After extending their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory in the opener of a doubleheader, the Astros were stopped on their streak by losing the nightcap to the Padres, 11-5. Cesar Cedeno provided the Astros' big punch in the opener, driving in three runs with a homer. Cedeno homered again with two men on base in the second game, but the Padres piled up 15 hits, with Willie McCovey accounting for four RBIs in the slugfest. [The Sporting News]
Houston Astros 4, San Diego Padres 2 (Game 1)

Game Played on Sunday, April 18, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome

Padres       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  4  x  -   4  8  2


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grubb cf              3   0   1   0     2   0   .321      Howard lf             3   1   0   0     1   2   .074
Fuentes 2b            5   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Cabell 3b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .432
  Hernandez pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   3     0   0   .242
Rettenmund lf         3   0   1   0     1   1   .200      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .406
  McCovey ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143      Johnson c             4   0   2   1     0   0   .333
Winfield rf           3   1   0   0     1   1   .241      Gross rf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Ivie 1b               4   1   1   0     0   1   .095      Milbourne 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .219
xTorres ss            3   0   1   0     0   1   .000      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     1   0   .259
Kubiak 3b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .429      Cosgrove p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .500
B. Davis c            3   0   1   1     0   0   .231        Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  W. Davis ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .267        Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Strom p               1   0   0   0     2   1   .000        Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Locklear ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .400

Totals               32   2   8   2     6   7             Totals               29   4   8   4     3   3

Time of Game: 2:02
Left on Base: Padres 10, Astros 4
DP: Padres 2, Astros 1
Errors: Strom, Howard, Johnson
Doubles: Johnson (3)
Home Runs: Cedeno (3)
Stolen Bases: Rettenmund (1)
Caught Stealing: Rettenmund (1), Kubiak (1), Howard (1)
GIDP: Kubiak (3), Howe (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Strom L(1-1)            7.2   7   4   4   3   3   1  31   3.29
Metzger                 0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Totals                  8     8   4   4   3   3   1  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove                5     4   2   2   4   2   0  22   2.70
Griffin W(1-0)          3     3   0   0   1   3   0  12   0.00
Forsch SV(5)            1     1   0   0   1   2   0   5   1.00
Totals                  9     8   2   2   6   7   0  39

Wild Pitches: Strom (1)

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


PADRES 1ST: Grubb lined to second; Fuentes made an out to
shortstop; Rettenmund walked; Rettenmund stole second; Winfield
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 0.

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

PADRES 2ND: Ivie struck out; Torres reached on catcher's
interference by Johnson; Kubiak grounded into a double play
(second to first) [Torres out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to right; Johnson flied out to
center; Gross singled to left; Milbourne made an out to second;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: B. Davis grounded out (second to first); Strom
struck out; Grubb walked; Fuentes grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to left; Cosgrove singled to left;
Howard struck out; Cabell singled to center [Cosgrove to
second]; Cedeno forced Cabell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Rettenmund grounded out (second to first); Winfield
walked; Ivie singled to left [Winfield to second]; Torres flied
out to right; Kubiak singled to left [Winfield scored, Ivie to
third (error by Howard)]; B. Davis singled to left [Ivie scored,
Kubiak to second]; Strom walked [Kubiak to third, B. Davis to
second]; Grubb flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Padres
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Johnson flied out to
right; Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Fuentes grounded out (third to shortstop to first);
Rettenmund singled to left; Winfield flied out to center;
Rettenmund was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Milbourne grounded out (second to pitcher); Metzger
walked; HOWE BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Howe grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); Ivie flied out to
left; Torres was called out on strikes; Kubiak singled to left;
Kubiak was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard walked; Howard was picked off and caught
stealing second (pitcher to first to second); Cabell struck out;
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 7TH: B. Davis flied out to right; Strom walked; Grubb
singled to right [Strom to second]; Fuentes forced Grubb
(pitcher to shortstop) [Strom to third]; Rettenmund was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson singled to left; Johnson singled to center
[Watson to second]; Johnson was picked off first but was safe on
an error by Strom [Watson to third, Johnson to second]; Gross
hit into a double play (left to catcher) [Watson out at home];
Milbourne grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

PADRES 8TH: Winfield struck out; Ivie grounded out (shortstop to
first); Torres singled; Kubiak grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger lined to left; ROBERTS BATTED FOR GRIFFIN;
Roberts lined to third; Howard struck out but advanced to first
on a wild pitch; Cabell singled to left [Howard to second];
Cedeno homered [Howard scored, Cabell scored]; Watson walked;
METZGER REPLACED STROM (PITCHING); Johnson doubled to right
[Watson scored, Johnson out at third (right to catcher to
third)]; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 4.

PADRES 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); W. DAVIS BATTED
FOR B. DAVIS; W. Davis flied out to right; LOCKLEAR BATTED FOR
METZGER; Locklear struck out; Grubb walked; Fuentes singled to
center [Grubb to second]; HERNANDEZ RAN FOR FUENTES; MCCOVEY
BATTED FOR RETTENMUND; McCovey struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Padres 2, Astros 4.
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