Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Bayan yanayi biyu masu nasara ba tare da bayyanar wasan kwaikwayo ba, Astros sun kasance farkon waɗanda aka fi so don cin nasarar 2004 NL pennant. Sun kara da tauraron dan wasan Andy Pettitte zuwa jerin wadanda suka hada da wadanda suka hada da Lance Berkman da Jeff Kent da kuma tsofaffin Bagwell da Biggio. Roger Clemens, wanda ya yi ritaya bayan kakar wasa tare da New York Yankees, ya amince ya shiga tsohon abokin aikinsa Pettitte a Astros a shekara ta 2004. Yarjejeniyar shekara guda ta hada da yanayi na musamman, kamar zaɓi ga Clemens ya zauna a gida a Houston a kan zaɓaɓɓun tafiye-tafiye na hanya lokacin da ba a tsara shi ba. Duk da farkon tsinkaya don nasara, Astros suna da matsakaiciyar rikodin 44 <unk> 44 a hutun All-Star. Rashin samar da gudu da kuma mummunan rikodin a cikin wasanni masu kusa sune manyan batutuwa. Bayan da aka yi masa ba'a a 2004 All-Star Game da aka gudanar a Houston, an kori kocin Jimy Williams kuma an maye gurbinsa da Phil Garner, tauraruwar Astros na 1986 wanda ya lashe gasar. Astros sun ji daɗin rikodin 46<unk>26 a rabi na biyu na kakar wasa a ƙarƙashin Garner kuma sun sami filin wasan NL. Astros sun ci Braves 3<unk>2 a cikin Rukunin Rukunin, amma za su rasa Gasar Gasar Gasar Kasa
zuwa St. Louis Cardinals a wasanni bakwai. Clemens ya sami lambar yabo ta Cy Young ta bakwai a shekara ta 2004. Bugu da ƙari, ƙarin tsakiyar kakar wasa na Carlos Beltrán a cikin kasuwanci tare da Kansas City Royals ya taimaka wa Astros sosai a cikin wasan da suka yi. Duk da jita-jitar cinikin tsakiyar kakar wasa, Beltrán zai tabbatar da cewa yana da mahimmanci ga fatan kungiyar, yana buga gida takwas a cikin postseason. Kodayake ya tabbatar da sha'awar kasancewa tare da Astros, Beltrán ya sanya hannu kan kwantiragi na dogon lokaci tare da New York Mets a ranar 9 ga Janairu, 2005.