Making his first start since pitching a no-hitter against the Expos July 9, Larry Dierker was kayoed in the sixth inning but still received credit for the victory when the Astros edged the Mets, 4-3. Bob Watson smashed a three-run homer in the fourth inning before the Astros went on to add what proved to be the deciding tally in that same stanza when Leon Roberts was safe on an error, advanced to third on a single by Ed Herrmann and scored on a wild pitch by Jon Matlack. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Friday, July      16, 1976 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    4  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  8  1
Mets         1  0  0    0  0  1    0  1  0  -   3  9  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Andrews 2b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .279      Garrett 3b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .225
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .299        Staiger ph,3b       2   0   1   0     0   0   .202
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .297      Millan 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .252
Watson 1b             4   1   2   3     0   0   .282      Boisclair lf          4   2   2   0     0   0   .305
Roberts rf,lf         4   1   1   0     0   0   .324      Kingman rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .234
Johnson lf            3   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Kranepool 1b          4   0   2   2     0   0   .280
  Howard rf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .209      Unser cf              3   0   1   0     1   0   .233
Herrmann c            4   0   2   0     0   0   .191      Grote c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .243      Harrelson ss          4   0   1   0     0   2   .225
Dierker p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .100      Matlack p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .157
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     1   0   .250        Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .400
                                                            Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
                                                            Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Torre ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .298

Totals               33   4   8   3     2   3             Totals               35   3   9   2     2   6

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 13,323
Left on Base: Astros 4, Mets 7
DP: Astros 2, Mets 3
Errors: Andrews, Garrett, Kranepool
Home Runs: Watson (10)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (30), Garrett (7)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (3)
GIDP: Johnson (8), Cabell (6), Grote (11), Garrett (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(9-8)          5.2   7   2   2   2   3   0  24   4.02
Pentz SV(3)             3.1   2   1   0   0   3   0  13   3.65
Totals                  9     9   3   2   2   6   0  37

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack L(10-3)         6     8   4   2   0   2   1  26   2.66
Lockwood                1     0   0   0   1   1   0   3   2.10
Apodaca                 2     0   0   0   1   0   0   6   2.54
Totals                  9     8   4   2   2   3   1  35

Wild Pitches: Dierker (10), Matlack 2 (7)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - John Kibler, 2B - Terry Tata, 3B - Doug Harvey


ASTROS 1ST: Andrews flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Garrett flied out to center; Millan singled; Boisclair
singled [Millan to second]; Kingman struck out; Kranepool
singled [Millan scored, Boisclair to third]; Unser grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled; Roberts flied out to left; Johnson
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

METS 2ND: Grote grounded out (second to first); Harrelson flied
out to left; Matlack struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Herrmann flied out to center; Metzger flied out to
center; Dierker flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Garrett walked; Garrett stole second; Millan grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Garrett to third]; Boisclair flied out
to left; Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Andrews singled; Cabell reached on an error by
Kranepool [Andrews to third]; Cedeno lined to third; Watson
homered [Andrews scored, Cabell scored (unearned)]; Roberts
reached on an error by Garrett; Johnson struck out; Herrmann
singled [Roberts to third]; Matlack threw a wild pitch [Roberts
scored (unearned), Herrmann to second]; Metzger made an out to
third; 4 R (2 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Kranepool flied out to center; Unser singled; Grote
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Unser out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Dierker struck out; Andrews grounded out (shortstop
to first); Cabell singled; Cabell was caught stealing second
(pitcher to first to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Harrelson singled; Matlack was called out on strikes;
Garrett grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Harrelson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Mets 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
made an out to second; Roberts singled; Johnson forced Roberts
(second to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

METS 6TH: HOWARD REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING RF); ROBERTS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Millan grounded out (third to first);
Boisclair singled; Kingman singled [Boisclair to second];
Kranepool forced Kingman (second to shortstop) [Boisclair to
third]; Dierker threw a wild pitch [Boisclair scored, Kranepool
to second]; Unser walked; PENTZ REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING);
Grote flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Herrmann singled; Matlack threw a wild pitch
[Herrmann to second]; Metzger singled [Herrmann to third];
LOCKWOOD REPLACED MATLACK (PITCHING); Pentz walked [Metzger to
second]; Andrews struck out; Cabell grounded into a double play
(pitcher to second to first) [Pentz out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Harrelson struck out; VAIL BATTED FOR LOCKWOOD; Vail
struck out; STAIGER BATTED FOR GARRETT; Staiger singled; Millan
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

ASTROS 8TH: STAIGER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); APODACA
REPLACED VAIL (PITCHING); Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second;
Cedeno stole third; Watson made an out to shortstop; Roberts hit
into a double play (third to first) [Cedeno out at home (first
to catcher)]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 2.

METS 8TH: Boisclair reached on an error by Andrews; Kingman
grounded out (third to first) [Boisclair to second]; Kranepool
singled [Boisclair scored (unearned)]; Unser forced Kranepool
(second to shortstop); Grote flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); Herrmann
grounded out (second to pitcher); Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 9TH: Harrelson struck out; TORRE BATTED FOR APODACA; Torre
flied out to right; Staiger flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.