Before Clay Kirby could retire a single batter, the Astros scored five runs in the first inning to defeat the Expos, 5-3. Larry Milbourne and Enos Cabell, leading off for the Astros, both walked and Jose Cruz drilled a homer. Then, after another pass to Bob Watson, Cliff Johnson also hit for the circuit. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Montreal Expos 3
Game Played on Tuesday, May       11, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Expos        0  1  1    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  8  0
Astros       5  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   5  8  0


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mangual lf            4   1   2   1     1   0   .213      Milbourne 2b          4   1   0   0     1   1   .274
White cf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .271      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .283
Jorgensen 1b          3   0   0   0     1   1   .207      Cruz cf               3   1   1   3     2   0   .213
Carter rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .287      Watson 1b             2   1   1   0     2   0   .286
Parrish 3b            3   1   1   1     1   1   .242      Johnson c             3   1   2   2     2   1   .268
Foli ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Gross rf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .314
Mackanin 2b           4   0   1   0     0   2   .217      Howard lf             4   0   0   0     1   1   .192
Foote c               4   0   1   1     0   0   .261      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .247
Kirby p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .091
  Carrithers p        2   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Griffin p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Scherman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Boswell ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .250
  Colbert ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .216        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Stanhouse p         0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Morales ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .231
  Valentine pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .238

Totals               34   3   8   3     3   6             Totals               30   5   8   5    11   4

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance:  8,706
Left on Base: Expos 7, Astros 14
DP: Expos 2, Astros 1
Doubles: White (4), Gross (4)
Triples: Parrish (2), Metzger (3)
Home Runs: Mangual (2), Cruz (1), Johnson (5)
Stolen Bases: Mangual (5), Watson (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (1)
GIDP: Carter (2), Watson (1), Milbourne (3)
Hit by Pitch: Watson (1,by Carrithers)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby L(0-2)            0     2   5   5   3   0   2   5   7.88
Carrithers              5.2   4   0   0   5   3   0  27   3.68
Scherman                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.00
Stanhouse               2     2   0   0   3   1   0  10   1.59
Totals                  8     8   5   5  11   4   2  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  2.2   5   2   2   2   1   0  14   4.78
Griffin W(2-0)          4.1   1   1   1   1   4   1  15   4.73
Forsch SV(7)            2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   2.14
Totals                  9     8   3   3   3   6   1  37

Hit by Pitch: Carrithers (3)
Wild Pitches: Carrithers 3 (3), Niekro (4)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Ed Vargo


EXPOS 1ST: Mangual singled; Mangual stole second; White grounded
out (pitcher unassisted) [Mangual to third]; Jorgensen walked;
Carter grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Jorgensen out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne walked; Cabell walked [Milbourne to
second]; Cruz homered [Milbourne scored, Cabell scored]; Watson
walked; Johnson homered [Watson scored]; CARRITHERS REPLACED
KIRBY (PITCHING); Gross singled; Carrithers threw a wild pitch
[Gross to second]; Howard was called out on strikes; Metzger
grounded out (second to first) [Gross to third]; Niekro was
called out on strikes; 5 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 5.

EXPOS 2ND: Parrish walked; Foli lined to center; Mackanin
singled [Parrish to second]; Foote singled [Parrish scored,
Mackanin to second]; Carrithers forced Mackanin (pitcher to
third) [Foote to second]; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Carrithers
to second, Foote to third]; Mangual grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 2ND: Milbourne grounded out (second to first); Cabell
grounded out (second to first); Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 5.

EXPOS 3RD: White doubled; Jorgensen struck out; Carter flied out
to right; Parrish tripled [White scored]; GRIFFIN REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Foli flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Expos 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson was hit by a pitch; Johnson walked [Watson to
second]; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Watson to third, Johnson to second]; Howard was walked
intentionally; Metzger forced Watson (first to catcher) [Howard
to second, Johnson to third]; Griffin forced Metzger (third to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 5.

EXPOS 4TH: Mackanin struck out; Foote popped to shortstop;
Carrithers struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Milbourne struck out; Cabell singled; Cruz walked
[Cabell to second]; Watson grounded into a double play (second
to second to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 5.

EXPOS 5TH: Mangual walked; White popped to third; Jorgensen
flied out to right; Carter grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Johnson singled; Gross doubled [Johnson to third];
Howard reached on a fielder's choice [Johnson out at home (third
to catcher), Gross to third]; Metzger flied out to left; Griffin
reached on a fielder's choice [Howard to second]; Milbourne
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 5.

EXPOS 6TH: Parrish struck out; Foli grounded out (third to
first); Mackanin grounded out (pitcher to second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (second to first); Cruz grounded
out (third to first); Watson walked; Carrithers threw a wild
pitch [Watson to second]; Carrithers threw a wild pitch [Watson
to third]; Johnson walked; SCHERMAN REPLACED CARRITHERS
(PITCHING); Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 5.

EXPOS 7TH: Foote grounded out (shortstop to first); COLBERT
BATTED FOR SCHERMAN; Colbert struck out; Mangual homered; White
lined to shortstop; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: STANHOUSE REPLACED COLBERT (PITCHING); Howard
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger tripled; BOSWELL
BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Boswell was walked intentionally; Milbourne
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Boswell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros
5.

EXPOS 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Jorgensen flied
out to center; Carter singled; Parrish flied out to left; Foli
lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
walked; Watson singled [Cruz to third]; Watson stole second;
Johnson struck out; Gross walked; Howard flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 5.

EXPOS 9TH: Mackanin struck out; Foote grounded out (third to
first); MORALES BATTED FOR STANHOUSE; Morales singled; VALENTINE
RAN FOR MORALES; Mangual flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 5.