The Astros, who surrendered 33 runs in losing a three-game series in Cincinnati, got shutout work from three pitchers and defeated the Giants, 5-0. The attendance was only 10,510, lowest for a home opener in Astros' history. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 0
Game Played on Monday, April     12, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  9  4
Astros       0  1  1    0  0  2    0  1  x  -   5  6  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thomas 2b             3   0   1   0     2   0   .200      Milbourne 2b          3   3   1   0     1   0   .231
Joshua cf             5   0   2   0     0   1   .231      Cabell 3b             3   0   2   2     1   1   .529
Murcer rf             2   0   0   0     2   0   .571      Cedeno cf             4   1   0   0     0   0   .222
Ontiveros lf          3   0   1   0     1   0   .333      Watson 1b             4   1   2   1     0   0   .353
Montanez 1b           4   0   2   0     0   1   .300      Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .200
Speier ss             3   0   2   0     1   0   .333      Gross rf              3   0   1   1     0   1   .308
Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .182      Jutze c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Rader c               4   0   0   0     0   1   .250      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .214
Halicki p             1   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hardy p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Thomasson ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Minton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Adams ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   0   9   0     7   4             Totals               29   5   6   4     3   4

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 10,510
Left on Base: Giants 11, Astros 3
DP: Giants 1, Astros 3
Errors: Thomas, Rader, Halicki 2
Doubles: Watson (1)
Stolen Bases: Montanez (1), Cedeno (1)
Caught Stealing: Thomas 2 (2)
GIDP: Rader (1), Montanez (1), Cruz (1)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Halicki L(0-1)          5     5   4   2   2   4   0  20   3.60
Heaverlo                1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   0.00
Minton                  2     1   1   0   0   0   0   8   0.00
Totals                  8     6   5   2   3   4   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(1-1)          5.2   5   0   0   7   3   0  25   3.72
Hardy                   1.1   4   0   0   0   1   0   8   9.82
Forsch SV(1)            2     0   0   0   0   0   0   5   2.25
Totals                  9     9   0   0   7   4   0  38

Wild Pitches: Heaverlo (1), Forsch (1)

Umpires: HP - Bruce Froemming, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Ed Sudol, 3B - Bob Engel


GIANTS 1ST: Thomas walked; Thomas was picked off and caught
stealing second (pitcher to first to second); Joshua struck out;
Murcer walked; Ontiveros made an out to catcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell
struck out; Cedeno popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Montanez singled; Speier lined to center; Montanez
stole second; Reitz flied out to left; Rader grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson doubled; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted); Gross singled [Watson scored]; Jutze struck out;
Gross was picked off first but was safe on an error by Halicki
[Gross to second]; Metzger struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Halicki grounded out (third to first); Thomas
walked; Thomas was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Joshua singled; Murcer walked [Joshua to second];
Ontiveros walked [Joshua to third, Murcer to second]; Montanez
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard grounded out (second to first); Milbourne
walked; Milbourne was picked off first but was safe on an error
by Halicki [Milbourne to second]; Cabell singled to center
[Milbourne scored (unearned), Cabell out at second (center to
first to second)]; Cedeno flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

GIANTS 4TH: Speier singled; Reitz struck out; Rader grounded
into a double play (first to shortstop to first) [Speier out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled; Cruz grounded into a double play
(first to shortstop to first) [Watson out at second]; Gross was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Halicki walked; Thomas grounded out (second to
first) [Halicki to second]; Joshua reached on a fielder's choice
[Halicki out at third (shortstop to third)]; Murcer lined to
first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Jutze made an out to shortstop; Metzger grounded out
(pitcher to first); Richard grounded out (pitcher to second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

GIANTS 6TH: Ontiveros singled; Montanez grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Ontiveros out at second];
Speier walked; Reitz singled [Speier to second]; HARDY REPLACED
RICHARD (PITCHING); Rader struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Milbourne singled; Cabell walked [Milbourne to
second]; HEAVERLO REPLACED HALICKI (PITCHING); Cedeno forced
Cabell (second to shortstop) [Milbourne to third]; Cedeno stole
second [Milbourne scored (error by Rader)]; Heaverlo threw a
wild pitch [Cedeno to third]; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Cedeno scored (unearned)]; Cruz walked; Gross forced
Cruz (shortstop to second); 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 4.

GIANTS 7TH: THOMASSON BATTED FOR HEAVERLO; Thomasson grounded
out (first unassisted); Thomas singled; Joshua singled [Thomas
to second]; Murcer flied out to left; Ontiveros flied out to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: MINTON REPLACED THOMASSON (PITCHING); Jutze made an
out to second; Metzger grounded out (second to first); Hardy
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 4.

GIANTS 8TH: Montanez singled; Speier singled [Montanez to
second]; FORSCH REPLACED HARDY (PITCHING); Forsch threw a wild
pitch [Speier to second, Montanez to third]; Reitz popped to
first in foul territory; Rader hit into a double play (left to
catcher) [Montanez out at home]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Milbourne reached on an error by Thomas; Cabell
singled [Milbourne scored (unearned), Cabell to second (on throw
to home)]; Cedeno lined to center; Watson grounded out (third to
first); Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 5.

GIANTS 9TH: ADAMS BATTED FOR MINTON; Adams flied out to left;
Thomas grounded out (shortstop to first); Joshua grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 5.