Rick Sawyer, who helped himself with a safe bunt when the Padres scored all their runs in the third inning, received credit for a 3-2 victory over the Astros in the 27-year-old righthander's second successful start in one week since coming up from Syracuse (International). Butch Metzger relieved Sawyer in the eighth and gained his 11th save. In the third, Fred Kendall walked ahead of Sawyer's safe bunt. Jerry Turner doubled, driving in Kendall, and Willie Davis singled to score Sawyer and Turner. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Saturday, August    7, 1976 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2 10  0
Padres       0  0  3    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   3  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              5   0   3   0     0   0   .298      Turner lf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .247
  Howard pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .218        Melendez lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .224
Cabell 3b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Hernandez ss          3   0   0   0     1   0   .254
Cedeno cf             5   0   0   0     0   0   .290      W. Davis cf           3   0   1   2     1   0   .271
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   1   .301      Winfield rf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .281
Cruz lf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .317      Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .279
Herrmann c            4   0   3   0     0   0   .216      Fuentes 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .283
  Jutze pr,c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .159      Rader 3b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .256
Andrews 2b            2   0   1   0     1   0   .272      Kendall c             2   1   1   0     1   1   .247
  Boswell ph,2b       0   0   0   1     0   0   .273      Sawyer p              2   1   1   0     0   0   .500
Metzger ss            2   0   0   1     0   0   .222        Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .312
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .158
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .223
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .160
  DaVanon ph,ss       1   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               35   2  10   2     3   2             Totals               27   3   5   3     5   2

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance: 16,403
Left on Base: Astros 11, Padres 6
DP: Astros 0, Padres 0
Errors: Fuentes
Doubles: Turner (8)
Stolen Bases: Howard (5), W. Davis (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Sawyer (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Metzger (2), Boswell (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(6-8)          6     4   3   3   3   1   0  24   3.77
Niekro                  1     1   0   0   1   1   0   5   3.42
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   3.18
Totals                  8     5   3   3   5   2   0  33

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sawyer W(2-0)           7.2   9   2   2   3   1   0  35   1.08
Metzger SV(11)          1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.91
Totals                  9    10   2   2   3   2   0  40

Passed Balls: Jutze (9)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross singled to center; Cabell forced Gross
(shortstop to second) [Cabell to second (error by Fuentes)];
Cedeno lined to left; Watson walked; Cruz forced Watson
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Turner flied out to right; Hernandez walked;
Hernandez was picked off first (pitcher to first); W. Davis
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann singled to center; Andrews grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Herrmann to second]; Metzger grounded out
(second to first) [Herrmann to third]; Andujar struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Winfield grounded out (third to first); Ivie made an
out to first; Fuentes grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross grounded out (second to first); Cabell flied
out to left; Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Rader struck out; Kendall walked; On a bunt Sawyer
singled to first [Kendall to second]; Turner doubled to right
[Kendall scored, Sawyer to third]; Hernandez flied out to left;
W. Davis singled to center [Sawyer scored, Turner scored];
Winfield grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Padres 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled to right; Cruz flied out to left;
Herrmann singled to right [Watson to second]; Andrews walked
[Watson to third, Herrmann to second]; Metzger hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Watson scored]; Andujar flied out to center; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 3.

PADRES 4TH: Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); Fuentes
grounded out (second to first); Rader flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross grounded out (second to first); Cabell
grounded out (third to first); Cedeno made an out to second; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 3.

PADRES 5TH: Kendall singled to left; Sawyer out on a sacrifice
bunt (first unassisted) [Kendall to second]; Turner flied out to
center; Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson made an out to second; Cruz singled to right;
Herrmann grounded out (first unassisted) [Cruz to second];
Andrews singled to shortstop [Cruz to third]; Metzger forced
Andrews (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 3.

PADRES 6TH: W. Davis walked; W. Davis stole second; Winfield
popped to catcher in foul territory; Ivie flied out to center;
Fuentes flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 3.

ASTROS 7TH: JOHNSON BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Johnson popped to
catcher in foul territory; Gross singled to center; Cabell
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Gross to second]; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Padres 3.

PADRES 7TH: NIEKRO REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Rader walked;
Kendall struck out; On a bunt Sawyer popped to catcher in foul
territory; Turner singled to right [Rader to third]; Hernandez
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to center; Cruz singled to left;
Herrmann singled to right [Cruz to third]; JUTZE RAN FOR
HERRMANN; BOSWELL BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Boswell hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Cruz scored]; ROBERTS BATTED FOR METZGER; Roberts
walked [Jutze to second]; DAVANON BATTED FOR NIEKRO; METZGER
REPLACED SAWYER (PITCHING); DaVanon grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 3.

PADRES 8TH: JUTZE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); BOSWELL STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); DAVANON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); SAMBITO
REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); W. Davis flied out to left;
Winfield walked; Jutze allowed a passed ball [Winfield to
second]; Ivie flied out to right [Winfield to third]; Fuentes
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 3.

ASTROS 9TH: MELENDEZ REPLACED TURNER (PLAYING LF); Gross singled
to left; HOWARD RAN FOR GROSS; Howard stole second; Cabell made
an out to second; Cedeno made an out to third; Watson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 3.