The relief pitching of Ken Forsch, who also drove in what proved to be the winning run, enabled the Astros to defeat the Padres, 5-4. Joe Niekro, who started for the Astros, was forced out of the game after six innings when shaken up in a collision with Willie Davis of the Padres on a passed-ball play. Forsch, taking over in the seventh, padded the Astros' lead to 5-3 with a run-scoring single in the eighth, offsetting a homer by Dave Winfield for the Padres in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Diego Padres 4
Game Played on Thursday, May       20, 1976 (Day game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       1  0  2    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   5 12  1
Padres       0  0  2    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   4  4  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   2   0     1   0   .309      Locklear lf           4   1   1   0     0   1   .269
Andrews 2b            5   0   0   0     0   0   .207      Fuentes 2b            3   0   0   1     1   0   .303
Cruz cf               5   0   0   0     0   2   .225      W. Davis cf           3   1   1   0     1   0   .292
Watson 1b             4   2   3   1     1   0   .284      McCovey 1b            4   0   0   1     0   1   .177
Roberts lf            5   1   3   1     0   2   .311      Winfield rf           3   1   1   1     1   1   .288
Boswell 3b            3   0   1   1     0   0   .250      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .351
  DaVanon pr,3b       0   1   0   0     0   0   .500      Torres ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .271
Jutze c               3   0   1   1     0   1   .107      Kendall c             3   0   1   0     0   0   .206
Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     1   0   .248      Wehrmeister p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Niekro p              3   0   1   0     0   1   .133        Tomlin p            1   1   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            1   0   1   1     0   0   .500        Turner ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .265
                                                            Strom p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Rettenmund ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .321
                                                            Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   5  12   5     3   6             Totals               30   4   4   3     4   3

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 11,742
Left on Base: Astros 9, Padres 3
DP: Astros 1, Padres 2
Errors: Andrews, Fuentes
Home Runs: Watson (3), Winfield (5)
Stolen Bases: W. Davis 2 (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Boswell (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Jutze (1)
GIDP: Andrews (2), Gross (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(2-5)           6     3   3   1   4   3   0  24   3.81
Forsch SV(8)            3     1   1   1   0   0   1  10   1.80
Totals                  9     4   4   2   4   3   1  34

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wehrmeister L(0-4)      2.2   5   3   3   3   1   0  17   7.45
Tomlin                  2.1   3   1   1   0   2   1   9   3.78
Strom                   2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.44
Metzger                 2     4   1   1   0   2   0   9   1.00
Totals                  9    12   5   5   3   6   1  41

Passed Balls: Jutze (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Andrews popped to first;
Cruz popped to third; Watson singled to right [Gross to third];
Roberts singled to left [Gross scored, Watson to second];
Boswell grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Locklear struck out (catcher to first); Fuentes
walked; W. Davis forced Fuentes (shortstop to second); McCovey
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Jutze was called out on strikes; Metzger reached on
an error by Fuentes; Niekro singled to right [Metzger to
second]; Gross walked [Metzger to third, Niekro to second];
Andrews forced Metzger (third to catcher) [Gross to second,
Niekro to third]; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Winfield walked; Rader hit into a double play
(center to center to first) [Winfield out at second]; Torres
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson walked; Roberts singled to right [Watson to
third, Roberts to second]; Boswell grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Watson scored, Roberts to third]; Jutze hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Roberts scored]; Metzger walked; TOMLIN
REPLACED WEHRMEISTER (PITCHING); Niekro struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Kendall singled to left; Tomlin forced Kendall
(pitcher to shortstop); Locklear singled to center [Tomlin to
third]; Fuentes reached on an error by Andrews [Tomlin scored,
Locklear to third]; W. Davis walked [Fuentes to second]; McCovey
grounded out (first unassisted) [W. Davis to second, Fuentes to
third, Locklear scored (unearned)]; Winfield struck out; 2 R (1
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross singled to center; Andrews grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Gross out at
second]; Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Padres 2.

PADRES 4TH: Rader grounded out (third to first); Torres flied
out to center; Kendall grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson homered; Roberts singled to shortstop;
Boswell out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Roberts to
second]; Jutze grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Padres 2.

PADRES 5TH: TURNER BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Turner grounded out
(shortstop to first); Locklear popped to second; Fuentes flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 2.

ASTROS 6TH: STROM REPLACED TURNER (PITCHING); Niekro flied out
to right; Gross grounded out (second to first); Andrews lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 2.

PADRES 6TH: W. Davis singled to shortstop; W. Davis stole
second; W. Davis stole third; McCovey struck out; Jutze allowed
a passed ball [W. Davis scored (unearned)]; Winfield grounded
out (third to first); Rader walked; Rader was out trying to
advance to second (catcher to shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
popped to second; Roberts struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Padres 3.

PADRES 7TH: FORSCH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Torres grounded
out (shortstop to first); Kendall flied out to right; RETTENMUND
BATTED FOR STROM; Rettenmund lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 3.

ASTROS 8TH: METZGER REPLACED RETTENMUND (PITCHING); Boswell
singled to shortstop; DAVANON RAN FOR BOSWELL; On a bunt Jutze
singled to first [DaVanon to second]; Metzger forced Jutze
(second to shortstop) [DaVanon to third]; Forsch singled to
center [DaVanon scored, Metzger to second]; Gross grounded into
a double play (second to second to first) [Forsch out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 3.

PADRES 8TH: DAVANON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Locklear
grounded out (second to first); Fuentes flied out to right; W.
Davis grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Padres 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Andrews grounded out (second to first); Cruz struck
out; Watson singled to left; Roberts was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 3.

PADRES 9TH: McCovey lined to second; Winfield homered; Rader
grounded out (second to first); Torres flied out to right; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Padres 4.