Bob Bailey hit two homers and Johnny Bench added one, but the Reds had a battle on their hands before edging the Astros, 9-8. Bailey accounted for four RBIs and Bench for three. With the score tied, 8-8, Ken Griffey led off the Reds' eighth with a single and went to second on a passed ball.

After Joe Morgan walked, Griffey stole third. One out later, Bench bounced to Enos Cabell, but the third baseman bobbled the ball as Griffey crossed the plate with the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 8
Game Played on Saturday, July      3, 1976 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  3  1    0  1  1    1  0  0  -   8 13  1
Reds         2  0  1    1  3  0    1  1  x  -   9  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              2   0   0   0     0   0   .287      Rose 3b               3   2   1   0     2   0   .334
  Howard lf,rf        3   1   2   1     0   0   .217      Griffey rf            3   1   2   1     1   0   .332
Andrews 2b            4   1   2   2     1   1   .315      Morgan 2b             2   2   0   0     3   0   .328
Cedeno cf             5   0   2   1     0   0   .291      Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     1   1   .265
Watson 1b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .269      Bench c               4   2   2   3     0   0   .240
Cruz lf,rf            4   0   1   0     1   1   .289      Bailey lf             4   2   2   4     0   2   .304
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Armbrister lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .304        Foster ph,lf        0   0   0   0     1   0   .335
Herrmann c            4   2   1   2     1   0   .186      Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     1   1   .275
Metzger ss            3   1   2   0     1   0   .232      Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     1   1   .305
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Alcala p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .130
Cosgrove p            3   1   1   1     0   1   .095        McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Griffin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Eastwick p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .211        Driessen ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .240
  Chiles lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .375

Totals               38   8  13   8     4   3             Totals               31   9   9   8    11   6

Time of Game: 2:55   Attendance: 45,277
Left on Base: Astros 9, Reds 11
DP: Astros 1, Reds 0
Errors: Cabell, Perez
Doubles: Cedeno (14), Watson (11), Herrmann (4)
Triples: Andrews (4), Rose (3)
Home Runs: Bailey 2 (5), Bench (9)
Stolen Bases: Howard (3), Griffey (21)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (3), Bench (3), Griffey (2)
GIDP: Perez (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove                4.2   5   6   6   4   2   1  23   5.08
Griffin                 0.2   1   1   1   4   1   1   7   5.03
Niekro L(3-7)           2     3   2   2   3   3   1  12   3.86
Pentz                   0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.26
Totals                  8     9   9   9  11   6   3  44

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Alcala                  2.1   6   5   5   2   1   0  15   5.06
McEnaney                2.2   5   2   2   1   1   0  14   3.96
Eastwick                2     2   1   0   1   1   0   9   2.50
Borbon W(2-1)           2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.37
Totals                  9    13   8   7   4   3   0  44

Passed Balls: Herrmann (1)
Wild Pitches: Cosgrove (4), Griffin (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
walked; Cedeno doubled [Andrews to third]; Watson hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Andrews scored, Cedeno to third]; Cruz
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Griffey flied out to center; Morgan
walked [Rose to second]; Perez walked [Rose to third, Morgan to
second]; Bench hit a sacrifice fly to center [Rose scored,
Morgan to third]; Cosgrove threw a wild pitch [Morgan scored,
Perez to second]; Bailey struck out; 2 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell flied out to right; Herrmann walked; Metzger
singled to left [Herrmann to second]; Cosgrove singled to left
[Herrmann scored, Metzger to second]; Gross grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Metzger to third, Cosgrove to second];
Andrews tripled [Metzger scored, Cosgrove scored]; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Reds 2.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion flied out to right; Geronimo grounded out
(first unassisted); Alcala struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson doubled; Cruz struck out; Cabell singled to
second [Watson to third]; MCENANEY REPLACED ALCALA (PITCHING);
Herrmann forced Cabell (first to shortstop) [Watson scored,
Herrmann to first]; Metzger singled to left [Herrmann to
second]; Cosgrove struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: HOWARD REPLACED GROSS (PLAYING LF); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Rose tripled to right; Griffey hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Rose scored]; Morgan grounded out
(shortstop to first); Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard flied out to center; Andrews flied out to
left; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
5, Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Bench flied out to center; Bailey homered; Concepcion
lined to shortstop; Geronimo singled to left; McEnaney walked
[Geronimo to second]; Rose grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); On a bunt
Cruz singled; Cabell forced Cruz (second to shortstop) [Cabell
to first]; Herrmann doubled to left [Cabell scored]; Metzger was
walked intentionally; Cosgrove forced Metzger (second
unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 4.

REDS 5TH: Griffey singled to right; Morgan forced Griffey
(pitcher to shortstop) [Morgan to first]; Perez flied out to
center; Bench singled to left [Morgan to second]; GRIFFIN
REPLACED COSGROVE (PITCHING); Bailey homered [Morgan scored,
Bench scored]; Concepcion walked; Geronimo struck out; 3 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard singled to center; Andrews singled to right
[Howard to second]; EASTWICK REPLACED MCENANEY (PITCHING);
Cedeno singled to left [Howard scored, Andrews to second];
Watson flied out to center [Andrews to third]; Cedeno was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Cruz walked; Cabell
popped to third in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
7, Reds 7.

REDS 6TH: Eastwick flied out to center; Rose walked; Griffey
walked [Rose to second]; Griffin threw a wild pitch [Rose to
third, Griffey to second]; Morgan was walked intentionally;
NIEKRO REPLACED GRIFFIN (PITCHING); Perez grounded into a double
play (pitcher to catcher to first) [Rose out at home]; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Reds 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Herrmann reached on an error by Perez [Herrmann to
first]; Metzger flied out to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Herrmann to second]; Howard singled to
right [Herrmann scored (unearned)]; Howard stole second; Andrews
struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 7.

REDS 7TH: Bench homered; Bailey struck out (catcher to first);
Concepcion struck out (catcher to first); Geronimo walked;
DRIESSEN BATTED FOR EASTWICK; Driessen singled to center
[Geronimo to second]; Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 8.

ASTROS 8TH: ARMBRISTER REPLACED BAILEY (PLAYING LF); BORBON
REPLACED DRIESSEN (PITCHING); Cedeno popped to second; Watson
flied out to center; Cruz popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 8.

REDS 8TH: Griffey singled to shortstop; Herrmann allowed a
passed ball [Griffey to second]; Griffey stole third; Morgan
walked; Perez struck out; Bench reached on an error by Cabell
[Griffey scored (RBI), Morgan to second, Bench to first]; FOSTER
BATTED FOR ARMBRISTER; Foster walked [Morgan to third, Bench to
second]; HOWARD CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); PENTZ REPLACED
CRUZ (PITCHING); CHILES REPLACED NIEKRO (PLAYING LF); Concepcion
flied out to left; Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 9.

ASTROS 9TH: FOSTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Cabell grounded
out (first to pitcher); Herrmann flied out to right; BOSWELL
BATTED FOR METZGER; Boswell grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 9.