Nothing crazy from this game, but it is an interesting window into a team, as the Astros beat the eventual World Champion Florida Marlins 5-2 at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros scored all the runs they'd need in the first inning off Florida starter Justin Wayne, who didn't record an out, period in the game. Wayne gave up two hits and three walks along with his three earned runs. Wayne just didn't have a very good inning, giving up a leadoff single to Craig Biggio and following that with an RBI double to Geoff Blum (in his first incarnation with the Astros). Then, Wayne walked the two Jeffs, Bagwell and Kent, to load the bases for Lance Berkman, who was promptly plunked to drive in another run. Wayne's final batter faced was Richard Hidalgo, who drew another walk to drive in the third run of the inning.
There are just 20 other instances of an opposing starter not recording an out against the Astros. The last time it happened was two months after this game, when Paul Wilson gave up eight runs (seven earned) on July 10, 2003. It was almost ten years to the day previously that the Astros had that happen, when Dennis Martinez couldn't get out of the first inning on April 15, 1993. Other notable names on the list include Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver, Andy Messersmith, Milt Pappas and Gaylord Perry.
As for the Astros in this game, a very peculiar mix of pitchers led them to the victory. Tim Redding got the victory, his third of the season, by pitching five innings and giving up five hits, two runs and two walks with one strikeout. Ricky Stone and Pete Munro each got holds while Octavio Dotel picked up the save. Billy Wagner was still on the team and had actually picked up his fifth save of the season a day previously, but may have been unavailable for this one. This was also Brad Lidge's rookie season, when the Astros emerged with a killer bullpen of Wagner, Dotel and Lidge...which promptly got broken up after the season.