Completing a sweep of the four-game series, the Padres scored a run on a bases-loaded single by Hector Torres with two out in the ninth inning to defeat the Astros, 4-3. The Padres were held to one hit by J.R. Richard until the eighth when Bob Davis walked, Johnny Grubb singled and Willie McCovey came through with a pinch-homer to tie the score at 3-3.

In the ninth, Tito Fuentes bunted safely and raced around to third on a wild throw by Enos Cabell. Richard, on the mound for the Astros, issued two intentional passes to load the bases and retired the next two batters before Torres pinned him with the defeat. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Sunday, August    8, 1976 (Day game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   3  6  1
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  1  -   4  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              4   1   1   1     0   0   .297      Grubb rf              4   1   2   0     1   1   .288
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .278      Hernandez ss          1   0   0   0     1   0   .253
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .287        McCovey ph          1   1   1   3     0   0   .211
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .300        Torres ss           1   0   1   1     0   0   .221
Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .320      Turner lf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .242
Herrmann c            3   0   0   1     0   0   .213      Winfield cf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .279
Andrews 2b            3   0   0   0     1   0   .269      Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .275
Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     1   1   .223      Fuentes 2b            3   1   1   0     1   1   .283
Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .097      Rader 3b              2   0   0   0     2   1   .254
                                                          Kendall c             3   0   0   0     0   1   .244
                                                            Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            W. Davis ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .271
                                                          Freisleben p          1   0   0   0     1   0   .200
                                                            B. Davis c          0   1   0   0     1   0   .194
                                                            Kubiak ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .272

Totals               32   3   6   2     2   3             Totals               28   4   5   4     9   8

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 11,205
Left on Base: Astros 5, Padres 8
DP: Astros 2, Padres 0
Errors: Cabell, Turner
Doubles: Watson (18)
Triples: Metzger (7)
Home Runs: McCovey (7)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (17), Winfield (20), W. Davis (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Hernandez (9)
Sacrifice Flies: Herrmann (2)
GIDP: Kendall 2 (14)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(13-12)        8.2   5   4   4   9   8   1  38   2.44
Totals                  8.2   5   4   4   9   8   1  38

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Freisleben              7.1   6   3   3   1   2   0  29   3.49
Metzger W(10-0)         1.2   0   0   0   1   1   0   6   1.87
Totals                  9     6   3   3   2   3   0  35

Wild Pitches: Freisleben (5)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gross lined to left; Cabell popped to pitcher;
Cedeno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Grubb singled to pitcher; Hernandez out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted) [Grubb to second]; Turner
struck out; Winfield grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson doubled to left; Freisleben threw a wild
pitch [Watson to third]; Cruz flied out to center; Herrmann hit
a sacrifice fly to right [Watson scored]; Andrews flied out to
left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Ivie flied out to right; Fuentes struck out; Rader
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to center; Richard struck out;
Gross lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Kendall struck out; Freisleben walked; Grubb
grounded out (second to first) [Freisleben to second]; Hernandez
walked; Turner was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Winfield walked; Winfield stole second; Ivie struck
out; Fuentes walked; Rader walked [Winfield to third, Fuentes to
second]; Kendall grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Rader out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz singled to right; Herrmann grounded out (second
to first) [Cruz to second]; Andrews lined to shortstop; Metzger
was walked intentionally; Richard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Freisleben flied out to right; Grubb was called out
on strikes; Hernandez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: On a bunt Gross made an out to first; Cabell
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Turner flied out to center; Winfield made an out to
first; Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz singled
to right; Cruz stole second; Herrmann grounded out (first
unassisted) [Cruz to third]; Andrews flied out to right; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: On a bunt Fuentes made an out to third; Rader
walked; Kendall grounded into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Rader out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger tripled to right; Richard grounded out
(second to first); Gross singled to center [Metzger scored];
Cabell singled to left [Gross scored (error by Turner) (no RBI),
Cabell to second]; METZGER REPLACED KENDALL (PITCHING); B. DAVIS
REPLACED FREISLEBEN (PLAYING C ); Cedeno flied out to right
[Cabell to third]; Watson grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 0.

PADRES 8TH: B. Davis walked; Grubb singled to right [B. Davis to
second]; MCCOVEY BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; McCovey homered [B. Davis
scored, Grubb scored]; Turner struck out; Winfield flied out to
left; Ivie grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Padres 3.

ASTROS 9TH: TORRES REPLACED MCCOVEY (PLAYING SS); Cruz flied out
to left; Herrmann made an out to second; Andrews walked; Metzger
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Padres 3.

PADRES 9TH: On a bunt Fuentes singled to third [Fuentes to third
(error by Cabell)]; Rader struck out; W. DAVIS BATTED FOR
METZGER; W. Davis was walked intentionally; KUBIAK BATTED FOR B.
DAVIS; W. Davis stole second; Kubiak lined to pitcher; Grubb was
walked intentionally; Torres singled to right [Fuentes scored,
W. Davis to third, Grubb to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 3, Padres 4.