Led by Jay Johnstone and Garry Maddox, each with three hits and two runs batted in, the Phillies defeated the Astros, 7-4. Cliff Johnson started the Astros' scoring with a homer in the second inning, but Johnstone knocked in the tying tally with a double in the fourth. The Astros broke ahead again with a three-run outburst in the fifth that included doubles by Jerry DaVanon and Roger Metzger, but their lead was short-lived.

The Phillies erupted for four runs in the home half of the inning after loading the bases with singles by Tommy Hutton, Dave Cash and Larry Bowa. Greg Luzinski walked to force in one run, another scored on an infield out by Johnstone and two followed on a single by Maddox and a wild throw from the outfield by Wilbur Howard. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 7, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Saturday, August    21, 1976 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    0  3  0    0  0  0  -   4  6  2
Phillies     0  0  0    1  4  1    1  0  x  -   7 13  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Cash 2b               5   1   2   1     0   0   .280
Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     0   0   .276      Bowa ss               5   1   1   0     0   0   .256
  Andrews 2b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .262      Schmidt 3b            4   2   1   0     1   1   .275
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .295      Luzinski lf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .308
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .298        Martin lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .284
Roberts lf            3   1   0   0     1   1   .297      Johnstone rf          4   1   3   2     0   0   .348
Johnson c             4   1   1   1     0   1   .220      Maddox cf             4   0   3   2     0   0   .325
DaVanon 2b,3b         3   1   2   1     0   0   .338      Boone c               3   0   0   0     1   2   .300
Metzger ss            3   1   1   1     0   0   .225      Tolan 1b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .235
Richard p             2   0   1   1     0   1   .115      Kaat p                1   0   0   0     0   1   .169
  Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .315        Hutton ph           1   1   1   0     0   0   .219
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Christenson p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .158
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Taylor ph           0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
                                                            Reed p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               32   4   6   4     1   5             Totals               36   7  13   6     3   4

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 37,756
Left on Base: Astros 2, Phillies 9
DP: Astros 0, Phillies 1
Errors: Howard, DaVanon
Doubles: DaVanon (3), Metzger (11), Johnstone (31), Schmidt (24)
Home Runs: Johnson (7)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (25), Maddox (19), Tolan (6)
Caught Stealing: Cash (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Taylor (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(14-13)        6     9   6   5   2   4   0  29   2.58
Pentz                   0.1   2   1   0   1   0   0   5   2.96
Sambito                 1.2   2   0   0   0   0   0   6   3.80
Totals                  8    13   7   5   3   4   0  40

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat W(11-8)            5     4   4   4   1   2   1  19   3.28
Christenson             1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.10
Reed SV(12)             3     1   0   0   0   2   0  10   2.55
Totals                  9     6   4   4   1   5   1  33

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


ASTROS 1ST: Howard grounded out (second to first); Cabell flied
out to right; Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: Cash flied out to right; Bowa flied out to center;
Schmidt flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Phillies 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson lined to center; Roberts made an out to
shortstop; Johnson homered; DaVanon grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Luzinski flied out to center; Johnstone singled to
center; Maddox singled to left [Johnstone to third]; Maddox
stole second; Boone grounded out (third to first); Tolan
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
1, Phillies 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (third to first); Richard
struck out; Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Kaat struck out; Cash flied out to center; Bowa
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

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

PHILLIES 4TH: Schmidt walked; Luzinski singled to left [Schmidt
to second]; Johnstone doubled to right [Schmidt scored, Luzinski
to third]; Maddox popped to second; Boone struck out; Tolan
popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts walked; Johnson struck out; DaVanon doubled
[Roberts scored]; Metzger doubled [DaVanon scored]; Richard
singled to center [Metzger scored]; Howard lined into a double
play (second unassisted) [Richard out at second]; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: HUTTON BATTED FOR KAAT; Hutton singled to right;
Cash singled to center [Hutton to second]; Bowa singled to
shortstop [Hutton to third, Cash to second]; Schmidt struck out;
Luzinski walked [Hutton scored, Cash to third, Bowa to second];
Johnstone forced Luzinski (first to shortstop) [Cash scored,
Bowa to third]; Maddox singled to right [Bowa scored, Johnstone
scored (error by Howard) (unearned) (no RBI), Maddox to second];
Boone struck out; 4 R (3 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Phillies 5.

ASTROS 6TH: CHRISTENSON REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Cabell
singled to right; Cabell stole second; Cedeno grounded out
(second to first) [Cabell to third]; Watson reached on a
fielder's choice [Cabell out at home (third to catcher)];
Roberts struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 5.

PHILLIES 6TH: ANDREWS REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 2B); DAVANON
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Tolan singled to first; TAYLOR
BATTED FOR CHRISTENSON; Tolan stole second; Taylor out on a
sacrifice bunt (second to first) [Tolan to third]; Cash grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Tolan scored]; Bowa grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 6.

ASTROS 7TH: REED REPLACED TAYLOR (PITCHING); Johnson flied out
to center; DaVanon singled to center; Metzger flied out to left;
CRUZ BATTED FOR RICHARD; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 6.

PHILLIES 7TH: PENTZ REPLACED CRUZ (PITCHING); Schmidt reached on
an error by DaVanon [Schmidt to first]; Luzinski lined to third;
Johnstone singled to shortstop [Schmidt to second]; Maddox
singled to right [Schmidt scored (unearned), Johnstone to
second]; Boone walked [Johnstone to third, Maddox to second];
SAMBITO REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); Tolan forced Johnstone (third
to catcher) [Maddox to third, Boone to second]; Reed popped to
second; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 7.

ASTROS 8TH: MARTIN REPLACED LUZINSKI (PLAYING LF); Howard
grounded out (third to first); Andrews struck out; Cedeno struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 7.

PHILLIES 8TH: Cash singled to left; Cash was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Bowa flied out to right; Schmidt
doubled to right; Martin grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson flied out to right; Roberts flied out to
left; Johnson flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Phillies 7.