Tell it Goodbye to the Houston Astros: A History

The National League will no longer be represented in Texas after this season. With the Giants playing their last common league game with the 'Stros today, I felt it was a good time to pay my last respects to Houston by looking back at the history between the two teams.

The Giants lead the overall series with a record of 374-343. In their first match-up, the Houston Colt 45's bested Gaylord Perry's Giants by a score of 7-0 in Houston on May, 11, 1962. The very next day, the Giants got revenge for the lopsided loss with Juan Marichal throwing a shutout in an 11-0 game. A week later, on May 18th, 1962, the 45's played their first game in San Francisco. They proved to be rude guests, beating the Boy's By the Bay 3-2.

On May 14th, 1965 the Giants played their first game against the re-branded Houston Astros. Gaylord Perry took the hill for the Giants and got some personal vengeance against the 'Stros, as he led the way in a 2-1 victory.

The Giants enjoyed their most successful season against Houston in 1965, when the Black and Orange ran up a 15-3 record. On the flip side of the coin, the year our boys would most like to forget is pretty fresh in the minds of many current Giants players as well as fans. In 2008, only Matt Cain would be able to best the Spacemen; the Giants posted a pitiful 1-7 mark. The biggest blowout the Giants ever served the Astros was on April, 13, 1991. Behind Kevin Mitchell's two homers, the Giants crushed them 16-2.

The two teams have never faced each other in the postseason, but three games stick out in my mind between the franchises:

On September 18th, 2001, The Giants lost to the Astros 3-2 after Robb Nen failed to convert a save. Earlier in the game, Andres Galarraga -- the "Big Cat" -- hit a homer over the left field bleachers. However, these are just minor footnotes. The real story of the game is how Giants fans held candles before the game to honor the people who died in the 9-11 attacks. You see, this was the first game back for the Giants after the tragedy, and it meant so much more than baseball.

On October 4th, 2001, The Giants beat the Astros 10-2 in a huge game for two teams fighting for a playoff berth. This game, however, was about one man. In his last at bat of the game, Giants superstar Barry Bonds hit his 70th homer of the season, tying the single season record.

On June 13th, 2012, Giants ace Matt Cain took the mound for the San Francisco Giants. Jordan Schafer led off the game for the lowly Astros and Cain struck him out on four pitches. Jose Altuve would go down to the strikeout on three. For years, San Francisco fans have believed that Cain was perfect. On this night, the rest of the baseball world have to agree.

For many Giants fans this will be the last time we think about the Houston Astros. Sure, we will play them every now and then, but it will be the same feeling as any other American League scrub. So tonight as you watch the game, raise a glass to NL baseball in Texas, and let's hope like hell that Vogelsong can bring us win #375 against the 'Stros.

Posted in: Houston Astros,San Francisco Giants