A single by Larry Milbourne for his second RBI of the game scored Wilbur Howard in the ninth inning and gave the Astros a 5-4 victory in the opener of a doubleheader, but the batting of Del Unser, who drove in three runs, helped the Mets win the nightcap, 7-4. The Astros knocked out Mickey Lolich in the fifth inning of the lidlifter and took a 4-3 lead, but Ed Kranepool tied the score with a homer in the sixth. However in the ninth, Greg Gross singled and gave way on the paths to Howard. After advancing on a sacrifice and taking third following a long fly, Howard scored the Astros' winning run on Milbourne's single.

In the nightcap, Unser singled for one of the Mets' four runs in the sixth inning and then clinched the decision by hitting a homer with a man on base in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, New York Mets 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, May       2, 1976 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  4  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  1
Mets         0  1  0    2  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Milbourne 2b          5   1   2   2     0   1   .301      Boisclair rf          5   0   0   0     0   0   .293
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   2     0   1   .304      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .341
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .306      Unser cf              2   1   0   0     2   0   .253
Watson 1b             3   0   2   0     1   0   .304      Kranepool lf          4   3   3   1     0   1   .284
Johnson c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .190      Kingman 1b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .227
Roberts lf            4   0   2   0     0   0   .297      Garrett 3b            3   0   1   1     1   0   .227
Gross rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .303      Hodges c              4   0   1   1     0   0   .429
  Howard pr,rf        0   1   0   0     0   0   .154      Harrelson ss          4   0   2   0     0   0   .254
Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     0   0   .232      Lolich p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Richard p             3   1   0   0     0   2   .000        Apodaca p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .500
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .286        Torre ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .280
  Hardy p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   5  11   5     1   5             Totals               33   4   9   3     3   5

Time of Game: 2:39
Left on Base: Astros 6, Mets 6
DP: Astros 2, Mets 1
Errors: Richard
Doubles: Roberts (2), Cabell (5), Apodaca (1)
Home Runs: Kranepool (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (2), Apodaca (1)
GIDP: Johnson (4), Unser (1), Boisclair (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(4-1)          8     8   4   3   3   4   1  34   2.86
Hardy SV(3)             1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   6.32
Totals                  9     9   4   3   3   5   1  37

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lolich                  4.2   8   4   4   1   3   0  22   3.90
Apodaca L(1-1)          4.1   3   1   1   0   2   0  16   1.96
Totals                  9    11   5   5   1   5   0  38

Wild Pitches: Richard (3)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jim Quick, 3B - Bill Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne popped to shortstop; Cabell struck out;
Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Boisclair grounded out (second to first); Millan
grounded out (third to first); Unser grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; Johnson flied out to
right; Roberts grounded out (second to first) [Watson to
second]; Gross popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Kranepool singled to left; Kingman struck out; Garrett
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Kranepool to second]; Hodges
reached on an error by Richard [Kranepool scored (unearned),
Hodges out at second (right to shortstop)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger singled to right; Richard struck out;
Milbourne struck out; Cabell popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Harrelson flied out to left; Lolich struck out;
Boisclair flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Watson walked;
Johnson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Millan popped to third; Unser walked; Kranepool
singled to third [Unser to second]; Kingman popped to first;
Garrett singled to right [Kranepool to third, Unser scored];
Hodges singled to left [Kranepool scored, Garrett to second];
Harrelson popped to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets
3.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts doubled to right; On a bunt Gross singled to
first [Roberts to third]; Roberts was picked off third (third to
catcher to third to catcher to shortstop) [Gross to third];
Metzger reached on a fielder's choice [Gross out at home
(pitcher to catcher), Metzger to second]; Richard reached on a
fielder's choice; Milbourne singled to center [Metzger scored,
Richard to second]; Cabell doubled to right [Richard scored,
Milbourne scored]; Cedeno singled to left [Cabell scored];
Watson singled to right [Cedeno to third]; APODACA REPLACED
LOLICH (PITCHING); Johnson flied out to center; 4 R, 6 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 5TH: Apodaca doubled to left; Boisclair flied out to
center; Millan singled to left [Apodaca to third]; Unser
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Millan out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Roberts singled to center; Gross grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Roberts to second]; Metzger flied out to
center [Roberts to third]; Richard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 6TH: Kranepool homered; Kingman struck out; Garrett popped
to third in foul territory; Hodges flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Milbourne grounded out (second to first); Cabell
grounded out (third to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 4.

METS 7TH: Harrelson singled to left; Apodaca out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Harrelson to second]; Boisclair flied
out to left; Millan grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson
struck out; Roberts flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Mets 4.

METS 8TH: Unser walked; Kranepool struck out; Kingman popped to
catcher in foul territory; Richard threw a wild pitch [Unser to
second]; Garrett was walked intentionally; Hodges grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Gross singled to left; HOWARD RAN FOR GROSS; Metzger
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Howard to second];
BOSWELL BATTED FOR RICHARD; Boswell flied out to center [Howard
to third]; Milbourne singled to left [Howard scored]; Cabell
forced Milbourne (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 5, Mets 4.

METS 9TH: HARDY REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); HOWARD STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING RF); Harrelson singled to right; TORRE BATTED FOR
APODACA; Torre struck out; Boisclair grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Harrelson out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Mets 4.