Five runs in the eighth inning brought the Astros a 9-4 victory over the Pirates in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The second game was postponed because of rain. Pinch-hitter Wilbur Howard singled with two out to drive in the first run of the Astros' rally. After Greg Gross walked, Rob Andrews delivered a two-run single. Then two more scored on an error by Richie Hebner and walk to Jose Cruz. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Game Played on Sunday, June      20, 1976 (Day game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    3  0  0    0  5  0  -   9 11  0
Pirates      1  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   1   1     2   0   .295      Taveras ss            4   2   3   0     0   1   .253
Andrews 2b            6   1   1   2     0   0   .306      Stennett 2b           4   0   1   2     0   1   .236
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     1   2   .295      Oliver cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .338
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .261      Stargell 1b           2   0   0   0     2   0   .280
Cruz lf               4   1   1   1     1   0   .269      Parker rf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .292
Herrmann c            4   1   3   0     0   1   .232      Zisk lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .288
  Milbourne pr        1   0   0   0     0   0   .244      Hebner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .203
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Sanguillen c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .257
Cabell 3b             4   2   1   1     1   0   .295        Dyer c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .182
Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     2   0   .226      Kison p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Dierker p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .143        Langford p          2   1   1   0     0   1   .500
  Boswell ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .308        Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     1   0   .000        Helms ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .344
  Howard ph           1   1   1   1     0   0   .211        Moose p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .600
  Jutze c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .119        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  11   7     9   4             Totals               33   4   7   3     2   7

Time of Game: 3:01   Attendance: 18,670
Left on Base: Astros 11, Pirates 4
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 1
Errors: Hebner
Doubles: Langford (1)
Triples: Watson (2), Taveras (1)
Home Runs: Parker (5)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (11), Stargell (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker                 3     5   4   4   1   1   1  14   4.48
Griffin W(5-1)          4     0   0   0   1   5   0  13   4.15
Forsch                  2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   1.94
Totals                  9     7   4   4   2   7   1  35

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kison                   1.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   6   3.17
Langford                4.2   5   3   3   4   4   0  22   4.26
Tekulve                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.58
Moose L(3-2)            0.2   3   5   3   3   0   0   9   1.87
Hernandez               1.1   1   0   0   2   0   0   7   4.39
Totals                  9    11   9   7   9   4   0  47

Passed Balls: Dyer (2)
Wild Pitches: Dierker (8)

Umpires: HP - Paul Runge, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (second to first); Andrews flied
out to left; Cedeno made an out to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras tripled to right; Stennett grounded out
(second to first) [Taveras scored]; Oliver grounded out (first
to pitcher); Stargell flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 2ND: DYER REPLACED SANGUILLEN (PLAYING C ); Watson
tripled to right; Manny Sanguillen struck by foul ball;
Dyer allowed a passed ball [Watson scored]; Cruz made an out to
shortstop; Herrmann singled to pitcher; Bruce Kison struck on
left arm; LANGFORD REPLACED KISON (PITCHING); Cabell walked
[Herrmann to second]; Metzger made an out to shortstop; Dierker
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Parker homered; Zisk grounded out (first to
pitcher); Hebner grounded out (second to first); Dyer struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
flied out to right; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Langford doubled to left; Taveras singled to right
[Langford to third]; Stennett singled to left [Langford scored,
Taveras to second]; Oliver hit into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Taveras to third, Stennett out at second];
Dierker threw a wild pitch [Taveras scored]; Stargell walked;
Parker made an out to second; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to left; Cruz singled to right;
Herrmann singled to right [Cruz to third]; Cabell singled to
center [Cruz scored, Herrmann to second]; Metzger singled to
center [Herrmann to third, Cabell to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
DIERKER; Boswell singled to right [Herrmann scored, Cabell to
third, Metzger to second]; Gross grounded out (second to first)
[Cabell scored, Metzger to third, Boswell to second]; Andrews
lined to third; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 4TH: GRIFFIN REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Zisk struck
out; Hebner grounded out (third to first); Dyer made an out to
second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno struck out; Watson walked; Cruz hit into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Watson out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 5TH: Langford struck out; Taveras struck out; Stennett
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Herrmann struck out; Cabell grounded out (shortstop
to first); Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Oliver made an out to third; Stargell walked;
Stargell stole second; Parker struck out; Zisk flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Griffin walked; Gross walked [Griffin to second];
TEKULVE REPLACED LANGFORD (PITCHING); Andrews forced Griffin
(pitcher to third) [Gross to second]; Cedeno grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Gross to third, Andrews to second]; Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: Hebner flied out to left; Dyer grounded out
(pitcher to second to first); HELMS BATTED FOR TEKULVE; Helms
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 8TH: MOOSE REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Cruz popped to
third in foul territory; Herrmann singled to left; MILBOURNE RAN
FOR HERRMANN; Cabell forced Milbourne (pitcher to second);
Cabell stole second; Metzger was walked intentionally; HOWARD
BATTED FOR GRIFFIN; Howard singled to left [Cabell scored,
Metzger to second]; Gross walked [Metzger to third, Howard to
second]; Andrews singled to center [Metzger scored, Howard
scored, Gross to third, Andrews to second (on throw)]; Cedeno
was walked intentionally; Watson reached on an error by Hebner
[Gross scored (unearned), Andrews to third, Cedeno to second];
HERNANDEZ REPLACED MOOSE (PITCHING); Cruz walked [Andrews scored
(unearned), Cedeno to third, Watson to second]; Milbourne
grounded out (second to first); 5 R (3 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 9, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 8TH: JUTZE REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING C ); FORSCH REPLACED
MILBOURNE (PITCHING); Taveras singled to second; Stennett flied
out to center; Oliver lined to left; Stargell flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell flied out to center; Metzger walked; Jutze
flied out to right; Gross singled to center [Metzger to third];
Andrews flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9,
Pirates 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Parker singled to center; Zisk flied out to center;
Hebner flied out to left; Dyer struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 9, Pirates 4.