The Expos fell short in a ninth-inning rally and lost to the Astros, 6-4, in the first game of a doubleheader, but came up with two runs in another ninth-inning rally to win the second game, 8-7. Leon Roberts hit a three-run homer for the Astros in the opener. Shut out, 6-0, going into the ninth, the Expos knocked out J.R. Richard and scored four runs before Gary Carter, the ninth batter of the inning, flied out to end the game.

In the nightcap, the Expos had a three-run homer by Nate Colbert but trailed, 7-6, until putting over the tying and winning runs in the ninth on a single by Carter, walk to Colbert, single by Pete Mackanin, pass to Tim Foli and single by Jose Morales, who batted for winning reliever Don Carrithers. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Montreal Expos 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Wednesday, April     28, 1976 (Day game) at Parc Jarry
Astros       4  1  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   6 11  1
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  4  -   4  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Milbourne 2b          4   1   1   0     1   1   .279      White cf              5   0   0   0     0   0   .302
Cabell 3b             3   1   2   1     0   0   .338      Dwyer lf              4   0   2   1     1   0   .269
  Howe pr,3b          1   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Jorgensen 1b          5   0   1   0     0   0   .245
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .304      Carter c              3   0   0   0     2   1   .264
Watson 1b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .302      Parrish 3b            3   1   2   0     1   0   .246
Johnson c             3   2   1   0     0   0   .229      Mackanin 2b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .216
Roberts lf            4   1   2   3     0   0   .276      Foli ss               4   0   0   0     0   1   .267
Howard rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .122      Valentine rf          4   1   1   2     0   0   .238
Metzger ss            4   0   1   1     0   1   .196      Fryman p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
Richard p             4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Stanhouse p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Colbert ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .267
                                                            Granger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Morales ph          1   1   1   1     0   0   .167

Totals               36   6  11   6     1   5             Totals               35   4   8   4     5   3

Time of Game: 2:29
Left on Base: Astros 6, Expos 9
DP: Astros 1, Expos 2
Errors: Howe, Carter
Doubles: Cabell (3), Howe (1), Morales (1)
Home Runs: Roberts (2)
Stolen Bases: Milbourne (3)
GIDP: Howard (1), Cedeno (2)
Hit by Pitch: Johnson (1,by Fryman), Cabell (1,by Stanhouse)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(3-1)          8.1   6   3   3   5   3   0  35   2.75
Forsch                  0.2   2   1   1   0   0   0   5   1.06
Totals                  9     8   4   4   5   3   0  40

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Fryman L(2-2)           5     5   5   4   1   3   1  22   4.37
Stanhouse               3     5   1   1   0   1   0  13   3.00
Granger                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   1.54
Totals                  9    11   6   5   1   5   1  39

Hit by Pitch: Fryman (2), Stanhouse (1)
Wild Pitches: Richard (2)

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Art Williams, 3B - Tom Gorman


ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne popped to first in foul territory; Cabell
doubled; Cedeno flied out to left; Watson singled [Cabell
scored]; Johnson was hit by a pitch [Watson to second]; Roberts
homered [Watson scored, Johnson scored]; Howard struck out; 4 R,
3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: White made an out to second; Dwyer walked; Jorgensen
flied out to center; Carter was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger grounded out (third to first); Richard flied
out to right; Milbourne walked; Milbourne stole second
[Milbourne to third (error by Carter)]; Cabell singled
[Milbourne scored (unearned)]; Cedeno flied out to right; 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Parrish singled; Mackanin grounded out (pitcher to
first) [Parrish to second]; Foli struck out; Valentine lined to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson
flied out to right; Roberts flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Fryman struck out; White flied out to right; Dwyer
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard flied out to center; Metzger was called out
on strikes; Richard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Jorgensen grounded out (second to first); Carter
walked; Parrish singled [Carter to second]; Mackanin lined into
a double play (shortstop to second) [Carter out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Milbourne flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled; Watson flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Foli grounded out (pitcher to second to first);
Valentine grounded out (second to first); BIITTNER BATTED FOR
FRYMAN; Biittner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 0.

ASTROS 6TH: STANHOUSE REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Johnson
singled; Roberts singled [Johnson to second]; Howard grounded
into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Johnson to
third, Roberts out at second]; Metzger singled [Johnson scored];
Richard flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 6TH: White made an out to third; Dwyer singled; Jorgensen
flied out to right; Carter walked [Dwyer to second]; Parrish
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Milbourne singled; Cabell was hit by a pitch
[Milbourne to second]; HOWE RAN FOR CABELL; Cedeno grounded into
a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Milbourne to
third, Howe out at second]; Watson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 0.

EXPOS 7TH: HOWE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Mackanin popped to
catcher in foul territory; Foli grounded out (shortstop to
first); Valentine grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); Roberts
grounded out (second to first); Howard singled; Metzger popped
to third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 0.

EXPOS 8TH: COLBERT BATTED FOR STANHOUSE; Colbert walked; White
flied out to right; Dwyer flied out to center; Jorgensen singled
[Colbert to second]; Richard threw a wild pitch [Colbert to
third, Jorgensen to second]; Carter flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 0.

ASTROS 9TH: GRANGER REPLACED COLBERT (PITCHING); Richard
grounded out (third to first); Milbourne struck out; Howe
doubled; Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
6, Expos 0.

EXPOS 9TH: Parrish walked; Mackanin singled [Parrish to second];
Foli grounded out (pitcher to first) [Parrish to third, Mackanin
to second]; Valentine singled [Parrish scored, Mackanin scored];
MORALES BATTED FOR GRANGER; FORSCH REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING);
Morales doubled [Valentine scored]; White flied out to right;
Dwyer singled [Morales scored]; Jorgensen reached on an error by
Howe [Dwyer to third]; Carter flied out to center; 4 R, 4 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 4.