Greg Gross collected four hits and Rob Andrews rapped three, matching the Cardinals' entire output against J.R. Richard while losing to the Astros, 5-2. The Astros decided the outcome against Lynn McGlothen with three runs in the first inning.

Gross singled and was out trying to steal, but Andrews also singled, Cesar Cedeno walked and Jose Cruz doubled for one run. After another pass to Ed Herrmann loaded the bases, Enos Cabell singled to send two runs across the plate. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Wednesday, June      9, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   2  7  1
Astros       3  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   5 12  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mumphrey cf           3   1   1   0     1   1   .278      Gross rf              5   1   4   0     0   0   .306
Kessinger ss          4   0   1   0     0   1   .243      Andrews 2b            4   2   3   0     1   0   .316
Brock lf              4   0   1   1     0   1   .262      Cedeno cf             1   1   0   0     4   0   .304
Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   0   .265      Watson 1b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .264
Smith 1b              4   1   1   0     0   1   .210      Cruz lf               2   1   1   1     3   0   .254
Crawford rf           4   0   1   1     0   1   .318      Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     1   0   .160
Cruz 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .207      Cabell 3b             4   0   1   2     0   0   .280
Tyson 2b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .256      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .226
McGlothen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .148      Richard p             4   0   2   0     0   1   .105
  Rasmussen p         0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Hernandez ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .170
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McBride ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .357
  Wallace p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .299

Totals               34   2   7   2     2   7             Totals               32   5  12   3    10   2

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 11,267
Left on Base: Cardinals 7, Astros 13
DP: Cardinals 3, Astros 0
Errors: Simmons
Doubles: Brock (7), Smith (7), Cruz (3)
Triples: Gross (2)
Stolen Bases: Mumphrey (2), Andrews 2 (4), Cedeno (24)
Caught Stealing: Gross (2)
GIDP: Watson 2 (5), Herrmann (1)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGlothen L(5-5)        1     6   4   4   3   1   0  11   3.58
Rasmussen               3     2   0   0   3   1   0  13   4.19
Solomon                 3     3   0   0   2   0   0  13   0.00
Wallace                 1     1   1   1   2   0   0   5   1.82
Totals                  8    12   5   5  10   2   0  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(7-5)          9     7   2   2   2   7   0  36   2.95
Totals                  9     7   2   2   2   7   0  36

Wild Pitches: Wallace (3)
Balks: Richard (1)

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


CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey walked; Mumphrey stole second; Kessinger
flied out to center; Brock doubled to left [Mumphrey scored];
Simmons grounded out (pitcher to first); Smith struck out; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to right; Gross was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Andrews singled to center;
Andrews stole second; Cedeno walked; Watson flied out to center;
Cruz doubled to right [Andrews scored, Cedeno to third];
Herrmann walked; Cabell singled to center [Cedeno scored, Cruz
scored, Herrmann to third, Cabell to second (on throw)]; Metzger
walked; Richard struck out; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 1,
Astros 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Crawford grounded out (third to first); Cruz
grounded out (second to first); Tyson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Gross singled to center; Andrews singled to right
[Gross to second]; RASMUSSEN REPLACED MCGLOTHEN (PITCHING);
Cedeno walked [Gross to third, Andrews to second]; Watson
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Gross scored, Andrews to third, Cedeno out at second]; Cruz
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros
4.

CARDINALS 3RD: Rasmussen walked; Mumphrey grounded out (second
to first) [Rasmussen to second]; Kessinger struck out; Brock
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Herrmann grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (second to first); Metzger singled to center;
Richard forced Metzger (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons grounded out (second to first); Smith
grounded out (shortstop to first); Crawford struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Gross tripled to right; Andrews grounded out (second
to first); Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Watson struck
out; Cruz was walked intentionally; Herrmann grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 5TH: Cruz singled to left; Tyson singled to center
[Cruz to second]; HERNANDEZ BATTED FOR RASMUSSEN; Hernandez
popped to second; Mumphrey was called out on strikes; Kessinger
flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: SOLOMON REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (second
to first); Richard singled to right; Gross singled to center
[Richard to second]; Andrews walked [Richard to third, Gross to
second]; Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Brock grounded out (second to first); Simmons
grounded out (second to first); Smith grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson flied out to left; Cruz walked; Herrmann
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Cruz
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: Crawford flied out to center; Cruz grounded out
(third to first); Tyson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first); Richard singled to center;
Gross grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: MCBRIDE BATTED FOR SOLOMON; McBride popped to
third; Mumphrey singled to center; Kessinger singled to left
[Mumphrey to second]; Brock struck out; Simmons grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: WALLACE REPLACED MCBRIDE (PITCHING); Andrews singled
to shortstop; Andrews stole second; Cedeno walked; Watson
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Andrews to third, Cedeno out at second]; Cruz walked; Wallace
threw a wild pitch [Andrews scored, Cruz to second (error by
Simmons)]; Herrmann grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 9TH: Smith doubled to right; Crawford singled to
center [Smith scored]; Richard balked [Crawford to second]; Cruz
grounded out (third to first); Tyson reached on a fielder's
choice [Crawford out at third (pitcher to third to shortstop)];
FAIRLY BATTED FOR WALLACE; Fairly struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 5.