Jose Cruz drove in three runs with a double in the first inning and that was more than Joaquin Andujar needed to pitch the Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Reds. The stage for Cruz' double was set when Reds' starter Pat Zachry walked three men to load the bases before Cruz came to the plate. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Saturday, June      26, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0 10  0
Astros       3  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  3  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .326      Cabell 3b             3   1   1   0     1   2   .307
Griffey rf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .328      Andrews 2b            2   1   0   0     2   0   .315
Driessen 1b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .244      Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .280
Bench c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .252      Watson 1b             2   1   0   0     2   0   .271
Lum lf                4   0   1   0     0   1   .211      Cruz rf               3   0   1   3     1   1   .273
Geronimo cf           4   0   2   0     0   0   .292      Johnson lf            1   0   0   0     2   1   .229
Concepcion ss         4   0   1   0     0   0   .282        Howard pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Flynn 2b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .321      Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .205
Zachry p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .224
  Youngblood ph       1   0   1   0     0   0   .278      Andujar p             3   0   0   0     0   3   .211
  Billingham p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .259

Totals               35   0  10   0     0   3             Totals               23   3   3   3     9   9

Time of Game: 2:26   Attendance: 31,039
Left on Base: Reds 8, Astros 5
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Doubles: Driessen (5), Geronimo (13), Lum (4), Cruz (6)
Stolen Bases: Cabell 2 (14), Cedeno (27)
Caught Stealing: Howard (5)
GIDP: Cedeno (8)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry L(6-3)           6     2   3   3   9   8   0  25   2.54
Billingham              2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   4.93
Totals                  8     3   3   3   9   9   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar W(3-4)          9    10   0   0   0   3   0  35   4.52
Totals                  9    10   0   0   0   3   0  35

Wild Pitches: Zachry (3)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Satch Davidson


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to left; Griffey grounded out (second
to first); Driessen doubled to left; Bench flied out to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Cabell walked; Cabell stole second; Andrews walked;
Cedeno struck out; Watson walked [Cabell to third, Andrews to
second]; Cruz doubled to center [Cabell scored, Andrews scored,
Watson scored, Cruz out at third (center to third)]; Johnson
walked; Herrmann flied out to right; 3 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 3.

REDS 2ND: Lum struck out; Geronimo doubled to left; Concepcion
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Geronimo to third]; Flynn
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger grounded out (first unassisted); Andujar
struck out; Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

REDS 3RD: Zachry grounded out (second to first); Rose flied out
to left; Griffey grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews flied out to center; Cedeno walked; Cedeno
stole second; Watson walked; Zachry threw a wild pitch [Cedeno
to third, Watson to second]; Cruz struck out; Johnson struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 4TH: Driessen grounded out (second to first); Bench singled
to center; Lum doubled to left [Bench to third]; Geronimo flied
out to center; Concepcion flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
singled to left; Andujar struck out; Cabell struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 5TH: Flynn singled to center; Flynn was picked off first
(pitcher to first to shortstop to pitcher); Zachry struck out;
Rose singled to center; Griffey singled to second [Rose to
second]; Driessen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Andrews walked; Cedeno grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Andrews out at second]; Watson
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

REDS 6TH: Bench popped to shortstop; Lum popped to third in foul
territory; Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz walked; Cruz was picked off first (pitcher to
first to second); Johnson walked; HOWARD RAN FOR JOHNSON; Howard
was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to first to
shortstop); Herrmann struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

REDS 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Concepcion singled
to center; Flynn forced Concepcion (shortstop unassisted) [Flynn
to first]; YOUNGBLOOD BATTED FOR ZACHRY; Youngblood singled to
third [Flynn to second]; Rose flied out to left; Griffey forced
Youngblood (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: BILLINGHAM REPLACED YOUNGBLOOD (PITCHING); Metzger
flied out to left; Andujar struck out; Cabell singled to center;
Cabell stole second; Andrews grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 8TH: Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first); Bench
grounded out (third to first); Lum grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: Geronimo singled to left; Concepcion hit into a double
play (second to first) [Geronimo out at second]; Flynn grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.