While Lynn McGlothen scattered nine hits, the Cardinals erupted for five runs in the fifth inning and defeated the Astros, 5-1. Red-hot Vic Harris, with 10 hits in his last 17 times at bat, drove in the first two runs with a bases-loaded double. A wild pitch, triple by Willie Crawford and single by Ted Simmons added the three remaining markers. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 5, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Saturday, May       8, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  9  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  5  0    0  0  x  -   5 12  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Milbourne 2b          4   0   1   0     1   0   .288      McBride cf            2   1   1   0     1   0   .365
Cabell 3b             3   0   0   0     2   0   .270        Melendez ph,cf      1   0   0   0     0   0   .136
Cruz cf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .195      Harris 2b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .304
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .293      Crawford rf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .328
Johnson c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .213      Simmons c             4   0   2   1     0   0   .302
Gross rf              4   0   3   0     0   0   .301      Anderson lf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .344
Howard lf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .188      Cruz 3b               4   0   0   0     0   2   .165
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .262      Hernandez 1b          3   1   1   0     1   0   .190
Cosgrove p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Kessinger ss          3   1   2   0     1   0   .267
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      McGlothen p           3   0   0   0     0   1   .133
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Barlow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  DaVanon ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .500

Totals               34   1   9   1     4   1             Totals               32   5  12   4     3   3

Time of Game: 2:04   Attendance: 17,366
Left on Base: Astros 11, Cardinals 7
DP: Astros 3, Cardinals 0
Doubles: Howard (4), Watson (4), McBride (4), Harris (6)
Triples: Crawford (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (7), Anderson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Cosgrove (1), McGlothen (2)
GIDP: Simmons (2), Kessinger (5), Anderson (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove L(1-1)         4.1   9   5   5   2   1   0  21   4.13
Sosa                    1.2   2   0   0   0   1   0   7   7.36
Barlow                  2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.86
Totals                  8    12   5   5   3   3   0  36

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGlothen W(3-3)        9     9   1   1   4   1   0  39   2.59
Totals                  9     9   1   1   4   1   0  39

Wild Pitches: Cosgrove (1)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Doug Harvey, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Frank Pulli


ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne walked; Cabell forced Milbourne (third to
second); Cruz flied out to right; Watson flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: McBride lined to center; Harris singled to third;
Crawford singled to right [Harris to third]; Simmons grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Crawford out
at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson grounded out (third to first); Gross singled
to left [Gross out at second (left to second)]; Howard doubled
to right; Metzger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Anderson singled to center; Cruz forced Anderson
(third to second); Hernandez singled to right [Cruz to second];
Kessinger grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Hernandez out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cosgrove grounded out (shortstop to first);
Milbourne singled to center; Cabell forced Milbourne (second
unassisted); Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: McGlothen grounded out (second to first); McBride
doubled to right; Harris lined to left; Crawford lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Johnson walked; Gross
flied out to center; Howard grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons singled to left; Anderson grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Simmons out at
second]; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger singled to first; Cosgrove out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Metzger to second]; Milbourne
flied out to center; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Hernandez walked; Kessinger singled to center
[Hernandez to second]; McGlothen struck out; McBride walked
[Hernandez to third, Kessinger to second]; Harris doubled to
left [Hernandez scored, Kessinger scored, McBride to third];
Cosgrove threw a wild pitch [McBride scored, Harris to third];
Crawford tripled to right [Harris scored]; SOSA REPLACED
COSGROVE (PITCHING); Simmons singled to center [Crawford
scored]; Anderson forced Simmons (pitcher to shortstop); Cruz
was called out on strikes; 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
doubled to left; Johnson singled to left [Watson stayed at
second]; Gross singled to center [Watson to third, Johnson to
second]; Howard forced Gross (shortstop to second) [Watson
scored, Johnson to third]; Metzger flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hernandez grounded out (third to first);
Kessinger singled to right; McGlothen out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Kessinger to second]; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR
MCBRIDE; Melendez flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 7TH: MELENDEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); BOSWELL BATTED
FOR SOSA; Boswell grounded out (second to first); Milbourne
grounded out (second to first); Cabell walked; Cabell stole
second; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: BARLOW REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Harris flied
out to center; Crawford grounded out (second to first); Simmons
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to center; Johnson flied out to
center; Gross singled to center; Howard singled to center [Gross
to third]; Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 8TH: Anderson singled to left; Anderson stole second;
Cruz struck out; Hernandez flied out to center; Kessinger was
walked intentionally; McGlothen grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 9TH: DAVANON BATTED FOR BARLOW; DaVanon flied out to
right; Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell walked;
Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 5.