The Astros erupted for four runs in the fifth inning, defeating the Padres, 4-1. The Padres' lone run came on a homer by Johnny Grubb in the third inning. In the fourth, a walk, double by Enos Cabell and infield out by Cesar Cedeno tied the score. After an intentional pass to Bob Watson, a double by Cliff Johnson and singles by Greg Gross and Larry Milbourne each produced a subsequent run to give the Astros their winning margin. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Diego Padres 1
Game Played on Friday, April     16, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  7  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  4    0  0  x  -   4  6  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grubb lf              4   1   2   1     0   1   .381      Howard lf             3   1   0   0     1   2   .048
Fuentes 2b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .261      Cabell 3b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .414
W. Davis cf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .320      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   1     0   0   .200
McCovey 1b            3   0   0   0     1   1   .111      Watson 1b             1   1   0   0     3   0   .400
Winfield rf           4   0   1   0     0   3   .250      Johnson c             3   1   1   1     1   0   .273
Torres ss             3   0   0   0     1   0   .318        Jutze c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
Kendall c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Gross rf              4   0   2   1     0   0   .304
Kubiak 3b             4   0   2   0     0   1   .500      Milbourne 2b          4   0   1   1     0   0   .240
Wehrmeister p         2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .273
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Foster p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Turner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Dupree p            0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .333

Totals               34   1   7   1     2   9             Totals               29   4   6   4     5   5

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 13,496
Left on Base: Padres 8, Astros 6
DP: Padres 1, Astros 0
Errors: Cabell
Doubles: Cabell (1), Johnson (2), Gross (2)
Triples: Grubb (1)
Home Runs: Grubb (1)
GIDP: Johnson (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wehrmeister L(0-1)      5.1   3   4   4   4   5   0  23   6.75
Tomlin                  0.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Foster                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Dupree                  2     1   0   0   1   0   0   7   6.23
Totals                  8     6   4   4   5   5   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(1-1)           8     7   1   1   2   7   1  33   5.56
Forsch SV(3)            1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   1.29
Totals                  9     7   1   1   2   9   1  36

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


PADRES 1ST: Grubb grounded out (second to first); Debut game
for Dave Wehrmeister; Fuentes singled to right; W. Davis
singled to right [Fuentes to second]; McCovey struck out;
Winfield struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard struck out [Howard out at first (catcher to
first)]; Cabell singled to center; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher
to first) [Cabell to second]; Watson lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Torres walked; Kendall forced Torres (shortstop
unassisted); Kubiak forced Kendall (first to shortstop);
Wehrmeister made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson popped to catcher in foul territory; Gross
flied out to right; Milbourne flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Grubb homered; Fuentes grounded out (first
unassisted); W. Davis made an out to shortstop; McCovey flied
out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger struck out; Niekro struck out; Howard struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Winfield struck out; Torres grounded out (third to
first); Kendall reached on an error by Cabell; Kubiak singled to
left [Kendall to second]; Wehrmeister struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out to center;
Watson walked; Johnson walked [Watson to second]; Gross forced
Johnson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Grubb tripled to right [Grubb out at home (catcher
to pitcher)]; Fuentes made an out to shortstop; W. Davis
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Milbourne grounded out (second to first); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Niekro flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: McCovey walked; Winfield struck out; Torres forced
McCovey (second to shortstop); Kendall flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard walked; Cabell doubled to right [Howard to
third]; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first) [Howard
scored]; Watson was walked intentionally; Johnson doubled to
left [Cabell scored, Watson to third]; TOMLIN REPLACED
WEHRMEISTER (PITCHING); Gross singled to left [Johnson to third,
Watson scored]; Milbourne singled to left [Johnson scored, Gross
to second]; Metzger flied out to center [Gross to third]; FOSTER
REPLACED TOMLIN (PITCHING); Niekro flied out to center; 4 R, 4
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.

PADRES 7TH: Kubiak singled to right; TURNER BATTED FOR FOSTER;
Turner made an out to second; Grubb struck out; Fuentes made an
out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: DUPREE REPLACED TURNER (PITCHING); Howard flied out
to left; Cabell lined to left; Cedeno made an out to shortstop;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.

PADRES 8TH: W. Davis struck out; McCovey grounded out (third to
first); Winfield singled to left; Torres forced Winfield
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson walked; Johnson grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Watson out at second]; Gross
doubled to left; Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.

PADRES 9TH: JUTZE REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING C ); FORSCH REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Kendall grounded out (third to first); Kubiak
was called out on strikes; LOCKLEAR BATTED FOR DUPREE; Locklear
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 4.