The Astros scored in the 13th inning on a sacrifice fly by Bob Watson and won the first game of a twi-night doubleheader, 5-4, but then they collected only three hits off John D'Acquisto and Mike Caldwell in the second game and lost to the Giants, 4-0.

The Astros had to come from behind twice in the opener, first overcoming a 3-0 deficit. The Giants broke a tie in the 10th with a pinch-homer by Gary Thomasson, but the Astros pulled even again in their half on singles by Enos Cabell and Leon Roberts around a sacrifice. In the 13th, Greg Gross doubled, Rob Andrews singled and, after an intentional pass to Cesar Cedeno, Watson hit his game-winning fly. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, July      24, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    1  0  2    0  0  0    1  0  0    0  -   4 12  3
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  1  0    1  0  0    1  -   5 11  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Herndon cf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .294      Gross rf              6   2   3   0     1   1   .296
  Thomasson ph,cf     2   1   2   1     0   0   .233      Andrews 2b            7   0   2   1     0   0   .276
Perez ss,2b           5   0   1   0     0   0   .273      Cedeno cf             5   0   2   0     2   1   .299
Matthews lf           6   0   1   0     0   0   .272      Watson 1b             3   0   0   2     2   1   .283
Murcer rf             4   2   1   0     2   2   .250      Cruz lf               1   0   0   0     2   0   .302
Reitz 3b              6   0   1   0     0   0   .279        Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .226
Evans 1b              5   1   1   1     1   0   .210        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Miller 2b             3   0   1   2     0   0   .286        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .268
  Speier ss           1   0   0   0     2   0   .218        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
Hill c                4   0   1   0     0   1   .189        Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .212
  Barr pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .128        Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Moffitt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Cabell 3b             6   1   1   0     0   0   .297
  Caldwell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Herrmann c            3   1   1   1     0   0   .213
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Jutze pr,c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .165
  Adams ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Metzger ss            5   0   0   0     1   0   .234
  Montefusco pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Cosgrove p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .087
  Heaverlo p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .333        Roberts ph,lf       4   1   2   1     0   1   .318
Dressler p            3   0   1   0     0   0   .174
  Lavelle p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Arnold ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .229
  Sadek c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .265
  Rader ph,c          2   0   0   0     0   0   .241

Totals               48   4  12   4     5   3             Totals               44   5  11   5     8   5

Time of Game: 3:32
Left on Base: Giants 11, Astros 16
DP: Giants 2, Astros 1
Errors: Murcer, Evans, Miller
Doubles: Evans (6), Miller (1), Roberts (8), Gross (7)
Home Runs: Thomasson (3), Herrmann (3)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (32)
Sacrifice Hits: Perez (9), Cosgrove (5), Herrmann (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson 2 (6)
GIDP: Rader (10), Andrews (10), Roberts (2)
Hit by Pitch: Herrmann 2 (2,by Dressler,by Heaverlo)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dressler                6.1   4   2   1   5   0   0  30   4.37
Lavelle                 1.2   1   1   1   0   2   1   6   2.63
Moffitt                 1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   3.10
Caldwell                0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.46
Williams                0.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.76
Heaverlo L(3-2)         2.1   2   1   1   2   2   0  11   4.37
Totals                 12.1  11   5   4   8   5   1  58

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Cosgrove                7     7   3   3   2   2   0  29   5.04
Sambito                 2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   3.68
Forsch                  2     2   1   1   1   0   1   9   2.33
Pentz W(3-1)            2     2   0   0   2   0   0   9   3.35
Totals                 13    12   4   4   5   3   1  54

Hit by Pitch: Dressler (1), Heaverlo (2)

Umpires: HP - Dutch Rennert, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Andy Olsen, 3B - Satch Davidson


GIANTS 1ST: Herndon grounded out (second to first); Perez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Matthews grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Andrews grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Gross out at second]; Cedeno
singled to left; Cedeno stole second; Watson walked; Cruz walked
[Cedeno to third, Watson to second]; Cabell grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Murcer struck out; Reitz grounded out (shortstop to
first); Evans doubled to right; Miller made an out to second; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann was hit by a pitch; Metzger forced Herrmann
(second to shortstop); Cosgrove out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [Metzger to second]; Gross grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Hill grounded out (third to first); Dressler singled
to center; On a bunt Herndon singled to second [Dressler out at
third (second to third)]; Perez singled to left [Herndon to
second]; Matthews flied out to center; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Andrews singled to center; Cedeno grounded out
(second to first) [Andrews to second]; Watson grounded out
(third to first); Cruz walked; Cabell forced Andrews (third
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Murcer singled to center; Reitz singled to right
[Murcer to third]; Evans grounded out (second to first) [Murcer
scored, Reitz to second]; Miller made an out to second; Hill
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann flied out to left; Metzger grounded out
(first unassisted); Cosgrove reached on an error by Evans
[Cosgrove to first]; Gross flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Dressler made an out to shortstop; Herndon grounded
out (second to first); Perez grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Andrews grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); Watson flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 6TH: Matthews flied out to center; Murcer walked; Reitz
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Murcer to second]; Evans
walked; Miller doubled to right [Murcer scored, Evans scored];
Hill struck out; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cabell grounded
out (pitcher to first); Herrmann grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 0.

GIANTS 7TH: Dressler popped to first; Herndon popped to first in
foul territory; Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (third to first); ROBERTS
BATTED FOR COSGROVE; Roberts doubled to left; Gross singled to
left [Roberts to third]; Andrews reached on a fielder's choice
[Roberts scored, Gross to second (error by Miller)]; Cedeno
walked [Gross to third, Andrews to second]; LAVELLE REPLACED
DRESSLER (PITCHING); Watson hit a sacrifice fly to right [Gross
scored (unearned), Andrews to third]; JOHNSON BATTED FOR CRUZ;
Johnson struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 3,
Astros 2.

GIANTS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); ROBERTS STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Matthews grounded out (third to first);
Murcer struck out; Reitz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: SPEIER REPLACED MILLER (PLAYING SS); PEREZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Cabell grounded out (shortstop to
first); Herrmann homered; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to
first); Roberts struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 3,
Astros 3.

GIANTS 9TH: Evans flied out to left; Speier grounded out
(shortstop to first); Hill singled to right; BARR RAN FOR HILL;
ARNOLD BATTED FOR LAVELLE; Arnold flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: MOFFITT REPLACED BARR (PITCHING); SADEK REPLACED
ARNOLD (PLAYING C ); Gross struck out; Andrews grounded out
(second to first); Cedeno singled to right [Cedeno to second
(error by Murcer)]; Watson was walked intentionally; BOSWELL
BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Boswell made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Giants 3, Astros 3.

GIANTS 10TH: FORSCH REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); THOMASSON
BATTED FOR HERNDON; Thomasson homered; Perez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Matthews singled to right; Murcer flied
out to center; Reitz grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 10TH: THOMASSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Cabell
singled; CALDWELL REPLACED MOFFITT (PITCHING); Herrmann out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Cabell to second]; Metzger
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Cabell to third]; WILLIAMS
REPLACED CALDWELL (PITCHING); Roberts singled to right [Cabell
scored]; Gross singled to center [Roberts to third]; Andrews
popped to first; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 4.

GIANTS 11TH: Evans flied out to right; Speier walked; ADAMS
BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Adams forced Speier (shortstop to second);
MONTEFUSCO RAN FOR ADAMS; RADER BATTED FOR SADEK; Rader flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 11TH: HEAVERLO REPLACED MONTEFUSCO (PITCHING); RADER
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Cedeno was called out on strikes;
Watson struck out; HOWARD BATTED FOR FORSCH; Howard grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 4.

GIANTS 12TH: PENTZ REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Thomasson singled
to left; Perez out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Thomasson to second]; Matthews flied out to right; Murcer was
walked intentionally; Reitz forced Murcer (second to shortstop);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 12TH: Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Herrmann
was hit by a pitch; JUTZE RAN FOR HERRMANN; Metzger walked
[Jutze to second]; Roberts grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 4, Astros 4.

GIANTS 13TH: JUTZE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Evans grounded
out (second to first); Speier walked; On a bunt Heaverlo singled
[Speier to second]; Rader grounded into a double play (pitcher
to shortstop to first) [Heaverlo out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 4.

ASTROS 13TH: Gross doubled; Andrews singled [Gross to third];
Cedeno was walked intentionally [Andrews to second]; Watson hit
a sacrifice fly to left [Gross scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Giants 4, Astros 5.