The Astros erupted for four runs off Don Sutton in the first inning and added four more in the fourth to defeat the Dodgers, 8-3. Jose Cruz tripled with the bases loaded for the Astros' big blow in their opening outburst. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Game Played on Monday, April 19, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome

Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 - 3 7 0 Astros 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 x - 8 9 2 Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Buckner lf 5 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Milbourne 2b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .268 Sizemore 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .176 Cabell 3b 4 2 1 1 0 0 .413 Baker cf 4 1 1 1 1 1 .290 Cedeno cf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .300 Garvey 1b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Watson 1b 2 1 1 2 2 0 .405 Cey 3b 3 0 1 1 2 0 .321 Johnson c 4 1 1 1 0 0 .259 Yeager c 2 0 0 0 0 1 .231 Cruz lf 4 0 1 3 0 0 .167 Downing p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Gross rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .289 Cruz ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Metzger ss 3 1 1 0 1 2 .242 Hough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Dierker p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Goodson ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Hardy p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Wall p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Barlow p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Mota ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Hale rf 3 0 2 0 0 0 .182 De Jesus ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .273 Sutton p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Ferguson c 2 1 0 0 1 0 .182 Totals 35 3 7 2 6 5 Totals 31 8 9 8 4 4 Time of Game: 2:41 Attendance: 9,122 Left on Base: Dodgers 12, Astros 4 DP: Dodgers 2, Astros 0 Errors: Cabell, Metzger Doubles: Garvey (1), Cedeno (3) Triples: Cruz (1) Stolen Bases: Cabell 3 (4), Cedeno 2 (6) Sacrifice Hits: Dierker (1) GIDP: Barlow (1) Hit by Pitch: Hale (1,by Dierker) Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Sutton L(0-3) 3.2 8 8 8 3 2 0 22 7.56 Downing 2.1 0 0 0 0 2 0 7 0.00 Hough 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 7.36 Wall 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 4.91 Totals 8 9 8 8 4 4 0 36 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Dierker W(2-1) 7 4 0 0 1 4 0 28 4.85 Hardy 0.1 2 2 2 2 0 0 5 10.29 Barlow 1.2 1 1 1 3 1 0 9 4.15 Totals 9 7 3 3 6 5 0 42 Hit by Pitch: Dierker (1) Wild Pitches: Dierker 2 (3), Hardy (1) Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Paul Runge DODGERS 1ST: Buckner grounded out (pitcher to first); Sizemore struck out; Baker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne lined to shortstop; Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Cedeno walked; Cabell stole third and Cedeno stole second; Watson walked; Johnson singled [Cabell scored, Cedeno to third, Watson to second]; Cruz tripled [Cedeno scored, Watson scored, Johnson scored]; Gross flied out to left; Metzger struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 2ND: Garvey grounded out (third to first); Cey walked; Yeager forced Cey (third to second); Hale was hit by a pitch [Yeager to second]; Dierker threw a wild pitch [Yeager to third, Hale to second]; De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 2ND: Dierker grounded out (shortstop to first); Milbourne was called out on strikes; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 3RD: Sutton lined to center; Buckner popped to catcher in foul territory; Sizemore singled; Dierker threw a wild pitch [Sizemore to second]; Baker grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second; Watson walked; Johnson lined into a double play (third to second) [Cedeno out at second]; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. DODGERS 4TH: Garvey grounded out (third to first); Cey popped to shortstop in foul territory; Yeager struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 4. ASTROS 4TH: Gross singled; Metzger singled [Gross to second]; Dierker out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Gross to third, Metzger to second]; Milbourne singled [Gross scored, Metzger to third]; Cabell reached on a fielder's choice [Metzger scored, Milbourne to third]; Cabell stole second; Cedeno flied out to left; Watson singled [Milbourne scored, Cabell scored]; DOWNING REPLACED YEAGER (PITCHING); FERGUSON REPLACED SUTTON (PLAYING C ); Johnson forced Watson (third to second); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. DODGERS 5TH: Hale singled; De Jesus grounded out (third to first) [Hale to second]; Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first) [Hale to third]; Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross flied out to left; Metzger struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. DODGERS 6TH: Sizemore flied out to center; Baker grounded out (third to first); Garvey reached on an error by Cabell; Cey forced Garvey (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. ASTROS 6TH: Dierker struck out; Milbourne lined to left; Cabell lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. DODGERS 7TH: CRUZ BATTED FOR DOWNING; Cruz struck out; Hale singled; De Jesus singled [Hale to second]; Ferguson flied out to left; Buckner grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. ASTROS 7TH: HOUGH REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Cedeno doubled; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson flied out to left; Cruz popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Dodgers 0, Astros 8. DODGERS 8TH: HARDY REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING); Sizemore grounded out (third to first); Baker walked; Garvey doubled [Baker to third]; Cey singled [Baker scored, Garvey to third]; GOODSON BATTED FOR HOUGH; Hardy threw a wild pitch [Garvey scored, Cey to second]; Goodson walked; BARLOW REPLACED HARDY (PITCHING); Hale lined to right; De Jesus struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 8. ASTROS 8TH: WALL REPLACED GOODSON (PITCHING); Gross grounded out (second to first); Metzger walked; Barlow grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Dodgers 2, Astros 8. DODGERS 9TH: Ferguson walked; Buckner grounded out (first unassisted) [Ferguson to second]; Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first) [Ferguson to third (error by Metzger)]; Baker singled [Ferguson scored]; Garvey walked [Baker to second]; Cey walked [Baker to third, Garvey to second]; MOTA BATTED FOR WALL; Mota grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB. Dodgers 3, Astros 8.

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