Jose Cruz and Cliff Johnson walked with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to give the Astros two runs for a 5-3 victory over the Reds. Santo Alcala, a previous winner of five straight decisions, gave up singles by Larry Dierker and Cesar Cedeno and passed Bob Watson to load the bases before walking Cruz to force in the run that broke a 3-3 tie. Alcala then went to a full count on Johnson before being replaced by Rawly Eastwick, who issued the fourth ball to force in the extra marker. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Cincinnati Reds 3
Game Played on Thursday, June      3, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         3  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  0
Astros       0  2  0    0  1  0    2  0  x  -   5  8  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               3   1   2   0     1   0   .345      Gross rf              5   1   1   2     0   1   .286
Driessen lf           3   1   1   0     2   0   .230      Andrews 2b            5   1   2   0     0   1   .330
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .314
Morgan 2b             3   1   2   3     2   0   .313      Watson 1b             2   0   0   1     2   0   .265
Perez 1b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .265      Cruz lf               3   0   0   1     1   0   .259
Foster rf,lf          4   0   0   0     1   1   .327      Johnson c             2   1   0   1     2   0   .229
Geronimo cf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .269      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Concepcion ss         3   0   0   0     1   0   .261      Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     1   0   .236
Plummer c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .289      Dierker p             3   0   2   0     0   1   .136
Alcala p              3   0   0   0     0   3   .067        Boswell ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .300
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Milbourne pr        0   0   0   0     0   0   .246
  Griffey ph,rf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .341        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               33   3   7   3     7   6             Totals               32   5   8   5     6   4

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 11,786
Left on Base: Reds 11, Astros 9
DP: Reds 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Metzger (6), Andrews (2), Boswell (3)
Home Runs: Morgan (7)
Stolen Bases: Geronimo (3), Driessen (5), Andrews (2)
GIDP: Driessen (7)
Hit by Pitch: Rose (5,by Dierker)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alcala L(5-1)           6.2   7   5   5   6   4   0  33   4.30
Eastwick                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.06
Borbon                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.90
Totals                  8     8   5   5   6   4   0  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(5-5)          8     7   3   3   7   6   1  38   4.26
Forsch SV(11)           1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.06
Totals                  9     7   3   3   7   6   1  41

Hit by Pitch: Dierker (4)
Wild Pitches: Dierker (7)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Doug Harvey


REDS 1ST: Rose was hit by a pitch; Driessen singled to right
[Rose to second]; Morgan homered [Rose scored, Driessen scored];
Perez struck out; Foster struck out; Geronimo singled to right;
Concepcion flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Andrews
singled to left; Andrews stole second; Cedeno popped to third;
Watson walked; Cruz popped to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
3, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Plummer flied out to right; Alcala struck out; Rose
walked; Driessen walked [Rose to second]; Morgan walked [Rose to
third, Driessen to second]; Perez lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
3 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson walked; Cabell struck out; Metzger doubled
to right [Johnson to third]; Dierker struck out; Gross singled
to left [Johnson scored, Metzger scored]; Andrews forced Gross
(shortstop to second); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 3RD: Foster popped to first; Geronimo singled; Geronimo
stole second; Concepcion flied out to right; Plummer popped to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno popped to first; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 4TH: Alcala struck out; Rose singled to center; Driessen
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Rose
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Johnson popped to second; Cabell grounded out (third
to first); Metzger walked; Dierker singled to left [Metzger to
second]; Gross was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Reds 3, Astros 2.

REDS 5TH: Morgan singled to center; Dierker threw a wild pitch
[Morgan to second]; Perez flied out to right; Foster walked;
Geronimo grounded out (second to first) [Morgan to third, Foster
to second]; Concepcion was walked intentionally; Plummer forced
Concepcion (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Andrews doubled; Cedeno flied out to right [Andrews
to third]; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first) [Andrews
scored]; Cruz flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
3, Astros 3.

REDS 6TH: Alcala struck out; Rose flied out to center; Driessen
walked; Driessen stole second; Morgan walked; Perez grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson popped to first; Cabell popped to catcher in
foul territory; Metzger flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

REDS 7TH: Foster grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
lined to third; Concepcion flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Dierker singled to right; Gross forced Dierker
(catcher to shortstop) [Gross to first]; Andrews struck out;
Cedeno singled to left [Gross to second]; Watson walked [Gross
to third, Cedeno to second]; Cruz walked [Gross scored, Cedeno
to third, Watson to second]; EASTWICK REPLACED ALCALA
(PITCHING); Johnson walked (walk was charged to Alcala) [Cedeno
scored, Watson to third, Cruz to second]; Cabell forced Johnson
(second to shortstop); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 5.

REDS 8TH: Plummer struck out; GRIFFEY BATTED FOR EASTWICK;
Griffey flied out to left; Rose singled to left; Driessen flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: BORBON REPLACED DRIESSEN (PITCHING); FOSTER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); GRIFFEY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF);
Metzger flied out to right; BOSWELL BATTED FOR DIERKER; Boswell
doubled to left; MILBOURNE RAN FOR BOSWELL; Gross grounded out
(second to first); Andrews grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 5.

REDS 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Morgan grounded
out (second to first); Perez grounded out (shortstop to first);
Foster popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 5.