A five-run explosion in the eighth inning propelled the Astros to a 9-4 victory over the Padres. Rob Andrews singled with the bases loaded, driving in two runs to snap a 4-4 tie, and with two out, Bob Watson smashed a homer to account for three more tallies. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, San Diego Padres 4
Game Played on Wednesday, May       19, 1976 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       1  0  3    0  0  0    0  5  0  -   9 12  1
Padres       0  0  0    4  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  8  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   1   1   0     1   0   .302      Hernandez ss          2   0   1   1     0   0   .350
  Roberts ph,lf       0   1   0   0     2   0   .286        Torres ss           2   0   2   0     0   0   .283
Andrews 2b            4   1   1   2     2   0   .250      Fuentes 2b            5   0   0   0     0   0   .311
Cedeno cf             3   1   0   0     0   0   .294      W. Davis cf           5   0   1   0     0   0   .291
  Howard cf           2   1   0   0     0   0   .183      Winfield rf           4   1   0   0     1   1   .287
Watson 1b             5   1   2   3     0   0   .270      Rader 3b              3   1   1   0     2   1   .362
Cruz lf,rf            4   1   2   1     1   0   .242      Rettenmund lf         2   1   0   0     3   0   .333
Johnson c             5   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Ivie 1b               5   1   1   2     0   1   .256
Boswell 3b            4   0   2   1     0   1   .243      Kendall c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .202
  DaVanon pr,3b       1   1   1   0     0   0   .500      Spillner p            1   0   1   0     2   0   .100
Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   1   .254        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cosgrove p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .111        Dupree p            0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kubiak ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .309
  Milbourne ph        1   1   1   0     0   0   .254        Folkers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Siebert p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  12   7     6   3             Totals               34   4   8   3     8   3

Time of Game: 2:50   Attendance: 14,336
Left on Base: Astros 11, Padres 12
DP: Astros 1, Padres 0
Errors: Boswell, Fuentes 3
Doubles: Hernandez (2), W. Davis (7)
Home Runs: Watson (2)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Cosgrove (2), Griffin (1), Metzger (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Hernandez (1)
GIDP: Hernandez (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove                3.1   4   4   2   3   0   0  17   3.62
Griffin W(3-1)          3.2   3   0   0   3   2   0  17   6.05
Siebert                 2     1   0   0   2   1   0   9   0.00
Totals                  9     8   4   2   8   3   0  43

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Spillner L(1-6)         7.1   9   6   3   4   2   0  36   3.07
Tomlin                  0     0   1   1   1   0   0   1   3.77
Dupree                  0.2   2   2   2   0   0   1   4   9.19
Folkers                 1     1   0   0   1   1   0   6   4.61
Totals                  9    12   9   6   6   3   1  47

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Andrews walked [Gross to
second]; Cedeno flied out to center; Watson popped to catcher in
foul territory; Cruz singled to center [Gross scored, Andrews to
second]; Johnson popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Hernandez doubled to left; Fuentes grounded out
(third to first); W. Davis flied to right in foul territory
[Hernandez to third]; Winfield lined to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Boswell was called out on strikes; Metzger singled
to center; Cosgrove out on a sacrifice bunt (first unassisted)
[Metzger to second]; Gross lined to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); Rettenmund
walked; Ivie flied out to left; Kendall flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews walked; Cedeno reached on an error by
Fuentes [Andrews to second]; Watson popped to third in foul
territory; Cruz walked [Andrews to third, Cedeno to second];
Johnson popped to catcher in foul territory; Boswell singled to
right [Andrews scored (unearned), Cedeno to third, Cruz to
second]; Metzger reached on an error by Fuentes [Cedeno scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Cruz scored (unearned), Boswell to third];
Cosgrove struck out; 3 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Spillner walked; Hernandez grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Spillner out at second];
Fuentes lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: HOWARD REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING CF); W. Davis
grounded out (first unassisted); Winfield walked; Rader singled
to third [Winfield to second]; Rettenmund reached on an error by
Boswell [Winfield scored, Rader to third, Rettenmund to second];
Ivie singled to center [Rader scored, Rettenmund scored
(unearned)]; Kendall singled to left [Ivie to second]; GRIFFIN
REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); On a bunt Spillner singled to
third [Kendall to second, Ivie to third]; Hernandez hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Ivie scored (unearned)]; Fuentes popped
to second; 4 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled to left; Cruz was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Johnson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Padres 4.

PADRES 5TH: W. Davis doubled to right; Winfield popped to
catcher in foul territory [W. Davis to third]; Rader struck out;
Rettenmund flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Padres 4.

ASTROS 6TH: TORRES REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PLAYING SS); Boswell
lined to center; Metzger singled to center; Griffin out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Gross
was walked intentionally; Andrews flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

PADRES 6TH: Ivie struck out; Kendall popped to catcher in foul
territory; Spillner walked; Torres singled to third [Spillner to
second]; Fuentes grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Howard flied out to left; Watson singled to right;
Cruz flied out to left; Johnson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

PADRES 7TH: W. Davis flied out to center; Winfield grounded out
(shortstop to first); Rader walked; Rettenmund walked [Rader to
second]; Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Boswell singled to left; DAVANON RAN FOR BOSWELL;
Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first) [DaVanon to
second]; MILBOURNE BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Milbourne singled to
right [DaVanon to third]; TOMLIN REPLACED SPILLNER (PITCHING);
ROBERTS BATTED FOR GROSS; Roberts walked [Milbourne to second];
DUPREE REPLACED TOMLIN (PITCHING); Andrews singled to left
[DaVanon scored, Milbourne scored, Roberts to second]; Howard
forced Andrews (shortstop to second) [Roberts to third]; Watson
homered [Roberts scored, Howard scored]; Cruz grounded out
(pitcher to first); 5 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Padres 4.

PADRES 8TH: ROBERTS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); DAVANON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B);
SIEBERT REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Kendall flied to left in
foul territory; KUBIAK BATTED FOR DUPREE; Kubiak grounded out
(second to pitcher); Torres singled to center; Fuentes grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Padres 4.

ASTROS 9TH: FOLKERS REPLACED KUBIAK (PITCHING); Johnson flied to
left in foul territory; DaVanon singled to left; Metzger struck
out; Siebert reached on an error by Fuentes [DaVanon to third];
Roberts walked [Siebert to second]; Andrews flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 9, Padres 4.

PADRES 9TH: W. Davis popped to second; Winfield struck out;
Rader walked; Rettenmund walked [Rader to second]; Ivie flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9, Padres 4.