Houston Astros
Harnisch suffered from a lack of run support upon his arrival in Houston. Despite leading the National League with a 2.22 ERA, his record stood at 5–7 at the 1991 All-Star break. NL manager Lou Piniella added Harnisch to his squad regardless of his losing record, and Harnisch pitched a scoreless sixth in the NL's 4–2 loss. On September 6, 1991, Harnisch struck out three batters on nine pitches in the ninth inning of a 3–1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Harnisch became the 17th National League pitcher and the 26th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish this feat. Harnisch went 7–2 after the break to end the season at 12–9. He led the league with a .212 batting average against and 7.020 Hits per nine innings pitched.
Astros manager Art Howe named Harnisch his 1992 opening day starter. Harnisch pitched well, giving up just two runs in the eighth to the Atlanta Braves, however, the Astros were held to just two hits by Braves starter Tom Glavine, and Harnish took the loss. His best season was 1993, when he went 16-9 with a 2.98 ERA and 185 strikeouts while tying the Chicago White Sox's Jack McDowell with a major league leading four shutouts and leading the NL for a second time with a .214 batting average against and 7.070 hits allowed per nine innings pitched.
A torn tendon in his pitching arm caused Harnisch to miss the entire month of June 1994, and limited him to just seventeen starts all season. Following the season, he was traded to the New York Mets. In four seasons in Houston, Harnisch compiled a 45-33 record and 3.41 ERA.
Read more about this topic: Pete Harnisch
Famous quotes containing the word houston:
“In Washington, the first thing people tell you is what their job is. In Los Angeles you learn their star sign. In Houston you’re told how rich they are. And in New York they tell you what their rent is.”
—Simon Hoggart (b. 1946)