Johnny Bench hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and George Foster smashed a three-run homer in the eighth inning to clinch the Reds' 7-2 victory over the Astros. Cesar Cedeno homered with a man on base in the Astros' first before the Reds picked up a pair of singletons to forge a deadlock. Then in the fifth, Joe Morgan singled, Foster doubled and Bench singled to decide the outcome. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 7, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Sunday, July      4, 1976 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  2
Reds         0  1  1    0  2  0    0  3  x  -   7 12  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cabell 3b             4   1   0   0     0   0   .299      Rose 3b               4   0   2   1     0   0   .336
Andrews 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .309        Flynn 3b            0   1   0   0     1   0   .294
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   2     0   0   .291      Griffey rf            4   0   1   0     1   0   .331
Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .268      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   0     1   0   .332
Cruz rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .288      Foster lf             5   3   4   3     0   1   .343
Johnson lf            3   0   1   0     1   0   .227      Perez 1b              3   0   0   0     2   1   .262
Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     0   2   .179      Bench c               4   0   1   2     1   1   .240
Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .233      Geronimo cf           3   1   2   1     1   0   .310
Dierker p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .114      Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .271
  Chiles ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .500      Nolan p               4   0   0   0     0   1   .116
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               33   2   6   2     1   2             Totals               35   7  12   7     7   4

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance: 28,090
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 11
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Errors: Herrmann 2, Morgan
Doubles: Metzger (7), Geronimo (15), Foster (13)
Home Runs: Cedeno (14), Foster (17)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (15), Cruz (10), Foster 2 (6), Geronimo (8), Rose (4)
GIDP: Cabell (3), Concepcion (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(7-8)          6    10   4   4   4   3   0  31   4.43
Pentz                   2     2   3   3   3   1   1  11   3.90
Totals                  8    12   7   7   7   4   1  42

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan W(8-4)            9     6   2   1   1   2   1  34   2.88
Totals                  9     6   2   1   1   2   1  34

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


ASTROS 1ST: Cabell reached on an error by Morgan [Cabell to
first]; Cabell stole second; Andrews grounded out (first
unassisted) [Cabell to third]; Cedeno homered [Cabell scored
(unearned)]; Watson popped to third in foul territory; Cruz
singled to left; Cruz stole second; Johnson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey walked;
Morgan flied out to right; Foster singled to right [Griffey to
third]; Foster stole second; Perez walked; Bench forced Perez
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann grounded out (second to first); Metzger
doubled to center; Dierker grounded out (second to first)
[Metzger to third]; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Geronimo walked; Geronimo stole second; Concepcion
flied out to left; Nolan grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Geronimo to third]; Rose singled to left [Geronimo scored];
Griffey singled to center [Rose to third]; Morgan flied out to
right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews popped to shortstop; Cedeno flied out to
left; Watson singled to left; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Foster singled to center; Foster stole second [Foster
to third (error by Herrmann)]; Perez struck out; Bench struck
out; Geronimo doubled to right [Foster scored]; Concepcion
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Reds 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Johnson singled to center; Herrmann struck out;
Metzger flied out to center; Dierker flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Nolan popped to first in foul territory; Rose grounded
out (third to first); Griffey flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Andrews
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno popped to catcher in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Morgan singled to right; Foster doubled [Morgan to
third]; Perez popped to shortstop; Bench singled to left [Morgan
scored, Foster scored]; Geronimo singled to center [Bench to
third]; Concepcion grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Geronimo out at second]; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson grounded out (third to first); Cruz popped to
third in foul territory; Johnson walked; Herrmann flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 4.

REDS 6TH: Nolan flied out to right; Rose singled to left; Rose
stole second [Rose to third (error by Herrmann)]; Griffey
grounded out (second to first); Morgan walked; Foster struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 4.

ASTROS 7TH: FLYNN REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Metzger grounded
out (second to first); CHILES BATTED FOR DIERKER; Chiles singled
to right; Cabell grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Chiles out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: PENTZ REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Perez popped to
catcher in foul territory; Bench walked; Geronimo flied out to
left; Concepcion flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Andrews flied out to left; Cedeno flied out to left;
Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Reds 4.

REDS 8TH: Nolan struck out; Flynn walked; Griffey flied out to
center; Morgan singled to right [Flynn to third]; Foster homered
[Flynn scored, Morgan scored]; Perez walked; Bench flied out to
left; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); Johnson
grounded out (third to first); Herrmann struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 7.