The Astros fired managerJimy Williams and replaced him with Phil Garner at the All-Star break. With a 44–44 record, the team had been slumping after spending the first month and a half of the season in first place in the National League Central division. That was considered a disappointment due to hopes of reaching the World Series after signing free agent starting pitchers Clemens and Pettitte, and acquiring Beltrán weeks earlier.[12]
Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Minute Maid Park
Three members of the Astros were in the starting lineup; Roger Clemens, who had played in the 1986 All-Star Game, was the starting pitcher, Jeff Kent was at second base, and Berkman was one of the three outfielders starting in the game. Beltrán, first named to the American League team before the trade, was added to the National League team as a reserve. The game had an attendance of 41,886 and boxing legend Muhammad Ali threw the ceremonial first pitch of the game. The final result was the American League defeating the National League 9–4, thus awarding an AL team (which would eventually be the Boston Red Sox) home-field advantage in the World Series.
Second half
A triple play and a seven-run seventh inning on August 19 against Philadelphia highlighted an Astros 12–10 win. With the Phillies leading 7–2, Todd Pratt grounded into a bases-loaded triple play in the fifth inning, Houston's first in 13 years. Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Eric Bruntlett each homered in the seventh inning.[14]
Bagwell recorded his 200th career stolen base on August 30 against the Cincinnati Reds to become the tenth player in MLB history to reach that plateau while hitting 400 home runs. On September 18, Bagwell collected his 1,500th career RBI with a single in the third inning against the Brewers. Two innings later, he homered for his 1,500th run scored, becoming just 29th player in MLB history and first Astro to reach both milestones. Bagwell finished with 27 home runs, stopping a streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least 30 but extending a streak of 12 with at least 20.[7]
The Astros won 36 of their final 46 games to win the National League wild card.[15]
After the Astros acquired Beltrán from the Royals, he played 90 games batting .258 with 23 home runs, 53 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. His combined totals in 2004 included 159 games with a .267 batting average, 38 home runs, 104 RBI, 42 stolen bases, and 121 runs scored.
April 17, 2004: Kirk Saarloos was traded by the Houston Astros to the Oakland Athletics for Chad Harville.[16]
June 7, 2004: Hunter Pence was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 2004 amateur draft. Player signed July 14, 2004.[17]
June 7, 2004: J.R. Towles was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 20th round of the 2004 amateur draft. Player signed June 16, 2004.[18]
June 17, 2004: Dave Weathers was traded by the New York Mets with Jeremy Griffiths to the Houston Astros for Richard Hidalgo.[19]
June 28, 2004: Carlos Beltrán was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Houston Astros in a three-team deal, which also sent relief pitcher Octavio Dotel from the Astros to the Oakland Athletics, while the Royals picked up Oakland minor leaguers (pitcher Mike Wood and third-baseman Mark Teahen) and Astros catcher John Buck.[19]
September 7, 2004: Dave Weathers was released by the Houston Astros.[19]
In Game 2, Bagwell hit his first career postseason home run off Mike Hampton in the first inning in a 4–2 extra-inning loss.[20]
After seven failed attempts[21] in 43 years of franchise history to win a playoff series, the Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in five games for their first.[22] Behind the quartet dubbed the "Killer B's" – composed of Bagwell, Beltrán, Berkman and Biggio – who batted .395 (34-for-86) with eight home runs, 21 RBI and 24 runs scored, the Astros' offense ignited, scoring an NLDS-record 36 runs. Beltrán homered four times in this series.[23]
The Astros faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs for the first time in 2004 in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). By hitting one home run in each of the first four home runs in the NLCS, including the game-winner in Game 4, Beltrán tied Barry Bonds' record for home runs in single postseason-record with eight, continuing a strong performance from the NLDS. Counting a two home-run performance in Game 5 of the NLDS, that gave Beltrán at least one home run in a record-setting five consecutive postseason games,[24] later eclipsed by Daniel Murphy's home runs in six consecutive postseason games in 2015.[25]
Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds hit the game-winning home run off Dan Miceli in the 12th inning of Game 6, for a 6–4 final score and forcing a Game 7. It was the third game Miceli lost of the 2004 postseason.[26]
^Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.236, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN978-0-451-22363-0
^Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.234, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN978-0-451-22363-0
^ abHabib, Daniel G. (October 25, 2004). "Battle of the big bats". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and the game tied 5–5, Beltran dipped down like a golfer and scooped a 2-and-2 slider from St. Louis righthander Julián Tavárez into the right-centerfield bullpen. It was a record fifth straight postseason game in which Beltran hit a home run. 'The ump was reaching back to get another ball,' says Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who was watching from the on-deck circle, 'because that [pitch] was in the dirt.'
^Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.288, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN978-0-451-22363-0