A crowd of 52,949, setting a record for a regular-season game at Riverfront Stadium, saw the Reds open their season by walloping the Astros, 11-5. The Reds battered six Astro pitchers for 15 hits, including three each for Pete Rose and Joe Morgan. Tony Perez batted in four runs with a double, infield out and bases-loaded walk.

Gary Nolan, who started for the Reds, was kayoed in the sixth inning after giving up a single by Enos Cabell and homers by Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson on successive pitches. Pedro Borbon relieved and had easy sailing when the Reds exploded for five runs in their half of the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 11, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Thursday, April     8, 1976 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  3    1  0  0  -   5 11  4
Reds         0  3  1    0  2  5    0  0  x  -  11 15  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard lf             5   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Rose 3b               5   0   3   2     0   2   .600
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   1     0   1   .400      Griffey rf            5   2   1   0     0   0   .200
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   2     0   0   .200      Morgan 2b             4   3   3   1     1   0   .750
Watson 1b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .250      Bench c               4   1   0   0     1   2   .000
Johnson c             2   1   1   0     2   1   .500      Perez 1b              3   1   2   4     2   0   .667
Gross rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .500      Foster lf             5   0   1   2     0   0   .200
Milbourne 2b          4   0   1   1     0   0   .250      Concepcion ss         5   1   1   1     0   0   .200
Metzger ss            4   1   2   0     0   0   .500      Geronimo cf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .500
Richard p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Nolan p               2   1   1   1     0   1   .500
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Borbon p            2   1   1   0     0   0   .500
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cosgrove p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cruz ph             1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000
  Barlow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000

Totals               36   5  11   5     3   3             Totals               39  11  15  11     4   5

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 52,949
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 8
DP: Astros 1, Reds 2
Errors: Johnson 2, Gross 2
Doubles: Milbourne (1), Perez (1), Geronimo (1)
Triples: Rose (1)
Home Runs: Cedeno (1), Watson (1)
Stolen Bases: Griffey 2 (2), Morgan 2 (2)
GIDP: Boswell (1), Milbourne (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(0-1)          4     5   4   4   1   2   0  19   9.00
Sosa                    1     6   5   5   0   1   0   9  45.00
Cosgrove                0.1   1   1   1   0   0   0   2  27.00
Andujar                 0.2   1   1   1   2   0   0   4  13.50
Barlow                  1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Forsch                  1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   0.00
Totals                  8    15  11  11   4   5   0  43

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan W(1-0)            5.1   6   4   4   2   3   2  23   6.75
Borbon SV(1)            3.2   5   1   1   1   0   0  16   2.45
Totals                  9    11   5   5   3   3   2  39

Wild Pitches: Richard (1), Sosa (1)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Ed Montague


ASTROS 1ST: Howard flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to center; Griffey forced Rose (second to
shortstop) [Griffey to first]; Griffey stole second [Griffey to
third (error by Johnson)]; Morgan reached on a fielder's choice
[Griffey out at home (third unassisted)]; Bench flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson struck out; Johnson was called out on
strikes; Gross grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Perez walked; Richard threw a wild pitch [Perez to
second]; Foster flied out to center; Concepcion singled to left
[Perez scored, Concepcion to second (on throw to home)];
Geronimo grounded out (second to first) [Concepcion to third];
Nolan singled to right [Concepcion scored, Nolan to second
(error by Gross)]; Rose tripled [Nolan scored]; Griffey flied
out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Milbourne doubled; Metzger popped to shortstop;
Richard popped to first; Howard lined to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Morgan singled to center; Morgan stole second [Morgan
to third (error by Johnson)]; Bench grounded out (first
unassisted); Perez reached on a fielder's choice [Morgan
scored]; Foster popped to catcher in foul territory; Concepcion
forced Perez (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out to right; Watson
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 4.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo flied out to center; Nolan was called out on
strikes; Rose struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds
4.

ASTROS 5TH: Johnson walked; Gross singled to right [Johnson to
third]; Milbourne forced Gross (second to shortstop) [Johnson
scored, Milbourne to first]; Metzger singled to right [Milbourne
to third]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR RICHARD; Boswell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Metzger out at
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: SOSA REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Griffey singled to
center; Griffey stole second; Morgan singled to right [Griffey
to third]; Morgan stole second; Bench struck out; Perez doubled
to left [Griffey scored, Morgan scored]; Sosa threw a wild pitch
[Perez to third]; Foster flied out to center; Concepcion popped
to catcher; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard grounded out (second to first); Cabell
singled to center; Cedeno homered [Cabell scored]; Watson
homered; BORBON REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); Johnson walked (walk
was charged to Nolan); Gross lined to left; Milbourne grounded
out (first to pitcher); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 6.

REDS 6TH: Geronimo doubled to left; On a bunt Borbon singled
[Geronimo to third]; Rose singled to center [Geronimo scored,
Borbon to second]; COSGROVE REPLACED SOSA (PITCHING); Griffey
forced Rose (second to shortstop) [Borbon to third, Griffey to
first]; Morgan singled to right [Borbon scored, Griffey to
third, Morgan to second (error by Gross)]; ANDUJAR REPLACED
COSGROVE (PITCHING); Bench walked; Debut game for Joaquin
Andujar; Perez walked [Griffey scored, Morgan to third,
Bench to second]; Foster singled to center [Morgan scored, Bench
scored, Perez to third]; Concepcion hit into a double play to
right [Perez out at home (right to catcher)]; 5 R, 5 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 11.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger singled to first; CRUZ BATTED FOR ANDUJAR;
Cruz singled to left [Metzger to third]; Howard popped to third;
Cabell singled to shortstop [Metzger scored, Cruz to second];
Cedeno flied out to right [Cruz to third]; Watson flied out to
right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 11.

REDS 7TH: BARLOW REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Geronimo singled to
center; On a bunt Borbon forced Geronimo (pitcher to shortstop)
[Borbon to first]; Rose was called out on strikes; Griffey
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 11.

ASTROS 8TH: Johnson singled to left; Gross singled to center
[Johnson to second]; Milbourne grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Johnson to third, Gross out at
second]; Metzger flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 11.

REDS 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED BARLOW (PITCHING); Morgan walked;
Bench struck out; Perez singled to right [Morgan to second];
Foster popped to first; Concepcion forced Perez (pitcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 11.

ASTROS 9TH: ROBERTS BATTED FOR FORSCH; Roberts walked; Howard
forced Roberts (second to shortstop) [Howard to first]; Cabell
forced Howard (pitcher to shortstop) [Cabell to first]; Cedeno
popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 11.