May 5, 2009: Washington Nationals notch walk-off win over Astros — at Houston’s ballpark

Suspended baseball games, especially if completed months after they began, can lead to box scores full of substitutions, often resulting from trades and other transactions. Sometimes, they create anomalies in the record books,1 such as players being credited with feats backdated to occur before their debut games.

This Washington Nationals-Houston Astros game, begun on May 5, 2009, at Washington’s Nationals Park and concluded two months later at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, featured transaction-related substitutions and the record-keeping oddity of a winning pitcher who no longer played for the winning team. It also offered a remarkable twist—a walk-off celebration on the losing team’s home field.

In 2009 the Nationals and Astros were scheduled for two series: a two-game set in May in Washington and four games in Houston in July. When they met in May at Nationals Park, the Nationals were last in the National League East Division and the Astros were last in the NL Central.

The Nationals, who began the season by losing seven in a row and 10 of 11, won the first game, 9-4, improving to 7-17 and dropping the Astros to 11-15. The 12:38 P.M. start time for Tuesday’s series finale was set to allow both clubs convenient travel on “getaway day.”2

Lefty Scott Olsen (1-3, 6.08 ERA) took the mound for the Nationals, working one of their few one-two-three innings on nine pitches in the first inning.

In his ninth season with the Astros, 31-year-old Roy Oswalt (3.82 ERA) was one of Houston’s better pitchers. A three-time All-Star, five-time Top Five finisher in the NL’s Cy Young Award voting, and the 2006 National League ERA champion, Oswalt had an 0-2 record in six 2009 starts, more indicative of the state of Houston’s bullpen and lack of run support than his pitching ability. Cristian Guzman hit Oswalt’s first pitch for a single, but one out later Ryan Zimmerman grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Astros scored their first run in the second. Miguel Tejada, the 2002 American League MVP with the Oakland A’s, hit a one-out double. One out later, Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, the 1999 American League MVP with the Texas Rangers, also doubled,3 driving in Tejada.

The only baserunner Oswalt allowed in the second or third was a walk to Josh Willingham. Olsen also allowed one baserunner—Jeff Keppinger on a double in the third.

Nick Johnson led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and scored two outs later on Elijah Dukes’ home run, giving the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

The Astros emphatically regained the lead in the fifth. Every Astro came to the plate and four of them crossed it, on two run-scoring doubles by Michael Bourn and Tejada. Although no error was charged, the first score was assisted by a bad decision by catcher Wil Nieves. Oswalt bunted (hurting his finger in the process)4 and Nieves tried to nab the runner at second instead of taking the easy out at first. The throw was wild, all hands were safe, and both runners scored on Bourn’s double.5

That was all for Olsen—he was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth and by the first of a parade of relievers, Saul Rivera. Rivera pitched a clean inning in the top of the sixth—eight pitches for three groundouts. (He was rewarded by being sent to Triple A after the game.6)

The wheels came off for Houston’s pitching in the bottom of the sixth. The Nationals scored six runs—one at a time. By the numbers: 12 batters, five walks, three pitchers,7 two singles, one error, one hit-by-pitch. The Nationals led, 8-5, on only four hits. Three of the walks, the error, and the hit-by-pitch occurred with the bases loaded. Only one of the six runs scored on a hit—by Zimmerman, increasing his hitting streak to 23 games.8

The Nationals returned the favor in the top of the seventh, allowing the Astros to tie the game, 8-8. Relievers Julián Tavárez and Garrett Mock faced eight batters, allowing one walk, three singles, and a fielder’s choice.

Houston lefty Tim Byrdak pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh, and the Astros regained the lead in the eighth. Mock walked Darin Erstad, who advanced to third on Keppinger’s single and scored on a wild pitch. After Lance Berkman walked, Nationals manager Manny Acta called on Kip Wells. Wells got the necessary two outs on three pitches, holding the score at 9-8, Astros.

The lead changed hands yet again in the home half against the Astros’ fourth pitcher, Geoff Geary. Jesús Flores singled and Guzman’s first homer of 2009 followed, for a 10-9 Nationals lead.

If Wells had held the lead in the top of the ninth, the Nationals could put a rare win9 in the book. He didn’t. Hunter Pence opened with a double, advanced to third on Rodríguez’s groundout, and scored on Geoff Blum’s sacrifice fly. Wells struck out Erstad to hold the tie, 10-10.

Wells and Geary both worked one-two-three 10th innings.

Acta chose Joel Hanrahan, the Nationals’ usual late-inning reliever, to pitch the top of the 11th. Jason Michaels led off with a single but was erased on a double play. Pence and Rodríguez then singled, putting runners on second and third, but Hanrahan got the third out by striking out Blum.

The Astros’ fifth pitcher, LaTroy Hawkins, struck out Austin Kearns to start the home half of the 11th. Then he walked Dukes on four pitches.

And then it rained. After an hour and 16 minutes delay the umpires suspended the game, at about 5:46 P.M. The game would be continued in Houston on July 9, before the Thursday night opener of a four-game series.10

Neither team was happy with its performance. The managers’ and players’ comments read like apologies.

Acta said, “I think a couple plays that we didn’t make cost us six runs total. When your pitching is struggling, you have to catch the ball. You just can’t give away outs. That’s been a bit of a problem here.”11

Olsen admitted, “Bad throw by the catcher, and I made some bad pitches. Combine all that together, and there’s four runs.”12

Mock said, “Walking the leadoff guy, that’s a recipe for disaster. You’re asking for trouble.”13

The Astros weren’t happy either. Manager Cecil Cooper said, “One of the weirdest situations I’ve ever been in. How many did we walk today, 10?”14

Astros pitcher Chris Sampson,15 “I had a bad day. I’m human. Everyone out there’s human.”16

When the game resumed in Houston on July 9, there had been changes for both teams. On June 30 the Nationals traded Hanrahan to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Lastings Milledge for Sean Burnett and Nyjer Morgan. Flores was on the injured list and Wells had been released.17 Geary and Álex Cintrón had played their final major-league games. Matt Kata had been called up from Triple A on May 30 and played left field in the 11th inning.18

More important from a long-term perspective, the Nationals had drafted Stephen Strasburg first overall in the first round of the June amateur draft. Three Astros picks—sixth-rounder Kiké Hernández, seventh-rounder Dallas Keuchel, and 20th-rounder J.D. Martinez—also went on to long, productive careers.

Resetting the scene: Hawkins was back on the mound with a runner on first. That runner, Dukes, was not available as he had been optioned to Triple A to make roster space for the new Nationals,19 Burnett and Morgan. Morgan took Duke’s place on first base. The Nationals were wearing their road gray uniforms in contemplation of the regularly scheduled game that evening. A couple of thousand fans, along with Astros owner Drayton McLane, were in the stands. Usually they would have been seeing batting practice at that hour.

The Astros had closed the roof of Minute Maid Park—unlike the game-time temperature of 58 degrees in Washington when the game began, it was over 90 degrees outside in Houston.20 Willingham stepped in, and after waiting through Hawkins’ pickoff attempts, singled to left. Morgan took second.

That brought up Josh Bard, who was nursing a sore groin. He hit the ball to second for what would have been an inning-ending double play, since he was limping down the first-base line and would never have beaten the throw.

But shortstop Tejada airmailed the ball over Berkman’s head at first. Morgan, who had taken off from second the moment the ball was pitched, scored standing, just seven minutes after the game had resumed.21 The Nationals poured out of their dugout to celebrate as they would have at home.22

Hanrahan, who had pitched for Pittsburgh against Houston two nights earlier, was credited with his first and only win of 2009—thanks to the baserunning of the player he’d been traded for.

A decade later, these teams were no longer in last place. Houston changed leagues in 2013, leading to a more memorable showdown in Minute Maid Park: Games One, Two, Six, and Seven of the 2019 World Series. Only one player in this 2009 game played in 2019—– the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman. There was one other holdover – umpire Lance Barksdale, who worked the plate for the May 2009 portion of the game, was on the World Series crew in 2019.

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Larry DeFillipo and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Sources

In addition to the sources mentioned in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and SABR.org.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS200905050.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B05050WAS2009.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ect15whgWYM YouTube video of completion of game in Houston.

Notes

1 Stephen D. Boren, “Anomalies of Protested and Suspended Baseball Games,” SABR Baseball Research Journal, Vol. 41, No. 2 (Fall 2012): 14, https://sabr.org/journal/article/anomalies-of-protested-and-suspended-baseball-games/.

2 The Astros returned home on May 6 to play the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals had a cross-country trip for a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

3 Rodríguez finished his 21-year Hall of Fame career by signing a free-agent contract with the Nationals for 2010 and 2011.

4 Associated Press, “Rained Out,” McAllen (Texas) Monitor, May 6, 2009: A23.

5 Steve Yanda, “Nats-Astros Game to Be Continued; Rain Forces Suspension with Teams Tied,” Washington Post, May 6, 2009: D1.

6 Yanda. Rivera did make it back to the majors for August, September, and October of 2009 and had a brief stint with Arizona in 2010. He followed that by pitching in various independent and Latin leagues for 11 seasons, finally hanging up his spikes at age 42.

7 Astros starter Oswalt left the game with a bone bruise in his right index finger. Yanda.

8 His hitting streak continued to 30 games, ending on May 13.

9 Their final record in 2009 was 59-103, after a 59-102 2008.

10 Yanda. Under Rule 7.02(b) of the Major League Baseball rule book (2022 version), a suspended game should be completed before the next mutual game on the home team’s field. If there is no such game remaining in the season, the game should be completed on the visiting team’s field before their next mutual game. Compare this to the rules for postponed and certain other incomplete games under Rule 7.02(b)(5), which does not have these detailed prescriptions on timing and location of the postponed game.

11 Yanda.

12 “Rained Out.”

13 Yanda.

14 “Rained Out.”

15 Sampson allowed four of the six runs scored by the Nationals in the sixth inning.

16 “Rained Out.”

17 “Around the Bases,” Miami Herald, May 16, 2009: 5D.

18 “Transactions,” New York Daily News, May 31, 2009: 72. Of course, his Baseball Reference game log shows him playing on May 5, then skips ahead to June 2.

19 “NL Roundup,” Omaha World-Herald, July 1, 2009: 4C.

20 Wunderground historical weather information. Houston, Texas, July 9, 2009, https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/KHOU/date/2009-7-9. Accessed September 17, 2023.

21 Hawkins threw eight pitches in those seven minutes. He also fidgeted and made a few pickoff throws.

22 The Astros won the regularly scheduled game, 9-4, and took three of four games in the weekend series.