Led by Bob Watson and Ken Boswell, who batted in two runs apiece, the Astros defeated the Cardinals, 8-1. Larry Dierker, who hurled the route for the Astros, beat the Cards for the third time this season. Watson knocked in his runs with singles in the first and third innings. Boswell picked up his two RBIs with a double in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Wednesday, August    11, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       1  0  3    0  0  0    4  0  0  -   8 14  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gross rf              3   3   1   0     2   0   .300      Mumphrey cf           5   0   1   0     0   2   .254
Howard 2b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .213      Templeton ss          4   0   0   0     0   1   .154
  Cabell 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Brock lf              4   1   2   0     0   0   .282
Cedeno cf             3   2   1   1     2   0   .295      Simmons c             4   0   2   0     0   0   .276
Watson 1b             5   1   3   2     0   0   .301      Hernandez 1b          3   0   1   0     1   1   .254
Cruz lf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .320      Ferguson rf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .232
Boswell 3b            4   1   1   2     0   0   .257      Kessinger 2b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .244
  Andrews 2b          1   0   1   0     0   0   .272      Cruz 3b               4   0   0   0     0   2   .206
Herrmann c            5   0   2   1     0   1   .222      Denny p               1   0   1   0     0   0   .205
Metzger ss            4   0   2   0     0   0   .224        Crawford ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .324
Dierker p             4   0   0   0     0   2   .094        Curtis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .207
                                                            Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Harris ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .230
                                                            Wallace p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .265

Totals               38   8  14   8     4   4             Totals               35   1   9   1     2   6

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 12,695
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cardinals 9
DP: Astros 1, Cardinals 2
Errors: Kessinger
Doubles: Herrmann (6), Boswell (6), Ferguson (14), Harris (11)
Triples: Howard (2)
Caught Stealing: Metzger (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (2)
GIDP: Boswell (5), Watson (12), Ferguson (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(12-10)        9     9   1   1   2   6   0  37   3.69
Totals                  9     9   1   1   2   6   0  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny L(6-6)            5     7   4   3   1   1   0  22   3.10
Curtis                  1.1   3   3   3   2   2   0   9   4.50
Hrabosky                0.2   2   1   1   0   0   0   4   2.78
Wallace                 2     2   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.33
Totals                  9    14   8   7   4   4   0  43

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


ASTROS 1ST: Gross reached on an error by Kessinger; Howard
grounded out (second to first) [Gross to second]; Cedeno flied
out to left; Watson singled to center [Gross scored (unearned)];
Cruz flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey struck out; Templeton flied out to
center; Brock grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Boswell flied out to left; Herrmann doubled to left;
Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Dierker grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (first unassisted);
Hernandez singled to center; Ferguson flied out to right;
Kessinger flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gross singled to right; Howard tripled to right
[Gross scored]; Cedeno singled to pitcher [Howard scored];
Watson singled to right [Cedeno to third]; Cruz hit a sacrifice
fly to right [Cedeno scored]; Boswell grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Watson out at second]; 3 R,
4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Cruz flied out to center; Denny singled to third;
Mumphrey singled to center [Denny to second]; Templeton flied
out to center; Brock popped to shortstop in foul territory; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann grounded out (second to first); Metzger
singled to center; On a bunt Dierker struck out; Metzger was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons singled to right; Hernandez popped to
second; Ferguson flied out to left; Kessinger grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Gross walked; Howard grounded out (third to first)
[Gross to second]; Cedeno popped to third in foul territory;
Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Cruz struck out; CRAWFORD BATTED FOR DENNY;
Crawford popped to shortstop; Mumphrey flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 6TH: CURTIS REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Cruz singled to
first; Boswell forced Cruz (pitcher to shortstop); Herrmann
struck out; Metzger singled to center [Boswell to second];
Dierker grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Templeton was called out on strikes; Brock
singled to left; Simmons singled to right [Brock to third];
Hernandez struck out; Ferguson doubled to right [Brock scored,
Simmons to third]; Kessinger grounded out (first unassisted); 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Gross walked; Howard struck out; Cedeno walked
[Gross to second]; Watson singled to center [Gross scored,
Cedeno to second]; HRABOSKY REPLACED CURTIS (PITCHING); Cruz
flied out to center; Boswell doubled to right [Cedeno scored,
Watson scored, Boswell to third (on throw to home)]; Herrmann
singled to right [Boswell scored]; Metzger flied out to center;
4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 7TH: CABELL REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING 3B); ANDREWS
REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING 2B); Cruz struck out; HARRIS BATTED
FOR HRABOSKY; Harris doubled to left; Mumphrey struck out;
Templeton grounded out (pitcher to second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 8TH: WALLACE REPLACED HARRIS (PITCHING); Dierker struck
out; Gross flied out to left; Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock singled to center; Simmons flied out to
right; Hernandez walked [Brock to second]; Ferguson grounded
into a double play (third to first) [Brock out at third]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno walked; Watson grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Cedeno out at second]; Cruz
singled to left; Andrews singled to left [Cruz to second];
Herrmann flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 9TH: Kessinger walked; Cruz flied out to center;
FAIRLY BATTED FOR WALLACE; Fairly flied out to center; Mumphrey
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 1.