2005 Houston Astros season

The 2005 Houston Astros season was the 44th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas. They qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season and it was the sixth time they had done so in a span of nine seasons. Expectations had been raised since the Astros had come one win away from a pennant the previous year. However, they got to a sluggish 15–30 start. They then went on to win 74 of the next 117 games to claim the wild card playoff spot, and would go on to win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history, which gave them the privilege of hosting the first World Series game in the state of Texas. However, they were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.

However, it was also the last playoff appearance for ten seasons, as a slow decline swept in following the retirements of players such as Jeff Bagwell, the longtime first baseman who retired in the 2005 offseason after his shoulders deteriorated beyond the ability to play.