Rob Sperring singled with the bases full in the ninth inning, scoring two runs and enabling the Cubs to down the Astros, 5-3. Singles by Pete LaCock and Manny Trillo, a throwing error by Rob Andrews and intentional walk to Steve Swisher made a loser of Larry Dierker, who allowed one hit in the first five innings. Andrews' miscue came after Dierker apparently had picked LaCock off second base. Andrews' throw to third struck the runner in the back. [The Sporting News]
Chicago Cubs 5, Houston Astros 3

Game Played on Monday, August 16, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome

Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  1    2  0  2  -   5  9  1
Astros       0  0  0    1  2  0    0  0  0  -   3 12  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Monday cf             3   0   0   1     0   2   .268      Andrews 2b            4   1   1   0     0   1   .268
Cardenal lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .304        Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .303
Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .337      Cabell 3b             5   0   2   0     0   1   .276
LaCock 1b             4   2   1   0     0   0   .222      Cedeno cf             5   1   2   1     0   0   .296
Wallis rf             3   1   0   0     1   0   .229      Watson 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .301
Trillo 2b             4   1   2   1     0   2   .246      Cruz rf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .321
Swisher c             3   1   2   1     1   1   .243      Roberts lf            4   0   1   1     0   3   .302
Kelleher ss           2   0   1   0     0   0   .231      Johnson c             3   0   2   0     1   1   .220
  Summers ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .223
  Sperring ss         1   0   1   2     0   0   .348      Dierker p             3   0   1   0     0   1   .107
R. Reuschel p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .228        McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .220        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .264
  Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               32   5   9   5     2   6             Totals               38   3  12   2     1   8

Time of Game: 2:30   Attendance:  7,371
Left on Base: Cubs 4, Astros 9
DP: Cubs 0, Astros 1
Errors: Swisher, Andrews
Doubles: Cedeno (21), Watson (19), Johnson (16)
Triples: Johnson (2)
Stolen Bases: Cruz 2 (20), Cedeno (38)
Caught Stealing: Cardenal (12), Cedeno (10)
Sacrifice Hits: R. Reuschel (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Monday (2)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel             7    10   3   3   1   6   0  31   3.59
Sutter W(3-3)           2     2   0   0   0   2   0   8   2.17
Totals                  9    12   3   3   1   8   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker L(12-11)        8.2   9   5   3   2   5   0  35   3.66
McLaughlin              0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.16
Totals                  9     9   5   3   2   6   0  36

Passed Balls: Johnson (11)
Wild Pitches: R. Reuschel (5)

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


CUBS 1ST: Monday flied out to right; Cardenal grounded out
(second to first); Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Andrews grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 2ND: LaCock grounded out (first to pitcher); Wallis lined
to shortstop; Trillo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to shortstop; Cruz forced Watson
(second to shortstop); Cruz stole second; Roberts was called out
on strikes; Johnson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 0.

CUBS 3RD: Swisher struck out; Kelleher lined to center; R.
Reuschel grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger lined to center; Dierker singled to
shortstop; Andrews flied out to right; Cabell singled to left
[Dierker to second]; Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 4TH: Monday struck out; Cardenal singled to center;
Cardenal was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Madlock popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros
0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled to left; Cruz stole second; Roberts singled to center
[Cruz scored]; R. Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Roberts to
second]; Johnson walked; Metzger forced Johnson (pitcher to
shortstop) [Roberts to third]; Dierker flied out to center; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 5TH: LaCock lined to right; Wallis popped to shortstop in
foul territory; Trillo struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Andrews singled to third; Cabell struck out; Cedeno
doubled to left [Andrews scored]; Cedeno stole third [Cedeno
scored (error by Swisher)]; Watson doubled to center; Cruz
reached on a fielder's choice [Watson out at third (pitcher
unassisted), Cruz to second]; Roberts was called out on strikes;
2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 3.

CUBS 6TH: Swisher singled to right; Kelleher singled to right
[Swisher to second]; R. Reuschel out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Swisher to third, Kelleher to second];
Monday sacrifice flied into a double play (center to first to
third) [Swisher scored, Kelleher out at third]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson doubled to left; Metzger grounded out (first
unassisted) [Johnson to third]; Dierker struck out; Andrews
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 3.

CUBS 7TH: Cardenal lined to right; Madlock singled to second;
LaCock forced Madlock (second to shortstop); Wallis walked
[LaCock to second]; Johnson allowed a passed ball [LaCock to
third]; Trillo singled to left [LaCock scored, Wallis to
second]; Swisher singled to center [Wallis scored, Trillo to
second]; SUMMERS BATTED FOR KELLEHER; Summers grounded out
(shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: SPERRING REPLACED SUMMERS (PLAYING SS); Cabell
popped to shortstop; On a bunt Cedeno singled to pitcher; Cedeno
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Watson lined to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 3.

CUBS 8TH: BIITTNER BATTED FOR R. REUSCHEL; Biittner grounded out
(second to first); Monday struck out; Cardenal grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: SUTTER REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Cruz popped to
second; Roberts struck out; Johnson tripled to center; Metzger
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 3, Astros 3.

CUBS 9TH: Madlock lined to center; LaCock singled to center;
Wallis flied out to center; Trillo singled to right [LaCock to
second]; LaCock was picked off second but was safe on an error
by Andrews; assist by Dierker [LaCock to third]; Swisher walked
[Trillo to second]; Sperring singled to left [LaCock scored
(unearned), Trillo scored (unearned), Swisher to third, Sperring
to second (on throw)]; MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED DIERKER (PITCHING);
Sutter struck out; 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros
3.

ASTROS 9TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Boswell popped to
second; GROSS BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Gross grounded out (first
unassisted); Cabell singled to center; Cedeno forced Cabell
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 5, Astros 3.
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