Taking advantage of an error by Rob Andrews, the Pirates scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning to overtake the Astros, 5-4. John Candelaria, who had pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers in his last previous start, held the Astros scoreless until the sixth inning when Bob Watson accounted for all their runs with a grand-slam homer.

The Pirates went into the ninth trailing, 4-3. With one out, Andrews let a sharply-hit grounder by Dave Parker get through his legs. Richie Hebner followed with a double to tie the score. After Ed Kirkpatrick grounded out, the Astros passed Rennie Stennett intentionally to get at Mario Mendoza, who upset the move with a double to send Hebner home with the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Saturday, August    14, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome
Pirates      1  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  2  -   5 13  2
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  4    0  0  0  -   4  5  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            1   1   0   0     3   0   .251      Gross rf              3   1   1   0     2   0   .302
  Sanguillen ph,c     1   0   0   0     0   0   .289      Cabell 3b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .274
Moreno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .417      Cedeno cf             3   1   1   0     1   0   .295
Zisk lf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .290      Watson 1b             4   1   2   4     0   0   .300
Parker rf             4   1   0   1     0   1   .291      Roberts lf            2   0   0   0     1   1   .306
Hebner 3b             5   2   2   1     0   0   .232        Howard lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .212
Kirkpatrick 1b        5   0   2   0     0   0   .240      Johnson c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .218
Stennett 2b           3   1   3   1     2   0   .274      Andrews 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .268
Dyer c                3   0   1   0     1   0   .245      Metzger ss            2   1   1   0     1   0   .224
  Mendoza pr,ss       1   0   1   1     0   0   .203        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .262
Candelaria p          3   0   1   1     0   0   .182      Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .150
  Moose p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Robertson ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .215        Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .322
  Demery pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .059
  Giusti p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5  13   5     7   1             Totals               32   4   5   4     5   4

Time of Game: 2:56   Attendance:  9,721
Left on Base: Pirates 13, Astros 7
DP: Pirates 0, Astros 2
Errors: Parker, Stennett, Andrews
Doubles: Zisk (28), Kirkpatrick (6), Hebner (16), Mendoza (3)
Home Runs: Watson (14)
Stolen Bases: Taveras (38)
Caught Stealing: Stennett (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Andujar (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Parker (3)
GIDP: Candelaria (2), Zisk (16)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Candelaria              5.2   3   4   4   3   3   1  23   3.17
Moose                   1.1   1   0   0   1   0   0   7   2.58
Giusti W(3-3)           2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   4.46
Totals                  9     5   4   4   5   4   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 7    10   3   3   4   1   0  33   3.78
Pentz L(3-3)            2     3   2   0   3   0   0  12   3.10
Totals                  9    13   5   3   7   1   0  45

Umpires: HP - Nick Colosi, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Paul Runge


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras walked; Taveras stole second; Moreno made
an out to first; Zisk singled to left [Taveras to third]; Parker
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Taveras scored]; Hebner popped to
catcher; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell flied
out to right; Cedeno singled to right; Watson flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Kirkpatrick flied out to right; Stennett singled to
third; Dyer grounded out (third to first) [Stennett to second];
Candelaria singled to center [Stennett scored]; Taveras grounded
out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Roberts was called out on strikes; Johnson grounded
out (third to first); Andrews was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Moreno made an out to first; Zisk doubled to left;
Parker was called out on strikes; Hebner flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Andujar
was called out on strikes; Gross grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Kirkpatrick grounded out (second to first);
Stennett singled to center; Dyer singled to left [Stennett to
second]; Candelaria grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Dyer out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to left; Cedeno flied out to left;
Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Taveras walked; Moreno singled to center [Taveras
to second]; Zisk grounded into a double play (shortstop to
first) [Taveras to third, Moreno out at second]; Parker grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros
0.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts flied out to center; Johnson flied out to
center; Andrews flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 2, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Hebner made an out to second; Kirkpatrick doubled
to left; Stennett walked; Dyer grounded out (first unassisted)
[Kirkpatrick to third, Stennett to second]; Candelaria flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger walked; Andujar out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Gross singled to left
[Metzger to third]; Cabell flied out to right [Gross to second
(error by Parker)]; Cedeno walked; Watson homered [Metzger
scored, Gross scored, Cedeno scored]; Roberts walked; MOOSE
REPLACED CANDELARIA (PITCHING); Johnson flied out to right; 4 R,
2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 4.

PIRATES 7TH: HOWARD REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING LF); Taveras
walked; Moreno forced Taveras (third to second); Zisk flied out
to left; Parker grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Andrews grounded out (second to first); Metzger
singled to left; Andujar forced Metzger (pitcher to shortstop);
Gross walked [Andujar to second]; Cabell reached on an error by
Stennett [Andujar to third, Gross to second, Cabell to first];
Cedeno made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 2,
Astros 4.

PIRATES 8TH: Hebner singled to right; Kirkpatrick singled to
center [Hebner to second]; PENTZ REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING);
Stennett singled to center [Hebner scored, Kirkpatrick to
third]; Stennett was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Dyer walked; MENDOZA RAN FOR DYER; ROBERTSON BATTED
FOR MOOSE; Robertson walked [Mendoza to second]; SANGUILLEN
BATTED FOR TAVERAS; DEMERY RAN FOR ROBERTSON; Sanguillen made an
out to shortstop; Moreno forced Demery (shortstop unassisted); 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: SANGUILLEN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); MENDOZA
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); GIUSTI REPLACED DEMERY (PITCHING);
Watson singled to right; Howard made an out to catcher; Johnson
struck out; Andrews flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 4.

PIRATES 9TH: Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker
reached on an error by Andrews [Parker to first]; Hebner doubled
to left [Parker scored (unearned)]; Kirkpatrick grounded out
(first unassisted) [Hebner to third]; Stennett was walked
intentionally; Mendoza doubled to left [Hebner scored
(unearned), Stennett to third]; Giusti grounded out (second to
first); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER; Boswell flied out to
center; CRUZ BATTED FOR PENTZ; Cruz grounded out (second to
first); Gross walked; Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 4.