelly (3–0)Harris (2–2)Kimbrel (19)36,18945–23L1
69June 17Red Sox7–1Paulino (1–0)Porcello (3–9)—41,01746–23W1
70June 18Red Sox5–6Price (2–1)Musgrove (4–6)Kimbrel (20)38,38946–24L1
71June 19@ Athletics4–1Peacock (4–1)Gossett (0–2)Giles (17)10,48247–24W1
72June 20@ Athletics8–4Martes (2–0)Gray (2–3)—15,36248–24W2
73June 21@ Athletics5–1Fiers (5–2)Manaea (6–4)—12,27749–24W3
74June 22@ Athletics12–9Paulino (2–0)Hahn (3–5)Devenski (3)18,74750–24W4
75June 23@ Mariners3–13Hernández (3–2)Musgrove (4–7)Gallardo (1)31,78350–25L1
76June 24@ Mariners5–2McCullers (7–1)Gaviglio (3–2)—29,82051–25W1
77June 25@ Mariners8–2Feliz (3–1)Miranda (6–4)—33,01052–25W2
78June 27Athletics4–6Manaea (7–4)Fiers (5–3)Casilla (14)28,31252–26L1
79June 28Athletics11–8Feliz (4–1)Hahn (3–6)Giles (18)34,07553–26W1
80June 29Athletics6–1Peacock (5–1)Gossett (1–3)—29,50954–26W2
81June 30Yankees4–13Pineda (8–4)Feliz (4–2)Mitchell (1)40,02454–27L1
July: 15–9 (Home: 6–3; Away: 9–6)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
82July 1Yankees7–6Diaz (1–1)Betances (3–3)Giles (19)41,01055–27W1
83July 2Yankees8–1Devenski (5–3)Severino (5–4)—41,76156–27W2
84July 4@ Braves16–4Peacock (6–1)Newcomb (1–3)—41,45657–27W3
85July 5@ Braves10–4Devenski (6–3)García (2–7)—37,27858–27W4
86July 6@ Blue Jays4–7Liriano (5–4)McCullers (7–2)Osuna (22)40,94958–28L1
87July 7@ Blue Jays12–2Morton (6–3)Sanchez (0–2)—37,33259–28W1
88July 8@ Blue Jays2–7Stroman (9–5)Fiers (5–4)—46,65959–29L1
89July 9@ Blue Jays19–1Peacock (7–1)Happ (3–6)—46,62260–29W1
88th All-Star Game in Miami, Florida
90July 14Twins10–5Morton (7–3)Berríos (8–3)—38,00661–29W2
91July 15Twins2–4Santana (11–6)Musgrove (4–8)Kintzler (25)41,03861–30L1
92July 16Twins5–2Fiers (6–4)Gibson (5–8)Giles (20)38,25362–30W1
93July 17Mariners7–9 (10)Gallardo (4–7)Sipp (0–1)Díaz (17)24,70162–31L1
94July 18Mariners6–2Peacock (8–1)Gaviglio (3–5)Gregerson (1)27,11163–31W1
95July 19Mariners1–4Paxton (9–3)Morton (7–4)Díaz (18)35,19163–32L1
96July 21@ Orioles8–7Fiers (7–4)Jiménez (4–6)Giles (21)25,78464–32W1
97July 22@ Orioles8–4Martes (3–0)O'Day (1–3)—32,52465–32W2
98July 23@ Orioles7–9Givens (7–0)Gregerson (2–3)Britton (6)21,53365–33L1
99July 24@ Phillies13–4Musgrove (5–8)Velasquez (2–6)—17,56766–33W1
100July 25@ Phillies5–0Morton (8–4)Pivetta (3–6)—17,17667–33W2
101July 26@ Phillies0–9Nola (8–6)Fiers (7–5)—19,71867–34L1
102July 28@ Tigers6–5Peacock (9–1)Rondón (1–2)Giles (22)30,35868–34W1
103July 29@ Tigers3–5Boyd (5–5)Martes (3–1)J. Wilson (13)33,76668–35L1
104July 30@ Tigers1–13Verlander (6–7)McCullers (7–3)—31,97068–36L2
105July 31Rays14–7Morton (9–4)Cobb (9–7)—24,15469–36W1
August: 11–17 (Home: 7–10; Away: 4–7)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
106August 1Rays4–6Archer (8–6)Fiers (7–6)Colomé (31)22,98569–37L1
107August 2Rays0–3Pruitt (6–2)Keuchel (9–1)Colomé (32)26,72269–38L2
108August 3Rays3–5Boxberger (3–3)Liriano (6–6)Colomé (33)23,40469–39L3
109August 4Blue Jays16–7Peacock (10–1)Valdez (1–1)—39,28770–39W1
110August 5Blue Jays5–6 (10)Tepera (6–1)Liriano (6–7)Osuna (28)41,95070–40L1
111August 6Blue Jays7–6Martes (4–1)Osuna (3–3)—36,30071–40W1
112August 8@ White Sox5–8Holland (6–11)Keuchel (9–2)Clippard (2)13,97471–41L1
113August 9@ White Sox1–7González (6–10)McHugh (0–1)—14,82471–42L2
114August 10@ White Sox2–3 (11)Holmberg (2–3)Martes (4–2)—18,03471–43L3
115August 11@ Rangers4–6Hamels (7–1)Morton (9–5)—33,89771–44L4
116August 12@ Rangers3–8Ross (3–2)Fiers (7–7)—47,30671–45L5
117August 13@ Rangers2–1Keuchel (10–2)Cashner (7–9)Giles (26)31,51772–45W1
118August 14@ D-backs0–2Greinke (14–5)McHugh (0–2)Rodney (27)20,40572–46L1
119August 15@ D-backs9–4Martes (5–2)Banda (1–3)—16,93573–46W1
120August 16D-backs9–5Morton (10–5)Walker (6–7)—27,27874–46W2
121August 17D-backs0–4Corbin (10–11)Fiers (7–8)—27,94974–47L1
122August 18Athletics3–1Keuchel (11–2)Manaea (8–8)Giles (24)30,90875–47W1
123August 19Athletics3–0McHugh (1–2)Graveman (3–4)Clippard (4)32,79676–47W2
124August 20Athletics2–3Cotton (6–10)Peacock (10–2)Treinen (7)34,01176–48L1
125August 22Nationals3–4Roark (10–8)Morton (10–6)Doolittle (15)23,79876–49L2
126August 23Nationals6–1Fiers (8–8)Jackson (4–3)—23,43477–49W1
127August 24Nationals4–5 (11)Albers (7–2)Clippard (2–7)Solis (1)24,76177–50L1
128August 25@ Angels2–1McHugh (2–2)Bridwell (7–2)Giles (25)42,33378–50W1
129August 26@ Angels6–7Wood (2–4)Clippard (2–8)Parker (2)41,10178–51L1
130August 27@ Angels7–5Musgrove (6–8)Bedrosian (3–3)Giles (26)37,60679–51W1
131August 29Rangers[e]2–12Pérez (10–10)Fiers (8–9)—3,48579–52L1
132August 30Rangers[e]1–8Cashner (8–9)Keuchel (11–3)—6,12379–53L2
133August 31Rangers[e]5–1Devenski (7–3)Martinez (3–6)Giles (27)3,38580–53W1
September: 20–8 (Home: 10–2; Away: 10–6)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
134September 2 (1)Mets12–8Morton (11–6)Harvey (4–4)—30,31981–53W2
135September 2 (2)Mets4–1Musgrove (7–8)Lugo (5–4)Giles (28)34,90482–53W3
136September 3Mets8–6Harris (3–2)Flexen (3–4)Devenski (4)32,06583–53W4
137September 4@ Mariners6–2Keuchel (12–3)Rzepczynski (2–1)—20,10884–53W5
138September 5@ Mariners3–1Verlander (11–8)Pazos (4–5)Giles (29)14,56885–53W6
139September 6@ Mariners5–3Devenski (8–3)Díaz (3–6)—15,10486–53W7
140September 8@ Athletics8–9Treinen (2–6)Giles (1–3)—12,28886–54L1
141September 9 (1)@ Athletics1–11Gossett (4–8)Morton (11–7)—86–55L2
142September 9 (2)@ Athletics4–11Hatcher (1–2)Devenski (8–4)—19,24486–56L3
143September 10@ Athletics2–10Graveman (5–4)Keuchel (12–4)—15,89286–57L4
144September 12@ Angels1–0Verlander (12–8)Richards (0–1)Giles (30)36,08887–57W1
145September 13@ Angels1–9Skaggs (2–5)Fiers (8–10)—33,89987–58L1
146September 14@ Angels5–2Peacock (11–2)Nolasco (6–14)—35,71588–58W1
147September 15Mariners5–2Morton (12–7)Paxton (12–4)Giles (31)28,32889–58W2
148September 16Mariners8–6Keuchel (13–4)Ramírez (5–6)Musgrove (1)33,65090–58W3
149September 17Mariners7–1Verlander (13–8)Moore (1–4)—30,24791–58W4
150September 19White Sox3–1McHugh (3–2)Giolito (2–3)Giles (32)23,29392–58W5
151September 20White Sox4–3Peacock (12–2)Shields (4–7)Musgrove (2)24,99593–58W6
152September 21White Sox1–3Volstad (1–0)Keuchel (13–5)Minaya (5)24,28393–59L1
153September 22Angels3–0Verlander (14–8)Petit (5–2)Giles (33)34,12794–59W1
154September 23Angels6–2Morton (13–7)Norris (2–6)—34,03595–59W2
155September 24Angels5–7Middleton (6–1)Devenski (8–5)Parker (7)36,75695–60L1
156September 25@ Rangers11–2McHugh (4–2)Cashner (10–11)—30,39096–60W1
157September 26@ Rangers14–3Keuchel (14–5)Hamels (11–5)—28,97697–60W2
158September 27@ Rangers12–2Verlander (15–8)Martinez (3–8)—26,05398–60W3
159September 28@ Red Sox12–2Peacock (13–2)Rodriguez (6–7)—34,22299–60W4
160September 29@ Red Sox3–2Morton (14–7)Fister (5–9)Giles (34)36,623100–60W5
161September 30@ Red Sox3–6Pomeranz (17–6)McCullers (7–4)—35,722100–61L1
October: 1–0 (Home: 0–0; Away: 1–0)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceRecordStreak
162October 1@ Red Sox4–3McHugh (5–2)Abad (2–1)Clippard (5)34,517101–61W1
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Postponement
Bold = Astros team member

Postseason

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2017 Postseason Game Log (11–7)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceSeries
1October 5Red Sox8–2Verlander (1–0)Sale (0–1)—43,1021–0
2October 6Red Sox8–2Keuchel (1–0)Pomeranz (0–1)—43,4102–0
3October 8@ Red Sox3–10Kelly (1–0)Liriano (0–1)—38,0102–1
4October 9@ Red Sox5–4Verlander (2–0)Sale (0–2)Giles (1)37,3053–1
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceSeries
1October 13Yankees2–1Keuchel (1–0)Tanaka (0–1)Giles (1)43,1161–0
2October 14Yankees2–1Verlander (1–0)Chapman (0–1)—43,1932–0
3October 16@ Yankees1–8Sabathia (1–0)Morton (0–1)—49,3732–1
4October 17@ Yankees4–6Green (1–0)Giles (0–1)Chapman (1)48,8042–2
5October 18@ Yankees0–5Tanaka (1–1)Keuchel (1–1)—49,6472–3
6October 20Yankees7–1Verlander (2–0)Severino (0–1)—43,1793–3
7October 21Yankees4–0Morton (1–1)Sabathia (1–1)McCullers (1)43,2014–3
World Series (4–3)
#DateOpponentScoreWinLossSaveAttendanceSeries
1October 24@ Dodgers1–3Kershaw (1–0)Keuchel (0–1)Jansen (1)54,2530–1
2October 25@ Dodgers7–6 (11)Devenski (1–0)McCarthy (0–1)—54,2931–1
3October 27Dodgers5–3McCullers (1–0)Darvish (0–1)Peacock (1)43,2822–1
4October 28Dodgers2–6Watson (1–0)Giles (0–1)—43,3222–2
5October 29Dodgers13–12 (10)Musgrove (1–0)Jansen (0–1)—43,3003–2
6October 31@ Dodgers1–3Watson (2–0)Verlander (0–1)Jansen (2)54,1283–3
7November 1@ Dodgers5–1Morton (1–0)Darvish (0–2)—54,1244–3

Roster

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2017 Houston Astros
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

 Manager

Coaches

Statistics

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Batting

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(Final Stats)
Players in bold are on the active MLB roster as of the 2022 season.

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; K = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; OBP = On-base percentage; SLG = Slugging percentage; TB = Total bases

Pitching

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(Final Stats)
Players in bold are on the active MLB roster as of the 2022 season.

Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

Awards and achievements

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Grand slams

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No.DateAstros batterVenueInningPitcherOpposing teamBox
1 May 2 Marwin González[i] Minute Maid Park 8[ii] Keone Kela Texas Rangers
2 May 14[iii] Alex Bregman[i] Yankee Stadium 1 Masahiro Tanaka New York Yankees
3 May 15 Yuli Gurriel[i] Marlins Park 6[ii] Junichi Tazawa Miami Marlins
4 July 4 Josh Reddick SunTrust Park 9 Jason Motte Atlanta Braves
  1. 1 2 3 1st MLB grand slam
  2. 1 2 Tied score or took lead
  3. ↑ Game 2 of doubleheader

Career honors

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Astros elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Individual Position Houston Astros career Induction
Uni. Seasons Games Start Finish
Jeff Bagwell First baseman 5[i] 15 2,150 1991 2005 Class Inducted as an Astro • Plaque
Iván Rodríguez Catcher 77 1 93 2009 Plaque
  1. ↑ Uniform number retired during 2007 season.
See also: Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame • Sources:[70]

Annual awards

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League leaders

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American League leaders
Category Player Total
Batting champion Jose Altuve .346†
Hits leader Jose Altuve 204
Power–speed number Jose Altuve 27.4†
Sacrifice flies Josh Reddick 12†
Singles Jose Altuve 137
Wins Above Replacement—all Jose Altuve 8.3†
Wins Above Replacement—offense Jose Altuve 8.1†
†—Led MLB
Sources:[83][84]

Minor league system

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Illegal electronic sign stealing and punishment

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Two years later in November 2019, allegations were made that the Astros used a sophisticated electronic sign stealing system. The Athletic published a report which stated that Mike Fiers, who left the Astros after 2017 and later played for the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics, warned his new teams about the practice. The Athletic article heavily stressed that the illegal sign stealing was hardly exclusive to the Astros, but was in fact rampant across Major League Baseball.[87][88] An MLB investigation into the allegations was launched following the report.[89][90] Baseball YouTuber Jomboy Media was also one of the first to bring this to public attention, adding that a banging sound could be heard before each pitch. The number of bangs indicated to Astros batters what pitches were expected to be thrown from opposing pitchers.

Emails reveal that Astros management asked their employees who were scouting upcoming opponents: “One thing in specific we are looking for is picking up signs coming out of the dugout, . . . if we need cameras/binoculars, etc . . . ” The Athletic stated that MLB rules allow binoculars (but not to relay signs the same game), but do not seem to allow cameras.[91]

On January 13, 2020, Major League Baseball handed down punishments for the Astros ballclub in reference to the sign stealing allegations. Both general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A. J. Hinch were suspended for the entirety of the 2020 season, and the club was fined $5 million and forced to forfeit first and second round draft picks of the 2020 and 2021 drafts. This punishment is a record for such an infringement. The $5 million fine is the highest allowed by the MLB Constitution.[1] As a consequence of MLB's announcement, Luhnow and Hinch were promptly fired by Astros' owner Jim Crane the same day.[92][93]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Previously accomplished three times: on August 4, 1979 (game 1), August 7, 1987, and April 6, 2004. Remained the club record until April 4, 2026. Criteria: For single games, from 1962 to 2026, for HOU, in the regular season, sorted by descending runners left on base.
  2. ↑ Most recent game of this type for the Astros (including wins and losses) occurred on August 20, 2016, and the next occurred on August 26, 2021. Criteria: For single games, from 1962 to 2026, only 9-inning games or shortened, for HOU, in the regular season, requiring bases on balls ≥ 10 and hits ≥ 10, sorted by ascending date.
  3. ↑ Though Gurriel tied the AL record, this is not the club record. Due to Houston formerly being situated in the National League (NL), Astros players hold this record in two leagues. Curt Blefary, who lassoed seven double plays on May 4, 1969, established each of the Major League, NL, and club records.
  4. 1 2 Recognizes one manager in the major leagues.
  5. 1 2 3 Games moved to Tropicana Field for flooding concerns due to Hurricane Harvey.
  6. ↑ Co-winner with J. J. Watt.

References

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  1. 1 2 MLB hammers Astros in cheating scandal: Jeff Luhnow, A.J. Hinch suspended then fired; draft picks lost, CBS Sports, Katherine Acquavella and R.J. Anderson, Jan. 14, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Houston Astros 2016 team transactions: Trades, DL, free agents and callups". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Houston Astros 2017 team transactions: Trades, DL, free agents and callups". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Seattle Mariners (0), Houston Astros (3) box score". Baseball-Reference.com. April 3, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mariners vs. Astros box score". MLB.com. April 3, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Seattle Mariners (0) vs Houston Astros (3) box score". Baseball-Reference.com. April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Carlos Correa home runs". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  8. ↑ "George Springer home runs". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Houston Astros Opening Day history". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Putterman, Alex (October 6, 2017). "Jose Altuve, baseball's unlikeliest superstar". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  11. ↑ Botte, Peter (October 14, 2017). "Jose Altuve makes the case for Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge as AL MVP". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  12. 1 2 Kaplan, Jake (May 3, 2017). "Astros' Dallas Keuchel named AL pitcher of the month". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Team batting game stats finder". Stathead. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Team batting game stats finder". Stathead. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 McIlvoy, Randy (June 2, 2017). "Astros' Correa, McCullers named AL Player, Pitcher of Month for May". KPRC-TV Houston. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ Hoch, Bryan; McTaggart, Brian (May 14, 2017). "Astros' No. 2 is grand on Jeter Night". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  17. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (May 20, 2017). "Dallas Keuchel to DL with pinched nerve in neck". MLB.com. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  18. ↑ Schwartzberg, Seth (May 29, 2025). "Today in Astros history - May 29". Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  19. ↑ Hulsey, Bob. "This date in Astros history". Astros Daily. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Top performances for Carlos Beltrán". Retrosheet. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
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  22. ↑ "Fisher homers in MLB debut as Astros down Rangers 13–2". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Astros rout Blue Jays 19–1 for 60th win of season". USA Today. Associated Press. July 9, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
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  25. ↑ "Astros return from All-Star break on the heels of record-setting first half as top team in the league". MLB.com. July 13, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
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  28. ↑ RotoWire Staff (August 1, 2017). "Astros' Colin Moran: Undergoes facial surgery". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  29. ↑ Horrobin, Jordan (July 28, 2017). "George Springer placed on 10-day DL (quad injury)". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  30. ↑ Schonefield, David (January 18, 2017). "Who won and lost on Hall of Fame election night?". ESPN. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  31. 1 2 3 Click2Houston Staff (August 2, 2017). "Astros 2B Jose Altuve named AL Player of the Month; Yuli Gurriel named AL Rookie of the Month". KPRC-TV Houston. Retrieved November 4, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ↑ "Carlos Beltrán 2017 fielding game logs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  33. ↑ Michelet, Kirk (August 10, 2017). "Alex Bregman extends extra base hit streak to 10 games". WAFB 9 News. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  34. ↑ Goldrick, Tim (August 13, 2017). "White Sox deal Tyler Clippard to Houston". NBC Sports Chicago. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  35. ↑ "MLB double play records for first basemen". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  36. ↑ "TEX-HOU moved to Rays' park; millions donated". MLB.com. August 29, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Justice, Richard (December 30, 2017). "Astros gave their city 2017's greatest gift: Ballclub helped Houston heal from hurricane, both on and off field". MLB.com. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  38. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (September 1, 2017). "Verlander lifts up Houston in last-minute deal". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  39. ↑ ESPN.com News Services (August 31, 2017). "Astros get OF Cameron Maybin on waiver claim". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  40. ↑ Rajan, Greg (July 27, 2019). "Minute Maid Park's most memorable: Home after Harvey". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  41. ↑ Booth, Tim (September 6, 2017). "Justin Verlander wins in Astros' debut". The Detroit News. Associated Press. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  42. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (September 19, 2017). "Moran rejoins Astros for end of regular season: Infielder back in bigs after scary injury and minors rehab assignment". MLB.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  43. 1 2 Kaplan, Jake (September 19, 2017). "Astros' Jose Altuve selected as recipient of Lou Gehrig Memorial Award". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  44. ↑ Lott, Thomas (September 29, 2017). "Astros' win gives MLB three 100-win teams for first time since 2003". The Sporting News. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Houston Astros team history & encyclopdia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  46. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (September 27, 2017). "Jose Altuve gets 200 hits for 4th year in a row". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  47. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (October 1, 2017). "Jose Altuve wins third career AL batting title". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  48. 1 2 "Baseball America awards". Baseball America. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  49. ↑ McTaggart, Brian; Browne, Ian (October 5, 2017). "Jose Alltuve hits 3 homers in Game 1 of ALDS". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  50. ↑ Browne, Ian; McTaggart, Brian (October 9, 2017). "Astros remove Sox, reach ALCS in epic finish". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Keuchel strikes out 10, Astros beat Yanks 2–1 in ALCS opener". ESPN.com. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  52. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (October 14, 2017). "Verlander crafts masterpiece with 13-K CG: Astros righty throws 93 of 124 pitches for strikes, then rewarded with walk-off win in G2 of ALCS". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  53. ↑ Crasnick, Jerry (October 20, 2017). "Justin Verlander's Game 6 gem gets the Jack Morris seal of approval". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  54. ↑ Healey, Tim (October 22, 2017). "Astros' Lance McCullers remembers Jose Fernandez while pitching team to World Series". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  55. 1 2 Kelly, Matt (October 21, 2017). "Verlander named ALCS MVP after superb starts". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  56. ↑ Justice, Richard (October 26, 2017). "Astros, Dodgers author a classic Fall Classic: Houston evens World Series at 1−1 in Game 2 thriller filled with wild moments". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
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  58. ↑ "Astros rock Darvish, power their way to 2−1 lead over Dodgers". ESPN. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
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  60. ↑ Justice, Richard (October 28, 2017). "Peacock's relief performance a Series classic: Astros righty delivers 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings for first career save". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  61. ↑ Miller, Doug (December 31, 2017). "A look back at the 10 best games of 2017". MLB.com. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
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  63. ↑ McTaggart, Brian; Gurnick, Ken (November 2, 2017). "Houston Astros win 2017 World Series". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
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  67. ↑ Lott, Thomas (December 13, 2017). "Astros player reveals how Yu Darvish was tipping his pitches". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  68. ↑ Beltrán, Carlos (November 13, 2017). "Muchas Gracias, Béisbol". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  69. ↑ Feinsand, Mark (November 13, 2017). "Beltran retires a champ after 20-year career". MLB.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  70. ↑ "Houston Astros Hall of Fame register". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  71. ↑ Kaplan, Jake (November 17, 2017). "Astros' Jose Altuve named American League MVP". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  72. ↑ "Jose Altuve is selected AP male athlete of the year". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  73. ↑ Baseball America Press Release (October 5, 2017). "From afterthought to foundation of a winner". Baseball America. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  74. ↑ "Darryl Kile Award". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  75. 1 2 3 4 5 Astros Media Relations (December 19, 2017). "Houston BBWAA announces annual awards". MLB.com. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  76. ↑ Newman, Mark (October 25, 2017). "Stanton, Altuve named Aaron Award winners: Marlins OF takes home second NL trophy; Astros 2B gets first AL nod". MLB.com. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  77. ↑ "The Hickok Belt". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  78. ↑ USA Today Sports (November 9, 2017). "Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado among repeat Silver Slugger Award winners". USA Today. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
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  81. ↑ Barshop, Sarah (December 5, 2017). "Sports Illustrated names J.J. Watt, Jose Altuve its Sportspersons of the Year". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  82. ↑ "Major League Baseball announces nominees for the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award". MLB.com (Press release). September 5, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  83. ↑ "2017 American League batting leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  84. ↑ "2017 Major League Baseball batting leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  85. ↑ "Yordan Alvarez stats, height, weight, position, rookie status $ more". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  86. ↑ "Kyle Tucker stats, height, weight, position, rookie status $ more". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  87. ↑ Rosenthal, Ken; Drellich, Evan (November 12, 2019). "The Astros stole signs electronically in 2017 — part of a much broader issue for Major League Baseball". The Athletic.
  88. ↑ Passan, Jeff (November 12, 2019). "Ex-Astros pitcher Mike Fiers: Team stole signs with camera". ESPN.
  89. ↑ Tarsitano, Rick (November 12, 2019). "MLB checking into report 2017 Astros stole signs, broke rules". WGN-TV.
  90. ↑ Passan, Jeff (November 14, 2019). "MLB contacts Astros, Red Sox as sign-stealing investigation expands". ESPN.
  91. ↑ Baer, Jack (November 16, 2019). "Report: Astros executive left paper trail in alleged sign-stealing scheme with 2017 email". Yahoo! Sports.
  92. ↑ Passan, Jeff (January 13, 2020). "Astros' Jeff Luhnow, AJ Hinch fired for sign stealing". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  93. ↑ Blum, Ronald; Rieken, Kristie (January 13, 2020). "Houston Astros fire 2 top managers for cheating during World Series run in 2017". Arizona Daily Sun.
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