Bo McLaughlin gained credit for his first major league save, cutting off a Cubs' rally in the ninth inning, to enable the Astros to emerge with a 4-3 victory. Bob Watson singled and doubled for the Astros, driving in one run and scoring another. Joaquin Andujar, who started for the Astros, allowed only four hits and one run before being removed for a pinch-batter in the eighth inning.

The Cubs mounted a threat in the ninth when Mick Kelleher and Rick Monday singled, knocking out Joe Sambito and bringing in Gene Pentz. Jose Cardenal singled to load the bases and Bill Madlock was hit by a pitch, forcing in Kelleher. McLaughlin then arrived on the scene and retired Pete LaCock on a foul, got Manny Trillo on a grounder as a run scored and struck out Joe Wallis to end the game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Chicago Cubs 3
Game Played on Tuesday, August    24, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  2  0    0  1  0    0  0  1  -   4 10  0
Cubs         0  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  2  -   3  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
DaVanon 2b            5   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Monday cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .268
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   1   .275      Cardenal lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .299
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     1   0   .292      Madlock 3b            3   0   1   1     0   0   .335
Watson 1b             5   1   2   1     0   2   .297      LaCock 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .211
Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     1   0   .317      Trillo 2b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .246
Roberts lf            3   0   1   0     1   0   .302      Wallis rf             3   0   2   0     1   1   .234
Herrmann c            3   0   1   1     1   0   .218      Mitterwald c          3   0   0   0     0   0   .215
Metzger ss            3   0   0   1     1   1   .222      Sperring ss           3   0   0   0     0   2   .325
Andujar p             2   1   1   0     1   1   .159      Renko p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .075
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .259        P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Morales ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .269
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Coleman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Kelleher ph         1   1   1   0     0   0   .227

Totals               35   4  10   3     6   5             Totals               31   3   7   2     1   4

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 10,700
Left on Base: Astros 10, Cubs 3
DP: Astros 3, Cubs 1
Errors: Mitterwald
Doubles: Watson (22)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (21), Cedeno (40), Wallis (3)
GIDP: DaVanon (2), LaCock (5), Mitterwald 2 (7)
Hit by Pitch: Madlock (10,by Pentz)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar W(7-9)          7     4   1   1   0   3   0  23   3.84
Sambito                 1     2   2   2   1   0   0   5   4.38
Pentz                   0     1   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.96
McLaughlin SV(1)        1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.00
Totals                  9     7   3   3   1   4   0  33

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Renko L(5-7)            4.2   6   3   3   3   2   0  22   4.50
P. Reuschel             1.1   1   0   0   2   1   0   6   4.58
Coleman                 3     3   1   0   1   2   0  13   4.61
Totals                  9    10   4   3   6   5   0  41

Hit by Pitch: Pentz (1)

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


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

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

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to right; Cruz singled to center
[Watson to second]; Roberts singled to center [Watson to third,
Cruz to second]; Herrmann walked [Watson scored, Cruz to third,
Roberts to second]; Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Cruz scored, Roberts to third, Herrmann to second]; Andujar
struck out; DaVanon grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: LaCock lined to third; Trillo grounded out (shortstop
to first); Wallis singled to right; Wallis stole second;
Mitterwald grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell flied out to right; On a bunt Cedeno grounded
out (third to first); Watson popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Sperring struck out; Renko was called out on strikes;
Monday popped to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Roberts
walked; Herrmann flied out to center; Metzger grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal popped to shortstop; Madlock singled to
center; LaCock grounded into a double play (first to shortstop
to pitcher) [Madlock out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 5TH: On a bunt Andujar singled to pitcher; DaVanon
singled to shortstop [Andujar to third, DaVanon to second (on
throw to 3b)]; Cabell struck out; Cedeno was walked
intentionally; Watson doubled to left [Andujar scored, DaVanon
out at home (left to shortstop to catcher), Cedeno to third]; P.
REUSCHEL REPLACED RENKO (PITCHING); Cruz was walked
intentionally; Roberts flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 5TH: Trillo singled to right; Wallis singled to right
[Trillo to third]; Mitterwald grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Trillo scored (no RBI), Wallis
out at second]; Sperring was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Herrmann singled to left; Metzger struck out;
Andujar walked [Herrmann to second]; DaVanon grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Andujar out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: MORALES BATTED FOR P. REUSCHEL; Morales grounded out
(shortstop to first); Monday lined to center; Cardenal grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 7TH: COLEMAN REPLACED MORALES (PITCHING); Cabell popped
to pitcher; Cedeno popped to shortstop; Watson was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 7TH: Madlock lined to left; LaCock grounded out (second to
first); Trillo grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz singled to right; Roberts flied out to center;
Cruz stole second; Herrmann grounded out (second to first) [Cruz
to third]; Metzger was walked intentionally; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
ANDUJAR; Boswell flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Wallis walked;
Mitterwald grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Wallis out at second]; Sperring flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 9TH: DaVanon lined to left; Cabell singled to center;
Cedeno singled to right [Cabell to third]; Cedeno stole second
[Cabell scored (error by Mitterwald) (unearned), Cedeno to
third]; Watson struck out; Cruz flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER),
2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 9TH: KELLEHER BATTED FOR COLEMAN; Kelleher singled to
right; Monday singled to center [Kelleher to second]; PENTZ
REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING); Cardenal singled to left [Kelleher
to third, Monday to second]; Madlock was hit by a pitch
[Kelleher scored, Monday to third, Cardenal to second];
MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); LaCock popped to first in
foul territory; Trillo grounded out (third to first) [Monday
scored, Cardenal to third, Madlock to second]; Wallis struck
out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 3.