Editing Houston Astros (section)

===2015–2019: Return to success, first World Series title and scandal===
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2015}}
In 2015, [[Dallas Keuchel]] led the AL with 20 victories, going 15–0 at home, an MLB record. Key additions to the team included Scott Kazmir and SS [[Carlos Correa]] who hit 22 home runs after being called up in June 2015. Second baseman [[Jose Altuve]] remained the star of the Astros' offense. On July 30, the Astros picked up [[Mike Fiers]] and [[Carlos Gómez]] from the Milwaukee Brewers. Fiers threw the 11th [[no-hitter]] in Astros history on August 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Houston got the final AL playoff spot and faced the Yankees in the [[2015 American League Wild Card Game|Wild Card Game]] on October 6 at New York. They defeated the Yankees 3–0, including 6.0 scoreless innings pitched by Keuchel and home runs by [[Colby Rasmus]] and Carlos Gómez.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 Wild Card Game - Houston Astros over New York Yankees (1-0) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2015_ALWC.shtml |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

The Astros would subsequently play the [[American League Central|AL Central]] champion [[Kansas City Royals]]. The Astros would split the first two games of the ALDS best-of-five series in Kansas City. The Astros won the first game at Minute Maid to take a 2–1 lead in the ALDS. In Game 4, after 7 innings, the Astros had a 6–2 lead. In the top half of the eighth inning, which took about 45 minutes to end, the Royals had taken a 7–6 lead with 5 consecutive singles and a notable error from SS Carlos Correa which tied the game as well as allowed the winning run to reach base.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 4, Kansas City Royals vs Houston Astros: October 12, 2015 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU201510120.shtml |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Astros suffered a 9–6 loss and the ALDS was tied at 2–2. Then the series went back to Kansas City, where the Royals clinched the series in the fifth game, 7–2.

The Astros entered the 2016 season as the favorites to win the AL West after a promising 2015 season. After a bad start to their season, going just 7–17 in April, the Astros bounced back and went on to have a winning record in their next four months, including an 18–8 record in June. But after going 12–15 in September, the Astros were eliminated from playoff contention. They finished in third place in the American League West Division with a final record of 84–78.

The season was marked by the Astros 4–15 record against their in-state division rival (and eventual division winner) [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]. The Astros finished the 2016 season 11 games behind the Rangers.

[[File:Downtown Houston Skyline During 2017 World Series.jpg|Many buildings in the skyline of [[Downtown Houston]] participated in cheering for the Astros during the [[2017 World Series]].|thumb]]

In 2014, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' predicted the Astros would win the 2017 World Series through their strategic rebuilding process.<ref>{{cite news|last=Reiter|first=Ben|title=Astro-Matic Baseball: Houston's Grand Experiment|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2014/06/30/106479598/astromatic-baseball-houstons-grand-experiment|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=June 30, 2014|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509080102/https://www.si.com/vault/2014/06/30/106479598/astromatic-baseball-houstons-grand-experiment|archive-date=May 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Axisa|first=Mike|title=Sports Illustrated has very, very, very high hopes for the 2017 Astros|url=http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/sports-illustrated-has-very-very-very-high-hopes-for-the-2017-astros/|work=CBS Sports|date=June 25, 2014|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215172727/https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/sports-illustrated-has-very-very-very-high-hopes-for-the-2017-astros/|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> As of June 9, 2017, the Astros were 41–16, which gave them a 13.5-game lead over the rest of their division and comfortable possession of the best record in the entire league. This was the best start in the Astros' 55-year history. The Astros entered the All-Star Break with an American League-best 60–29 record, a 16-game lead in the division, and one game shy of the best record in MLB, which had just barely slipped to the Dodgers right before the All-Star Break.

[[File:Astros_Strong.png|upright=0.75|right|thumb|The Houston Astros began wearing this patch during the 2017 season as the Houston area recovered from the destruction caused by [[Hurricane Harvey]].]]

With [[Hurricane Harvey]] causing massive flooding throughout Houston and southeast Texas, the Astros' three-game series against the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] for August 29–31, was relocated to [[Tropicana Field]] (home of the [[Tampa Bay Rays]]), in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], [[Florida]].<ref>{{cite news|last=McTaggart|first=Brian|title=TEX-HOU moved to Rays' park; millions donated|url=http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/251073866/astros-to-play-at-rays-ballpark-due-to-storm|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|website=MLB.com|date=August 29, 2017|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830144859/http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/251073866/astros-to-play-at-rays-ballpark-due-to-storm/|archive-date=August 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> As the area recovered from the hurricane, many residents rallied around the Astros, who adopted the mantra "Houston Strong". They wore a patch on their jerseys with the mantra for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/houston-strong-mantra-rings-true-astros-world-series/story?id=50881798| title = 'Houston Strong' mantra rings true after Astros' World Series win| website = [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.khou.com/article/sports/mlb/astros/astros-reflect-on-houston-strong-spirit-a-year-after-harvey/285-588186038| title = Astros reflect on 'Houston Strong' spirit a year after Harvey| date = August 27, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:George Springer (30062652747).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|2017 World Series MVP - [[George Springer]]]]
At the August 31 waiver-trade deadline GM [[Jeff Luhnow]] acquired veteran starting pitcher and Cy Young Award winner [[Justin Verlander]] to bolster the starting rotation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/09/22/houston-astros-justin-verlander-trade-0|title=How the Astros' Justin Verlander trade came together at the last second|work=SI.com|access-date=November 30, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033032/https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/09/22/houston-astros-justin-verlander-trade-0|archive-date=December 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Verlander won each of his 5 regular season starts with the Astros, yielding only 4 runs over this stretch. He carried his success into the playoffs, posting a record of 4–1 in his 6 starts, and throwing a complete game in Game 2 of the ALCS. Verlander was named the 2017 ALCS MVP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/verlaju01.shtml|title=Justin Verlander Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=November 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518030746/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/verlaju01.shtml|archive-date=May 18, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Astros clinched their first division title as a member of the American League West division, and first division title overall since 2001. They also became the first team in Major League history to win three different divisions: National League West in 1980 and 1986, National League Central from 1997 to 1999 and 2001, and American League West in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/AL-West-champs-Astros-clinch-first-division-12204590.php|title=The West is won: Astros clinch first division title since 2001|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=March 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330012731/https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/AL-West-champs-Astros-clinch-first-division-12204590.php|archive-date=March 30, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 29, the Astros won their 100th game of the season, the second time the Astros finished a season with over 100 wins, the first being in 1998. They finished 101–61, with a 21-game lead in the division, and faced the [[Boston Red Sox|Red Sox]] in the first round of the AL playoffs. The Astros defeated the Red Sox three games to one, and advanced to the [[American League Championship Series]] against the [[New York Yankees]]. The Astros won the ALCS four games to three, and advanced to the [[2017 World Series|World Series]] to play against the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. The Astros defeated the Dodgers in the deciding seventh game of the World Series, winning the first championship in franchise history.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.statesman.com/news/astros-win-1st-world-series-crown-top-dodgers-game/dFPrZBx58LbISdX9vluZgI/|title=Astros win 1st World Series crown, top Dodgers 5–1 in Game 7|publisher=statesman.com|author=AP Newswire|date=November 1, 2017|access-date=November 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102105853/http://www.statesman.com/news/astros-win-1st-world-series-crown-top-dodgers-game/dFPrZBx58LbISdX9vluZgI/|archive-date=November 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The victory was especially meaningful for the Houston area, which was rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Manny |last2=Debenedetto |first2=Paul |date=November 2, 2017 |title=9 Weeks After Harvey, Houston Celebrates World Series Win |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-astros.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102191622/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/us/hurricane-harvey-houston-astros.html |archive-date=November 2, 2017}}</ref> The city of Houston celebrated the team's accomplishment with a parade on the afternoon of November 3, 2017. Houston police chief Art Acevedo estimated at least 750,000 people attended the parade.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 3, 2017 |title=More than 750,000 attendees at Astros championship parade |url=https://www.fox4news.com/news/more-than-750000-attendees-at-astros-championship-parade |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113110240/https://www.fox4news.com/news/more-than-750000-attendees-at-astros-championship-parade |archive-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Jose Altuve (51004270648).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|2017 [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|AL MVP]] - [[Jose Altuve]]]]

On November 16, 2017, [[Jose Altuve]] was named the American League Most Valuable Player, capping off a season in which he accumulated 200 hits for the fourth consecutive season, led the majors with a .346 BA, and was the unquestioned clubhouse leader of the World Series champions.

[[File:2017 World Series champion Houston Astros visit White House.jpg|thumb|left|The 2017 team at the [[White House]] with President [[Donald Trump]], March 2018]]

On September 26, 2018, the Astros' second consecutive AL West division championship was clinched with a victory by the [[Seattle Mariners]] over the [[Oakland A's]]. For the third time in franchise history, and second consecutive season, the team won over 100 games; they finished the regular season 103–59 (a new franchise record) by sweeping a double-header against the [[Baltimore Orioles]] on September 29, 2018. The Astros swept the [[Cleveland Indians]] in the ALDS to advance to the ALCS to face the league-leading [[Boston Red Sox]] (who finished the season 108–54.) After a 7–2 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Astros dropped the next four games, and Boston advanced to the World Series.
[[File:Justin Verlander ready to throw his pitch, March 2, 2019 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Justin Verlander]], 2019 and 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner]]
In the offseason, the Astros signed veteran outfielder [[Michael Brantley]], and catcher [[Robinson Chirinos]]. At the trade deadline on July 31, 2019, Houston acquired another veteran starting pitcher and Cy Young award winner [[Zack Greinke]] to bolster the starting rotation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/31/mlb-trade-deadline-greinke-astros|title=Houston Astros acquire Zack Greinke in stunning deadline pitching grab|date=July 31, 2019|access-date=September 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905012509/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/31/mlb-trade-deadline-greinke-astros|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 22, the Astros clinched their third consecutive AL West division title. They finished the season with a record of 107–55, the best in franchise history, and the best record in MLB. They became the first team since the 2002–2004 New York Yankees to have 3 consecutive 100-win seasons. They also became the first team in MLB history to have three consecutive 100-loss seasons and three consecutive 100-win seasons in the same decade.

Entering the playoffs as the top-seeded team in both leagues, they defeated the AL Wild Card winner [[Tampa Bay Rays]] in five games in the ALDS, advancing to the ALCS for the third year in a row to face the New York Yankees. In Game 6 at Minute Maid Park, Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run to win the pennant and send the team to its third World Series appearance. However, they lost the 2019 World Series to the [[Washington Nationals]] in seven games, taking three games in Washington but losing all four of their games at home.

==== Sign stealing scandal ====
{{Main|Houston Astros sign stealing scandal}}On November 12, 2019, [[Ken Rosenthal]] and Evan Drellich wrote an article in ''[[The Athletic]]'' detailing allegations that the Astros had used cameras to engage in potentially illicit [[sign stealing]] against opponents, relying on allegations from former Astros pitcher [[Mike Fiers]] as a public source and other allegations from unnamed sources.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://theathletic.com/1363451/2019/11/12/the-astros-stole-signs-electronically-in-2017-part-of-a-much-broader-issue-for-major-league-baseball/| title = The Astros stole signs electronically in 2017 — part of a much broader issue for Major League Baseball}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-17 |title=How the internet helped crack the Astros' sign-stealing case |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28476354/how-internet-helped-crack-astros-sign-stealing-case |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> The Astros were alleged to have used scouts watching catchers' signs in real time behind the dugout at Minute Maid Park to crack the signs and banging a trash can loudly to indicate what kind of pitch was coming. The scandal rippled through the baseball world as videos that appeared to clearly show the scheme were published.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.foxnews.com/sports/astros-video-sign-stealing-allegations-2017| title = Video shows how Houston Astros were allegedly stealing signs during 2017 season| website = [[Fox News]]| date = November 13, 2019}}</ref> Further allegations regarding other means of relaying signs, such as whistling, surfaced in subsequent weeks.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.foxnews.com/sports/astros-video-sign-stealing-whitstling-world-series| title = New video shows how Houston Astros allegedly used whistles to tip pitches to batters| website = [[Fox News]]| date = November 22, 2019}}</ref> MLB and [[Major League Baseball Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Rob Manfred]] announced a sweeping investigation into the allegations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |date=December 12, 2019 |title=The Astros Investigation Is Making the Off-Season Awkward for Everyone |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/sports/baseball/mlb-astros-signs-investigation.html |access-date=August 18, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On January 13, 2020, MLB announced that its investigation found that the Astros did use cameras and video monitors to steal signs of opposing catchers and signal to hitters throughout the 2017 regular season and postseason, and at least part of the 2018 season.<ref name="WP1132020">{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/13/houston-astros-penalties-sign-stealing/| title = A. J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow fired by Astros after MLB suspension, fine in sign-stealing scandal| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="wsj12220">{{cite web |last=Diamond |first=Jared |date=January 22, 2020 |title=Astros Players Cheated. Baseball Wanted Answers. So It Made a Deal. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/astros-players-cheated-baseball-wanted-answers-so-they-made-a-deal-11579694400 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212003543/https://www.wsj.com/articles/astros-players-cheated-baseball-wanted-answers-so-they-made-a-deal-11579694400 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=February 9, 2020 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> The investigation found no evidence of sign stealing in their pennant-winning 2019 season.<ref name="CBS11520">{{cite web| url = https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/houston-astros-cheating-scandal-10-things-we-learned-from-mlbs-nine-page-investigative-report/| title = Houston Astros cheating scandal: 10 things we learned from MLB's nine-page investigative report| date = January 15, 2020}}</ref> The report said that [[Alex Cora]], then the Astros bench coach, [[Carlos Beltrán]], and other unnamed players were involved in developing the scheme. It said Hinch "neither devised the banging scheme nor participated in it," but did not stop it or tell Cora he disapproved of it.<ref name="CBS11520"/>

Manfred announced that manager A. J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year, the team would be fined $5&nbsp;million (the maximum allowed under MLB rules), and the team would lose its top two draft picks in both the 2020 and 2021 [[MLB Draft]]s.<ref name="WP1132020"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Nightengale |first=Bob |date=January 13, 2020 |title=MLB hands down historic punishment to Astros for sign stealing, including suspensions for manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/astros/2020/01/13/astros-stealing-signs-penalties-jeff-luhnow-aj-hinch-suspended-year/4456644002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428234306/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/astros/2020/01/13/astros-stealing-signs-penalties-jeff-luhnow-aj-hinch-suspended-year/4456644002/ |archive-date=April 28, 2020 |access-date=January 13, 2020 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> About an hour after MLB's announcement, Astros owner Jim Crane announced he had terminated both Hinch and Luhnow, saying he was unaware of the scheme and "extraordinarily troubled and upset", and concluded, "We need to move forward with a clean slate. [We] will not have this happen again on my watch."<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.khou.com/article/sports/mlb/astros/astros-manager-aj-hinch-gm-jeff-luhnow-suspended-for-a-year-as-mlb-comes-down-hard-for-cheating-allegations/285-d80c4626-2bb1-4fc4-89d4-26ea0a30bf87| title = Astros owner fires Jeff Luhnow, A. J. Hinch after both were suspended by MLB for 2017 cheating scandal| date = January 13, 2020}}</ref> In a statement, Luhnow denied knowledge of the scheme. Hinch issued a statement saying, "While the evidence consistently showed I didn't endorse or participate in the sign stealing practices, I failed to stop them and I am deeply sorry."<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-statement-from-aj-hinch| title = Statement from AJ Hinch| website = [[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

The scandal had repercussions around baseball.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Verducci |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Verducci |date=January 13, 2020 |title=Why MLB Issued Historic Punishment to Astros for Sign Stealing |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/13/houston-astros-cheating-punishment |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114010855/https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/13/houston-astros-cheating-punishment |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |access-date=June 21, 2020 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 13, 2020 |title=Baseball's cheating scandal dominates start of spring training |url=https://news.yahoo.com/baseball-cheating-scandal-dominates-start-212624204.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219075238/https://news.yahoo.com/baseball-cheating-scandal-dominates-start-212624204.html |archive-date=February 19, 2020 |access-date=February 19, 2020 |website=[[Yahoo News]]}}</ref> Cora was implicated in the report but Manfred withheld a decision on his punishment until the completion of a separate investigation into electronic sign stealing in 2018, when Cora was manager of the Red Sox.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://nypost.com/2020/01/13/red-soxs-alex-cora-is-going-to-get-crushed-after-astros-cheating-scandal/| title = Red Sox's Alex Cora is going to get crushed after Astros cheating scandal| date = January 13, 2020}}</ref> However, the report led the Red Sox to dismiss Cora two days after it was published,<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/15/boston-red-sox-fire-alex-cora| title = Why Red Sox Had to Move on From Alex Cora| newspaper = Sports Illustrated}}</ref> and the Mets did the same with Beltran, who had been hired as manager shortly before the original story.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28496773/mets-agree-part-ways-manager-carlos-beltran| title = Mets agree to part ways with manager Carlos Beltran| date = January 16, 2020}}</ref>