Larry Dierker hit his first homer of the season to account for his own winning run while pitching the Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals. Bob Forsch, who was the loser, failed to last the route for the 26th time in 26 starts this year. Dierker's homer in the fourth inning enabled him to beat the Cardinals for the fourth straight time. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3
Game Played on Saturday, August    28, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    2  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  5  2
Astros       1  0  2    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   4 11  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mumphrey cf           3   1   1   1     1   0   .265      Gross rf              2   1   0   0     2   0   .298
Templeton ss          4   1   2   1     0   0   .284      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Brock lf              4   0   0   1     0   0   .293      Cedeno cf             4   1   3   1     0   0   .299
Simmons c             4   0   1   0     0   1   .288      Watson 1b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .298
Crawford rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .313      Cruz lf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .318
Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Herrmann c            4   0   1   1     0   0   .210
Kessinger 2b          2   0   1   0     1   0   .241      DaVanon 2b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .329
Cruz 3b               3   1   0   0     0   1   .210      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .215
Forsch p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .140      Dierker p             3   1   2   1     0   1   .133
  Fairly ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .265
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Ferguson ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .229
  Wallace p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333

Totals               31   3   5   3     2   4             Totals               31   4  11   4     2   1

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance:  5,663
Left on Base: Cardinals 3, Astros 5
DP: Cardinals 1, Astros 2
Errors: Kessinger 2, Dierker
Doubles: Templeton (2), Simmons (30)
Triples: Kessinger (6)
Home Runs: Dierker (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (43)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (11)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(5-10)          4     8   4   3   2   0   1  20   3.92
Solomon                 2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   3.00
Wallace                 2     2   0   0   0   0   0   6   3.88
Totals                  8    11   4   3   2   1   1  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dierker W(13-12)        9     5   3   3   2   4   0  33   3.73
Totals                  9     5   3   3   2   4   0  33

Wild Pitches: Forsch (7)

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


CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey walked; Templeton doubled to right
[Mumphrey scored, Templeton to third (on throw to home)]; Brock
grounded out (second to first) [Templeton scored]; Simmons
struck out; Crawford reached on an error by Dierker; Hernandez
grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Cabell grounded out (third to first)
[Gross to second]; Forsch threw a wild pitch [Gross to third];
Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first) [Gross scored]; Watson
singled to left; Cruz singled to second [Watson to second];
Herrmann grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Kessinger grounded out (second to first); Cruz
was called out on strikes; Forsch flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: DaVanon singled to left; Metzger grounded out
(shortstop to second to first) [DaVanon to second (error by
Kessinger; assist by Templeton)]; Dierker singled to center
[DaVanon out at home (center to catcher)]; Gross flied out to
right; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Mumphrey grounded out (shortstop to first);
Templeton flied out to left; Brock grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cedeno singled
to center; Watson singled to right [Cedeno to third]; Cruz
reached on an error by Kessinger [Cedeno scored, Watson to
third]; Watson was picked off third (catcher to third) [Cruz to
second]; Herrmann singled to right [Cruz scored (unearned),
Herrmann out at second (right to first to second)]; 2 R (1 ER),
3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons doubled to center; Crawford hit into a
double play (left to third) [Simmons out at third]; Hernandez
lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: DaVanon grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
flied out to left; Dierker homered; Gross walked; Cabell flied
out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 5TH: Kessinger walked; Cruz forced Kessinger (second
unassisted); FAIRLY BATTED FOR FORSCH; Fairly grounded out
(second to first) [Cruz to second]; Mumphrey singled to center
[Cruz scored]; Templeton singled to center [Mumphrey to second];
Brock forced Templeton (second unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: SOLOMON REPLACED FAIRLY (PITCHING); Cedeno singled
to third; Cedeno stole second; Watson flied out to right [Cedeno
to third]; Cruz flied out to center; Herrmann flied out to
center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Simmons grounded out (second to first); Crawford
flied out to left; Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: DaVanon grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
popped to shortstop; Dierker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: Kessinger tripled to center; Cruz hit into a
double play (third to first) [Kessinger out at home]; FERGUSON
BATTED FOR SOLOMON; Ferguson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: WALLACE REPLACED FERGUSON (PITCHING); Gross grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (third to first);
Cedeno singled to right; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(pitcher to first to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals
3, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: Mumphrey grounded out (second to first);
Templeton grounded out (shortstop to first); Brock flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to center; Cruz singled to second;
Herrmann hit into a double play to first [Cruz out at second
(first to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 9TH: Simmons popped to third; Crawford was called out
on strikes; Hernandez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 4.