Four unearned runs handed the Astros a 4-3 victory over the Giants. In the eighth inning, with the Giants leading, 3-1, Enos Cabell flied out. Leon Roberts singled, but Cesar Cedeno flied out and Bob Watson was safe on a throwing error by Ken Reitz for what should have been the third out. Jose Cruz then singled, driving in one run, and Cliff Johnson tripled to drive in two more and give the Astros their decision. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Francisco Giants 3
Game Played on Tuesday, June      29, 1976 (Night game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   4  6  0
Giants       0  1  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  4


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .302      Thomasson cf          4   1   1   0     0   1   .262
Andrews 2b            5   1   1   0     0   1   .320        Herndon cf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .327
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .275      Perez 2b              2   0   1   0     1   0   .257
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .273      Matthews lf           3   0   0   0     1   2   .264
Cruz rf               3   1   1   2     1   1   .285      Murcer rf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .250
Johnson lf            3   0   1   2     1   0   .234      Evans 1b              3   2   1   0     1   0   .192
  Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Speier ss             3   0   1   0     0   0   .229
Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .194      Reitz 3b              3   0   0   1     0   1   .280
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .228      Rader c               4   0   1   1     0   2   .226
Dierker p             4   0   0   0     0   0   .121      Barr p                3   0   0   0     0   2   .094
                                                            Adams ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .286

Totals               35   4   6   4     3   4             Totals               30   3   7   3     3   8

Time of Game: 2:19   Attendance:  4,133
Left on Base: Astros 7, Giants 6
DP: Astros 1, Giants 0
Errors: Murcer, Speier 2, Reitz
Triples: Johnson (1)
Stolen Bases: Speier (2)
Caught Stealing: Perez (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Perez (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Reitz (3)
Hit by Pitch: Speier (2,by Dierker)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(7-7)          9     7   3   3   3   8   0  36   4.33
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   8   0  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Barr L(6-6)             9     6   4   0   3   4   0  38   2.59
Totals                  9     6   4   0   3   4   0  38

Hit by Pitch: Dierker (5)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Cabell singled to center; Andrews reached on an
error by Speier [Cabell to second]; Cedeno reached on an error
by Speier [Andrews to second, Cabell to third]; Watson was
called out on strikes; Cruz grounded out (second to first)
[Cabell scored (unearned), Andrews to third, Cedeno to second];
Johnson walked; Herrmann flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Thomasson grounded out (second to first); Perez
singled to center; Matthews struck out; Murcer popped to second;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Dierker
grounded out (second to first); Cabell flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Evans walked; Speier was hit by a pitch [Evans to
second]; Reitz flied out to right; Rader singled to center
[Evans scored, Speier to third]; Barr struck out; Thomasson
flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews flied out to center; Cedeno struck out;
Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 1.

GIANTS 3RD: Perez walked; Matthews struck out while Perez was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Murcer flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz walked; Johnson grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Cruz to second]; Cruz was picked off second (pitcher to
shortstop); Herrmann walked; Metzger grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Evans singled to right; Speier singled to right
[Evans to third]; Reitz hit a sacrifice fly to left [Evans
scored]; Speier stole second; Rader grounded out (first
unassisted) [Speier to third]; Barr was called out on strikes; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Dierker grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Thomasson singled to right; Perez out on a sacrifice
bunt (first to second) [Thomasson to second]; Matthews popped to
first in foul territory; Murcer singled to right [Thomasson
scored, Murcer out at second (right to third to shortstop)]; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Watson singled to
center; Cruz struck out; Johnson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Evans flied out to center; Speier flied out to
center; Reitz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Herrmann grounded out (first to pitcher); Metzger
flied out to center; Dierker flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 7TH: Rader struck out; Barr flied out to right; Thomasson
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

ASTROS 8TH: HERNDON REPLACED THOMASSON (PLAYING CF); Cabell
flied out to left; Andrews singled to shortstop; Cedeno flied
out to center; Watson reached on an error by Reitz [Andrews to
third, Watson to second]; Cruz singled to first [Andrews scored
(unearned), Watson to third]; Johnson tripled to center [Watson
scored (unearned), Cruz scored (unearned)]; Herrmann popped to
third; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 8TH: HOWARD REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING LF); Perez grounded
out (third to first); Matthews walked; Murcer singled to right
[Matthews to second]; Evans flied out to center; Speier flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Dierker
popped to third; Cabell singled to right [Cabell to second
(error by Murcer)]; Andrews flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Reitz struck out; Rader struck out; ADAMS BATTED FOR
BARR; Adams made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Giants 3.