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.