A three-run homer by Al Oliver provided the game-winning blow for the Pirates, who defeated the Astros, 6-3. The Pirates picked up a run in the first inning on singles by Frakn Taveras and Willie Stargell around a stolen base before Oliver delivered his round-tripper in the third. Two more runs driven in by Richie Hebner and Dave Parker clinched matters in the fifth. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, June      16, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      1  0  3    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   6  8  1
Astros       0  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3 14  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   2   2   0     1   1   .245      Gross rf              5   0   0   0     0   0   .302
Hebner 3b             4   2   1   1     0   1   .209      Andrews 2b            5   0   4   0     0   0   .321
Oliver cf             3   1   1   3     1   0   .346      Cedeno cf             5   1   2   1     0   0   .296
Stargell 1b           4   0   2   1     0   1   .284      Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .270
Parker rf             4   0   1   1     0   1   .294      Watson 1b             4   2   1   0     0   1   .261
Robinson lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .342      Herrmann c            4   0   1   0     0   0   .200
Sanguillen c          4   0   0   0     0   0   .241      Cabell 3b             4   0   3   2     0   0   .292
Stennett 2b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .239      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .228
Medich p              1   1   0   0     1   1   .083        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .297
  Helms ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .355        DaVanon ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .391
  Demery p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .167      Andujar p             2   0   1   0     0   1   .214
                                                            Siebert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .205
                                                            Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .246

Totals               34   6   8   6     3   8             Totals               38   3  14   3     1   4

Time of Game: 2:38   Attendance: 12,249
Left on Base: Pirates 4, Astros 9
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 1
Errors: Sanguillen
Doubles: Hebner (8)
Triples: Andrews (2)
Home Runs: Oliver (10), Cedeno (9)
Stolen Bases: Taveras 2 (14), Cedeno (26), Cruz (7)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (2)
GIDP: Robinson (9)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich W(5-5)           5    11   3   2   0   3   1  24   3.96
Demery SV(2)            4     3   0   0   1   1   0  15   3.76
Totals                  9    14   3   2   1   4   1  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(2-4)          4.1   5   6   6   3   1   1  21   4.70
Siebert                 1.2   3   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.98
Pentz                   3     0   0   0   0   7   0   9   4.08
Totals                  9     8   6   6   3   8   1  37

Passed Balls: Sanguillen (4)

Umpires: HP - Tom Gorman, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Art Williams


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras singled to center; Taveras stole second;
Hebner made an out to shortstop; Oliver grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Taveras to third]; Stargell singled to right [Taveras
scored]; Parker grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross flied out to left; Andrews singled to right;
Cedeno grounded out (first to shortstop to first) [Andrews to
second]; Sanguillen allowed a passed ball [Andrews to third];
Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Robinson flied out to left; Sanguillen grounded out
(shortstop to first); Stennett made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson reached on an error by Sanguillen [Watson to
second]; Herrmann grounded out (second to first) [Watson to
third]; Cabell singled to right [Watson scored (unearned)];
Cabell was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Metzger singled to second; Andujar singled to center [Metzger to
second]; Gross flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Medich walked; Taveras singled to right [Medich to
second]; Hebner forced Taveras (second to shortstop); Oliver
homered [Medich scored, Hebner scored]; Stargell grounded out
(first unassisted); Parker flied out to left; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews singled to right [Andrews out at second
(right to shortstop)]; Cedeno homered; Cruz made an out to
pitcher; Watson singled to center; Herrmann singled to center
[Watson to second]; Cabell singled to center [Watson scored,
Herrmann to third]; Metzger flied out to left; 2 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 3.

PIRATES 4TH: Robinson grounded out (third to first); Sanguillen
flied out to right; Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Andujar struck out; Gross flied out to center;
Andrews singled to left; Andrews was picked off first (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Medich struck out; Taveras walked; Taveras stole
second; Hebner doubled to right [Taveras scored]; Oliver was
walked intentionally; SIEBERT REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING);
Stargell singled to right [Hebner to third, Oliver to second];
Parker singled to right [Hebner scored, Oliver to third,
Stargell to second]; Robinson grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Parker out at second]; 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno flied out to left; Cruz singled to right;
Watson struck out; Herrmann flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen flied out to center; Stennett flied out
to right; HELMS BATTED FOR MEDICH; Helms singled to left;
Taveras flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 6,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: DEMERY REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Cabell singled to
center; Metzger hit into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to
first) [Cabell out at second]; HOWARD BATTED FOR SIEBERT; Howard
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

PIRATES 7TH: PENTZ REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Hebner struck
out; Oliver made an out to third; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross flied out to left; Andrews grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled to shortstop; Cruz walked
[Cedeno to second]; Cedeno stole third and Cruz stole second;
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 6, Astros 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Parker struck out; Robinson struck out; Sanguillen
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Herrmann grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
grounded out (second to first); BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER;
Boswell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 6, Astros 3.

PIRATES 9TH: DAVANON REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING SS); Stennett
struck out; Demery struck out; Taveras struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: MILBOURNE BATTED FOR PENTZ; Milbourne flied out to
center; Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews tripled
to left; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 6, Astros 3.