Larry Herndon collected three hits, including his first major league homer, to support the pitching of Rob Dressler and Gary Lavelle as the Giants turned back the Astros, 5-1. Dressler allowed seven hits in eight innings to gain his first victory of the season. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 5, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Monday, May       24, 1976 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  1
Giants       3  1  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   5  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Herndon cf            3   2   3   1     1   0   .471
Andrews 2b            5   0   2   0     0   0   .265      Thomas 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .235
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .293      Speier ss             3   1   1   0     1   2   .248
Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .285      Murcer rf             3   1   1   1     1   0   .261
Cruz lf               2   0   1   0     2   0   .264      Matthews lf           2   1   1   1     2   0   .235
Cabell 3b             4   1   3   0     0   0   .295      Montanez 1b           3   0   1   1     1   0   .305
Jutze c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .116      Reitz 3b              3   0   2   1     0   0   .268
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .254      Hill c                4   0   0   0     0   0   .208
Cosgrove p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .111      Dressler p            3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Howe ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .083        Arnold ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .179
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .179
  Siebert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .299

Totals               35   1   8   0     3   1             Totals               28   5   9   5     6   3

Time of Game: 2:23
Left on Base: Astros 10, Giants 7
DP: Astros 1, Giants 1
Errors: Gross, Speier
Doubles: Matthews (4), Montanez (11)
Home Runs: Herndon (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (8), Herndon (1)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (4), Murcer (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Thomas (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Reitz (2)
GIDP: Jutze (1), Arnold (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove L(1-3)         2     4   4   4   2   1   1  12   4.35
Pentz                   2     2   0   0   2   0   0  10   0.00
Griffin                 2     2   1   1   1   2   0   8   5.91
Siebert                 2     1   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.84
Totals                  8     9   5   5   6   3   1  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dressler W(1-1)         8     7   1   0   3   1   0  34   6.00
Lavelle                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.92
Totals                  9     8   1   0   3   1   0  38

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
singled; Cedeno forced Andrews (second to shortstop); Cedeno was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Herndon walked; Thomas out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to first) [Herndon to second]; Speier singled [Herndon to
third]; Murcer singled [Herndon scored, Speier to second];
Matthews doubled [Speier scored, Murcer to third]; Montanez
walked; Reitz hit a sacrifice fly to left [Murcer scored]; Hill
flied out to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to center; Cruz flied out to left;
Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Jutze reached on an error
by Speier [Cabell scored (unearned) (no RBI)]; Metzger forced
Jutze (second to shortstop); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 2ND: Dressler grounded out (second to first); Herndon
homered; Thomas flied out to center; Speier struck out; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 4.

ASTROS 3RD: HOWE BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Howe walked; Gross forced
Howe (shortstop to second); Andrews reached on a fielder's
choice [Gross to second]; Cedeno flied to left in foul
territory; Watson forced Andrews (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 4.

GIANTS 3RD: PENTZ REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); Murcer grounded out
(second to first); Matthews walked; Montanez flied out to
center; Reitz singled [Matthews to second]; Hill made an out to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz walked; Cabell flied out to center; Jutze
grounded out (second to first) [Cruz to second]; Metzger
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 4.

GIANTS 4TH: Dressler popped to first in foul territory; Herndon
singled; Thomas grounded out (second to first) [Herndon to
second]; Speier walked; Murcer grounded out (first to pitcher);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 4.

ASTROS 5TH: MILBOURNE BATTED FOR PENTZ; Milbourne grounded out
(second to first); Gross grounded out (second to first); Andrews
singled; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 4.

GIANTS 5TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Matthews
walked; Montanez doubled to right [Matthews scored, Montanez to
third (error by Gross)]; Reitz grounded out (second to first)
[Montanez stayed at third]; Hill hit into a double play to left
[Montanez out at home (catcher unassisted)]; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson struck out; Cruz singled; Cabell singled
[Cruz to second]; Jutze grounded into a double play (shortstop
to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 5.

GIANTS 6TH: Dressler struck out; Herndon singled; Herndon stole
second; Thomas grounded out (third to first); Speier was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); HOWARD
BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Howard flied out to center; Gross grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 5.

GIANTS 7TH: SIEBERT REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Murcer walked;
Murcer was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Matthews
flied out to right; Montanez made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Andrews grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
flied out to center; Watson singled; Cruz walked [Watson to
second]; Cabell singled [Watson to third, Cruz to second]; Jutze
flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

GIANTS 8TH: Reitz singled; Hill popped to first in foul
territory; ARNOLD BATTED FOR DRESSLER; Arnold grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Reitz out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 9TH: LAVELLE REPLACED ARNOLD (PITCHING); Metzger grounded
out (shortstop to first); ROBERTS BATTED FOR SIEBERT; Roberts
singled; Gross forced Roberts (shortstop to second); Andrews
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.