Doc Medich gained his first victory since June 16 and Jerry Reuss followed with a shutout as the Pirates defeated the Astros in a doubleheader, 8-6 and 3-0. In the opener, the Pirates erupted for four runs in the ninth inning to take an 8-2 lead and seemingly had an easy victory in hand, but the Astros rallied for four runs in their half of the ninth, chasing Medich, before Kent Tekulve put out the fire.

In the nightcap, the Pirates scored all their runs in the first inning on five singles off Joe Sambito, who was the loser in his first major league start for the Astros. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 8, Houston Astros 6 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, August    15, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome
Pirates      1  0  0    0  2  0    1  0  4  -   8 13  2
Astros       0  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  4  -   6 13  2


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   1   1   0     1   0   .250      Gross rf              4   0   2   0     1   1   .304
Moreno cf             4   1   2   1     1   0   .438      Cabell 3b             5   2   1   1     0   0   .273
Zisk lf               4   1   0   0     1   0   .287      Cedeno cf             4   1   2   0     1   1   .297
  Robinson lf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .314      Watson 1b             4   1   2   3     1   0   .302
Parker rf             4   0   2   1     1   1   .294      Cruz lf               5   0   1   1     0   0   .320
Hebner 3b             4   1   0   0     1   0   .228      Andrews 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .271
Kirkpatrick 1b        5   1   2   2     0   1   .248        Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .305
Stennett 2b           5   1   2   1     0   0   .276      Jutze c               3   0   0   0     0   2   .154
Dyer c                5   1   3   0     0   1   .261        Johnson ph,c        2   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Medich p              5   1   1   1     0   1   .093      Metzger ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .225
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Larson p              2   0   1   1     0   0   .188
                                                            McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Boswell ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .269

Totals               41   8  13   6     5   4             Totals               39   6  13   6     3   4

Time of Game: 2:38
Left on Base: Pirates 11, Astros 10
DP: Pirates 0, Astros 1
Errors: Taveras, Parker, Watson, Metzger
Doubles: Kirkpatrick (7), Boswell (8), Cruz (17)
Triples: Watson (3)
Stolen Bases: Moreno 2 (3), Taveras (39), Gross (1), Cabell (24)
Sacrifice Hits: Larson (2)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich W(6-11)          8.1  12   6   4   3   4   0  40   3.87
Tekulve SV(3)           0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.72
Totals                  9    13   6   4   3   4   0  43

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson L(2-4)           8.2  12   8   6   5   4   0  44   2.78
McLaughlin              0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   3.54
Totals                  9    13   8   6   5   4   0  46

Passed Balls: Jutze (10)

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


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied out to left; Moreno walked; Moreno
stole second; Zisk grounded out (first unassisted) [Moreno to
third]; Parker singled to left [Moreno scored]; Hebner grounded
out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros
0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Gross stole second; Cabell grounded
out (pitcher to first) [Gross to third]; Cedeno was called out
on strikes; Watson walked; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Kirkpatrick lined to first; Stennett grounded out
(shortstop to first); Dyer struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Andrews singled to left; Jutze flied out to right;
Metzger singled to left [Andrews to second]; Larson out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Andrews to third, Metzger to
second]; Gross was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Medich flied out to right; Taveras grounded out
(second to first); Moreno singled to left; Moreno stole second;
Zisk grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell reached on an error by Taveras [Cabell to
first]; Cabell stole second; Cedeno walked; Watson singled to
left [Cabell scored (unearned), Cedeno to second]; Cruz flied
out to left; Andrews singled to center [Cedeno out at home
(center to catcher), Watson to second]; Jutze was called out on
strikes; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Parker struck out; Hebner made an out to first;
Kirkpatrick was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger reached on an error by Parker [Metzger to
third]; Larson singled to right [Metzger scored (unearned)];
Gross singled to third [Larson to second]; Cabell flied out to
right; Cedeno flied out to right; Watson flied out to right; 1 R
(0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Dyer
singled to left; Medich reached on a fielder's choice [Dyer to
second (error by Metzger)]; Taveras singled to left [Dyer to
third, Medich to second]; Moreno reached on an error by Watson
[Dyer scored (unearned) (no RBI), Medich scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Taveras to third, Moreno to second]; Zisk grounded out
(pitcher to first); Parker was walked intentionally; Hebner
flied out to center; 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 2 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Andrews
grounded out (second to first); Jutze struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Kirkpatrick singled to center; Stennett lined into
a double play (second to first) [Kirkpatrick out at first]; Dyer
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Larson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Medich was called out on strikes; Taveras walked;
Taveras stole second; Jutze allowed a passed ball [Taveras to
third]; Moreno singled to right [Taveras scored]; Zisk flied out
to center; Parker singled to right [Moreno to third]; Hebner
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell singled to left; Cedeno singled to right
[Cabell out at third (right to third), Cedeno to second (on
throw to 3b)]; Watson made an out to first; Cruz grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Kirkpatrick made an out to first; Stennett singled
to left; Dyer singled to left [Stennett to second]; On a bunt
Medich forced Stennett (pitcher to shortstop) [Dyer to second];
Taveras forced Medich (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Andrews flied out to center; JOHNSON BATTED FOR
JUTZE; Johnson flied out to right; Metzger flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 2.

PIRATES 9TH: JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Moreno flied
out to left; Zisk walked; Parker grounded out (second to first)
[Zisk to second]; Hebner walked; Kirkpatrick doubled [Zisk
scored, Hebner scored]; Stennett singled to right [Kirkpatrick
scored]; Dyer singled to center [Stennett to second]; MCLAUGHLIN
REPLACED LARSON (PITCHING); Medich singled to center [Stennett
scored, Dyer to second]; Taveras flied out to right; 4 R, 4 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 8, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: ROBINSON REPLACED ZISK (PLAYING LF); BOSWELL BATTED
FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Boswell doubled to left; Gross singled to second
[Boswell to third]; Cabell forced Gross (pitcher to shortstop)
[Boswell scored]; Cedeno singled to left [Cabell to second];
Watson tripled to right [Cabell scored, Cedeno scored]; TEKULVE
REPLACED MEDICH (PITCHING); Cruz doubled to center [Watson
scored]; ROBERTS BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Roberts lined to third;
Johnson grounded out (pitcher to first); 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 8, Astros 6.