A tremendous batting outburst by Ed Herrmann, who drove in seven runs with seven hits in 10 trips, paced the Astros to 7-6 and 14-1 victories in a sweep of a twi-night doubleheader with the Expos. The opener was decided in the 10th inning when the Astros scored on singles by Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell and Herrmann. Four other hits by Herrmann in the game included a homer. The Expos sent the contest into overtime with a four-run rally in the ninth, three runs scoring on a pinch-homer by Jose Morales.

Dan Larson, coming up from Memphis (International), made his debut with the Astros in the nightcap and breezed to victory with a five-hitter. The Astros backed their rookie with 22 hits, including two singles in five trips for Herrmann, who batted in three runs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Montreal Expos 6 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, July      18, 1976 (Night game) at Parc Jarry
Astros       0  1  0    0  1  0    3  1  0    1  -   7 17  1
Expos        1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  4    0  -   6  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   2   0     0   0   .290      Mangual lf            3   1   0   0     2   1   .263
Andrews 2b            4   0   1   0     1   0   .279      Valentine cf          4   1   1   1     1   2   .240
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .295      Jorgensen rf          3   1   1   0     1   0   .242
Watson 1b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .277        Lang p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz lf               5   2   2   0     0   1   .299        Morales ph          1   1   1   3     0   0   .312
Cabell 3b             4   2   3   0     1   0   .302        Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Herrmann c            5   2   5   4     0   0   .215      Thornton 1b           3   0   0   0     2   0   .216
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     1   1   .241      Foli ss               5   0   2   1     0   1   .271
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .167        White pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .235
  Boswell ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .289      Mackanin 2b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .240
  Forsch p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .111      Foote c               5   1   1   1     0   1   .215
                                                          Frias 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .235
                                                            Dwyer ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .185
                                                            Parrish 3b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .211
                                                          Kirby p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .067
                                                            Kerrigan p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Lyttle ph,rf        2   1   2   0     0   0   .284

Totals               42   7  17   5     3   3             Totals               37   6   8   6     6   6

Time of Game: 2:50
Left on Base: Astros 8, Expos 8
DP: Astros 0, Expos 3
Errors: Niekro
Doubles: Cedeno (15), Cruz (11)
Home Runs: Herrmann (2), Foote (6), Morales (3)
Stolen Bases: Jorgensen (6)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Mackanin (3)
GIDP: Metzger (6), Andrews (7), Forsch (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  6     3   2   2   4   3   1  25   3.61
Forsch W(3-2)           4     5   4   4   2   3   1  19   2.36
Totals                 10     8   6   6   6   6   2  44

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kirby                   6     8   5   5   2   2   1  25   4.97
Kerrigan                1     2   0   0   0   0   0   5   0.00
Lang                    2     4   1   1   0   1   0  10   4.03
Murray L(0-8)           1     3   1   1   1   0   0   5   3.25
Totals                 10    17   7   7   3   3   1  45

Passed Balls: Herrmann (3)
Wild Pitches: Kirby (4), Lang (4)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross flied out to center; Andrews walked; Cedeno
doubled to left [Andrews to third]; Watson popped to first; Cruz
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Mangual flied out to right; Valentine struck out;
Jorgensen walked; Thornton walked [Jorgensen to second]; Foli
singled to center [Jorgensen scored, Thornton to second];
Mackanin made an out to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Expos 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell singled to right; Herrmann singled to right
[Cabell to third]; Metzger grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop to first) [Cabell scored, Herrmann out at second];
Niekro was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Expos 1.

EXPOS 2ND: Foote struck out; Frias grounded out (second to
first); Kirby made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Expos 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross singled to center; Andrews grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Gross out at second];
Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos
1.

EXPOS 3RD: Mangual grounded out (pitcher to first); Valentine
grounded out (shortstop to first); Jorgensen singled to right;
Jorgensen stole second; Thornton walked; Foli made an out to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); Cruz grounded
out (first unassisted); Cabell singled to center; Cabell was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Mackanin grounded out (third to first); Foote
homered; Frias grounded out (third to first); Kirby grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Herrmann homered; Metzger struck out; Niekro flied
out to left; Gross grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 2.

EXPOS 5TH: Mangual was called out on strikes; Valentine walked;
Valentine was picked off first but was safe on an error by
Niekro [Valentine to second]; Herrmann allowed a passed ball
[Valentine to third]; Jorgensen reached on a fielder's choice
[Valentine out at home (second to catcher)]; Thornton forced
Jorgensen (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Expos 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Andrews flied out to right; Cedeno made an out to
third; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 2.

EXPOS 6TH: Foli lined to second; Mackanin lined to second; Foote
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz doubled to left; Cabell walked; Kirby threw a
wild pitch [Cruz to third, Cabell to second]; Herrmann singled
[Cruz scored, Cabell scored]; KERRIGAN REPLACED KIRBY
(PITCHING); Metzger grounded out (first unassisted) [Herrmann to
second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Boswell singled [Herrmann
scored]; Gross forced Boswell (first to shortstop); Andrews
singled to center [Gross to second]; Cedeno forced Andrews
(shortstop to second); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Expos 2.

EXPOS 7TH: FORSCH REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Frias flied out
to right; LYTTLE BATTED FOR KERRIGAN; Lyttle singled to left;
Mangual walked [Lyttle to second]; Valentine struck out;
Jorgensen grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 5, Expos 2.

ASTROS 8TH: LYTTLE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); LANG REPLACED
JORGENSEN (PITCHING); Watson singled to right; Cruz was called
out on strikes; Cabell flied out to right; Herrmann singled
[Watson to third]; Lang threw a wild pitch [Watson scored,
Herrmann to second]; Metzger singled [Herrmann to third]; Forsch
flied to right in foul territory; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 8TH: Thornton popped to first; Foli struck out; Mackanin
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Gross singled to left; Andrews flied out to right;
Cedeno flied out to right; Watson flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Expos 2.

EXPOS 9TH: Foote grounded out (third to first); DWYER BATTED FOR
FRIAS; Dwyer grounded out (second to first); Lyttle singled to
center; Mangual walked [Lyttle to second]; Valentine singled to
center [Lyttle scored, Mangual to second]; MORALES BATTED FOR
LANG; Morales homered [Mangual scored, Valentine scored];
Thornton flied out to center; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6,
Expos 6.

ASTROS 10TH: MURRAY REPLACED MORALES (PITCHING); PARRISH
REPLACED DWYER (PLAYING 3B); Cruz singled; Cabell singled to
right [Cruz to third]; Herrmann singled to right [Cruz scored,
Cabell to third, Herrmann out at second (right to first to
shortstop)]; Metzger walked; Forsch grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Metzger out at second]; 1 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 6.

EXPOS 10TH: Foli singled to left; WHITE RAN FOR FOLI; Mackanin
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [White to second];
Foote flied out to left; Parrish struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 7, Expos 6.