Bo McLaughlin, who failed to last two innings in an earlier encounter with the Cardinals, gained revenge with a five-hit performance and pitched the Astros to a 2-1 victory. The Astros counted their pair in the fourth inning. Jose Cruz and Cesar Cedeno singled and after the pair executed a double steal, Bob Watson drove them home with a double. The Cards' tally came in the sixth on singles by Garry Templeton and Lou Brock around a passed ball. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Friday, August    27, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  5  0
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  5  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mumphrey cf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .265      Gross rf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .300
Templeton ss          4   1   1   0     0   1   .270      Cabell 3b             3   1   2   0     1   0   .275
Brock lf              4   0   2   1     0   1   .296      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .295
Simmons c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .289      Watson 1b             3   0   1   2     1   0   .296
Crawford rf           3   0   0   0     1   1   .317      Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .315
Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .209
Kessinger 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .240      DaVanon 2b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .329
Cruz 3b               3   0   0   0     0   0   .212      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Rasmussen p           2   0   0   0     0   0   .148      McLaughlin p          2   0   0   0     1   1   .000
  Harris ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .226
  Greif p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Hrabosky p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   1   5   1     3   4             Totals               26   2   5   2     5   3

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance: 10,229
Left on Base: Cardinals 6, Astros 6
DP: Cardinals 1, Astros 0
Doubles: Mumphrey (11), Watson (24)
Stolen Bases: Brock 2 (46), Cruz (22), Cedeno (42), Cabell 2 (27)
Caught Stealing: Mumphrey (2), Cabell (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Gross (5)
GIDP: Metzger (10)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rasmussen L(5-10)       6     5   2   2   1   3   0  23   3.56
Greif                   1.1   0   0   0   3   0   0   6   4.78
Hrabosky                0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   2.86
Totals                  8     5   2   2   5   3   0  32

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McLaughlin W(2-2)       9     5   1   0   3   4   0  34   2.40
Totals                  9     5   1   0   3   4   0  34

Passed Balls: Herrmann (8)
Wild Pitches: Greif (6)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Bill Williams, 3B - Harry Wendelstedt


CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey doubled to left; Templeton struck out;
Brock grounded out (first to pitcher) [Mumphrey to third];
Simmons popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross struck out; Cabell singled to left; Cabell was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Cedeno struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Crawford flied out to center; Hernandez grounded
out (second to first); Kessinger grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson flied out to right; Cruz singled to left;
Cruz stole second; Herrmann flied out to center [Cruz to third];
DaVanon grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Rasmussen
grounded out (second to first); Mumphrey walked; Mumphrey was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to center; McLaughlin grounded out
(first unassisted); Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Templeton flied out to center; Brock was called
out on strikes; Simmons singled to center; Crawford walked
[Simmons to second]; Hernandez flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to right; Cedeno singled to center
[Cabell to second]; Cabell stole third and Cedeno stole second;
Watson doubled to right [Cabell scored, Cedeno scored]; Cruz
walked; Herrmann popped to first in foul territory; DaVanon
flied out to center; Metzger forced Cruz (third to second); 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Kessinger flied out to center; Cruz grounded out
(third to first); Rasmussen grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: McLaughlin struck out; Gross flied out to left;
Cabell popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Mumphrey flied out to left; Templeton singled to
center; Herrmann allowed a passed ball [Templeton to second];
Brock singled to center [Templeton scored (unearned)]; Brock
stole second; Simmons walked; Crawford struck out; Hernandez
grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Watson flied out to
right; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Kessinger flied out to right; Cruz grounded out
(third to first); HARRIS BATTED FOR RASMUSSEN; Harris was called
out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: GREIF REPLACED HARRIS (PITCHING); Herrmann flied out
to right; DaVanon walked; Metzger grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [DaVanon out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: Mumphrey grounded out (second to first);
Templeton grounded out (second to first); Brock singled to
shortstop; Brock stole second; Simmons grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: McLaughlin walked; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [McLaughlin to second]; Greif threw a wild
pitch [McLaughlin to third]; Cabell walked; HRABOSKY REPLACED
GREIF (PITCHING); Cedeno popped to first in foul territory;
Cabell stole second; Watson was walked intentionally; Cruz
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Cardinals
1, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Crawford grounded out (first to pitcher);
Hernandez flied out to left; Kessinger lined to second; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 2.