The 2011 Houston Astros season was the 50th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their 47th as the Astros, 50th in the National League (NL), 18th in the NL Central division, and 12th at Minute Maid Park. The Astros entered the season as having finished in fourth place in the NL Central with a 76–86 record and 15 games behind the division-champion Cincinnati Reds.
The Astros commenced the season on April 1 at Citizens Bank Park, when pitcher Brett Myers made the Opening Day start for Houston, but were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies, 5–4. On May 16, the Astros announced a sale of the team to group of investors led by Jim Crane. In the amateur draft, the Astros' first round selection was outfielder George Springer at 11th overall, and subsequent picks included pitcher Adrian Houser in the second round, pitcher Nick Tropeano in the fifth round, and third baseman Matt Duffy in the 20th round.
Right fielder Hunter Pence was selected to the MLB All-Star Game and played for the National League, the second selection of his career. On August 16, Brian Bogusevic hit the 26th ultimate grand slam in major league history.
Houston concluded the 2011 season with a 56–106 record and in last place, 40 games behind the division-champion Milwaukee Brewers, and most defeats in the major leagues. This was the first time in the franchise's 50-year history that they had lost 100 games in a single season, surpassing the record of 97 jointly held by the 1965, 1975, and 1991 teams, and was surpassed again the following season. The 40 games behind first place at the time represented the second-most in franchise history to the 1975 club ().
Offseason Summary The Astros concluded the 2010 campaign with a record, in fourth place in the NL Central division and 15 games behind the division-champion Cincinnati Reds. As the Astros' most recent winning season occurred in 2008 at , this was the first period since the 1990 and 1991 campaigns that Houston had assembled successive losing records. Center fielder Michael Bourn received his second consecutive Gold Glove Award, joining César Cedeño as Astros outfielders who have won the award (1972 to 1976).
Transactions February 17, 2011: Signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández as an international free agent.
Regular season Summary April
+ Opening Day starting lineup Player Position 21 Michael Bourn Center fielder 36 Ángel Sánchez Shortstop 9 Hunter Pence Right fielder 45 Carlos Lee Left fielder 22 Bill Hall Second baseman 23 Chris Johnson Third baseman 29 Brett Wallace First baseman 77 Humberto Quintero Catcher 39 Brett Myers Pitcher Venue: Citizens Bank Park • Philadelphia 5, Houston 4 Sources:
The Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Astros at Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day on April 1, where Philadelphia claimed a walk-off, 5-to-4 victory in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brett Myers made his first Opening Day start for Houston, and was opposed by reigning Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay. Halladay departed after six innings with six strikeouts and one run allowed. The Astros struck first off Halladay during the top of the sixth, highlighted by a double from Hunter Pence. Myers, meanwhile, kept the Phillies scoreless through six. The Astros scored thrice more the seventh, capped by Michael Bourn's two-run triple. The lead runner on the play was Myers, who also collected two singles at the plate. The Phillies scored twice off Myers in the bottom of the seventh, who departed after that frame with Houston leading, 4–2. Brandon Lyon entered in the bottom of the ninth for the Astros, still leading, 4–2. Jimmy Rollins led off with a single, pilfered a base, and scored the first run of the inning as the Phillies produced six singles while Lyon managed just one out. The Phillies tied the game, and John Mayberry Jr. delivered a walk-off single that plated Ben Francisco for the game-winning run batted in (RBI). In game three on April 3, righty Roy Oswalt started, and won, his first career outing against his former club. Francisco and Ryan Howard backed Oswalt with home runs as the Phillies downed the Astros, 7–3, to sweep the Opening Series.
Following 11 seasons as an Astro, on April 26, Lance Berkman made his first return to Minute Maid Park as a visitor. Now a St. Louis Cardinal, Berkman received mainly applause. In the ninth inning, he ripped a go-ahead double, only to see the home team mount a comeback and win in it the bottom of the ninth, 6–5.
May
The Astros announced on May 16 the sale of their team to a group of investors headed by Jim Crane for the price of $680 million. The Astros dropped a contest to the Atlanta Braves, 3–2, with Houston's record slipping to 15–26, worst in the National League. This date corresponded the approval of another sale of the team which took place in 1979.
Starting May 19 at Busch Stadium, outfielder Hunter Pence struck a single to left field off Kyle McClellan to launch a 23-game hitting streak and energize one of the dreariest seasons in club annals. His streak continued through a June 13th victory over Atlanta. Though he struggled with lower back pain, the All-Star batted .406 (39-for-96) with 19 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 19 runs batted in (RBI). The Astros posted a record of during Pence's streak to play above their season average. The seventh hitting streak in club history to span at least 23 bouts, Pence thumped for the longest since Willy Taveras hit in a club-record 30 successive from July 27–August 27, 2006, while tying for fifth in the major leagues on the season.
Jordan Lyles made his major league debut on May 31, hurling seven clean innings over the Chicago Cubs before his own error put him in line for the loss. The team proceeded to back him up, scoring six runs in the ninth to set up a 7–3 Astros victory.
June Right-hander Bud Norris worked a no-hit bid into the seventh inning on June 8 versus the St. Louis Cardinal, which was interrupted by former Astro Lance Berkman's 14th home run of the campaign. Norris surrendered the home run to Berkman with two outs in the seventh inning, which resulted as the only blemish in an eight-inning, one-hit, one-run outing, to lead a 4–1 triumph for Houston. During the bottom of the third inning, Hunter Pence tripled home Jeff Keppinger off Cardinals starter Jaime García for the first tally of the contest. Jason Michaels swattted an RBI single during the bottom of fifth to increase Houston's lead to 3 to 0. Mark Melancon secured the final three outs to convert the save (6).
July On July 19, the Astros promoted second base prospect Jose Altuve to the major leagues, who started and hit second for the first time the following day versus the Washington Nationals. Going 1-for-5 in his debut, Altuve singled off Tyler Clippard in the 9th inning for his first major league hit. Jason Michaels singled in Humberto Quintero in the bottom of the eleventh inning for a 3–2 walk-off Houston victory. Altuve authored a hitting streak that accounted for each of his first seven games, and, on July 27, 2011, tied an Astros franchise record with Russ Johnson for most successive games with a hit to start a career with 7, who accomplished his in 1997.
On July 25, Carlos Lee struck his seventh grand slam as a member of the Houston Astros to establish a club record, which surpassed Bob Aspromonte (1963–1966) and Jeff Bagwell (1998–2004), with six each. Lee's blast was off a P. J. Walters offering. Having previously connected for a grand slam off Walters on July 21, 2009, this batter—pitcher pairing of Lee and Walters made them the only opponents with more than one plate appearance where each had resulted in a grand slam. It was also Lee's 16th career grand slam, placing him ninth all-time. Lee's blast had cut Houston's deficit to 8–5 to the Cardinals in the top of the eighth. Altuve smoked his first two major league doubles, both off Kyle McClellan. However, Yadier Molina and Colby Rasmus went deep, while Molina also doubled as the Redbirds sailed to a 10–5 victory.
The Astros called up prospect J. D. Martinez on July 29 to replace Pence, who had been traded to the Philadelphia. Martinez started 52 of the remaining 55 games in the outfield for Houston.
August On August 3, J. D. Martinez connected for his first major league home run, deep to off Dontrelle Willis during the bottom of the first at Minute Maid Park to also score Jason Bourgeois. Martinez also doubled and totaled three hits and four RBI to lead a 5–4 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds.
Brian Bogusevic crushed his first major league home run on August 9, off Jason Marquis of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Two batters prior to Bogusevic, J. D. Martinez had also homered. Carlos Lee walked, and Bogusevic followed with a deep drive to center field, increasing the Astros lead to 4–1. However, the Diamondbacks rallied. With two outs, the bases loaded in the eighth and Arizona leading, 9–8, right-hander David Hernandez stuck out Bogusevic swinging. The Diamondbacks won, 11–9.
Brian Bogusevic' ultimate grand slam
On August 16, pinch hitter Brian Bogusevic hit the 26th ultimate grand slam in major league history, and first in franchise history. Bogusevic connected off Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Mármol for a 6–5 Houston victory. This was the Astros' lone walk-off home run of 2011. His second major league home run, this was the first and only of either a grand slam or walk-off home run during Bogusevic' career.
During the bottom of the seventh inning, catcher Humberto Quintero swatted a sacrifice fly that scored JB Shuck and reduced the Cubs' lead to 4–2. The Cubs regained the run in the top of the eighth when Aramis Ramírez led off the frame with a home run off Wilton López.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Jimmy Paredes lined out to left field against Mármol. Shuck followed with a ground ball single to right field. With Clint Barmes at the plate, Mármol threw a wild pitch, and Shuck to advanced to second. Barmes then stroked line drive single to left field and Shuck went to third. Matt Downs was inserted to pinch hit for Quintero and drew a walk to load the bases. Bogusevic then pinch hit for reliever Aneury Rodríguez and went deep off Mármol to end the contest, 6–5.
Rodríguez (1–4), who finished off the top of the ninth with the last two outs, earned the first and only victory of his major league career.
Prior to Bogusevic, Astros pinch hitters to have belted walk-off grand slams included Milt May on May 22, 1974, and Gregg Zaun on June 27, 2002. Carlos Lee had blasted the most-recent walk-off grand slam for Houston on June 28, 2007. Two other ultimate grand slams transpired in 2011; hence, it became the first campaign in major league history in which as many as three ultimate grand slams occurred. Bogusevic was preceded by Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians on July 7, 2011, and succeeded by Ryan Roberts of the Diamondbacks on September 27, 2011.
Rest of August