1980 Houston Astros season

The 1980 Houston Astros season was the 19th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas.

After a late collapse in 1979, the Astros finished in a tie for first place in the National League West with a record of 92–70 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, having lost three in a row in Los Angeles on the final series of the season. The teams played a one-game playoff on October 6 to determine the division champion, which the Astros won, marking the first time in franchise history that the team qualified for the postseason. They went on to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, losing three games to two.

Offseason

 * October 26, 1979: Keith Drumright was sent by the Astros to the Kansas City Royals to complete an earlier deal (the Astros sent a player to be named later to the Royals for George Throop) made on April 27, 1979.
 * November 19, 1979: Nolan Ryan was signed as a free agent by the Astros.
 * January 31, 1980: Joe Morgan was signed as a free agent by the Astros.
 * February 21, 1980: Frank Riccelli was released by the Astros.

Regular season
On July 4, pitcher Nolan Ryan recorded the 3,000th strikeout of his career by striking out César Gerónimo of the Cincinnati Reds.

Opening Day starters

 * Alan Ashby
 * Enos Cabell
 * César Cedeño
 * José Cruz
 * Art Howe
 * Joe Morgan
 * Terry Puhl
 * Craig Reynolds
 * J. R. Richard

Regular season

 * - style="text-align:center;"
 * Legend:      = Win       = Loss       = Postponement Bold = Astros team member

Postseason Game log

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 * Legend:      = Win       = Loss       = Postponement Bold = Astros team member

Starters by position
''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Other batters
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; S0 = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Game 1
October 7: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Game 2
October 8: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Game 3
October 10: Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Game 4
October 11: Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Game 5
October 12: Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Game 5 capped the series in fitting fashion, with seemingly endless surprises and excitement. The Astros jumped to an early lead in the first on a run-scoring double by José Cruz. Philadelphia bounced back to take the lead on a two-run single by Bob Boone in the second. The Astros saw Luis Pujols and Enos Cabell thrown out at the plate in the second and fifth, but finally broke through to tie the game 2–2 on an unearned run in the sixth, thanks to an error by Philadelphia's less than surehanded left fielder Greg Luzinski.

Houston took what seemed like a solid 5–2 lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Denny Walling, a wild pitch from Phillies reliever Larry Christenson, and a run-scoring triple by Art Howe. A three-run deficit in the eighth inning against Nolan Ryan seemed insurmountable. But the Phillies would not die. They loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles, including two infield hits, and then got two runs on a walk to Pete Rose and a groundout by Keith Moreland. An RBI single by Del Unser tied the game 5–5, and then Manny Trillo put the Phillies ahead with a two-run triple.

The Astros promptly came back to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, with Rafael Landestoy and José Cruz each singling in a run. Neither team scored in the ninth, but the Phillies got doubles from Unser and Garry Maddox in the tenth to take an 8–7 lead. Philadelphia's Dick Ruthven retired the Astros in order in the bottom of the tenth, and the Phillies had won their first pennant since 1950. They went on to defeat the Kansas City Royals four games to two in the World Series.

Composite Box
1980 National League Championship Series (3–2): Philadelphia Phillies over Houston Astros