J.R. Richard turned in the fifth straight complete game to the credit of the Astros' staff and gained a 3-2 victory over the Phillies, who went down to their fifth straight defeat. The Phillies held a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning before the Astros rallied to score the tying and winning runs.

Enos Cabell led off with his fourth single of the game and Cesar Cedeno was safe on an error by Dave Cash. Bob Watson singled, driving in Cabell for his second RBI of the night. After an infield out by Leon Roberts and intentional pass to Cliff Johnson, Jose Cruz grounded into a forceout as Cedeno scored the deciding run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2
Game Played on Tuesday, August    31, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Phillies     0  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  7  1
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  x  -   3  7  2


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cash 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .277      DaVanon 2b            4   0   0   0     0   2   .309
Bowa ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .251      Cabell 3b             4   2   4   0     0   0   .278
Maddox cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .327      Cedeno cf             2   1   0   0     2   0   .297
Schmidt 3b            4   0   2   0     0   2   .272      Watson 1b             3   0   2   2     1   1   .300
Johnstone rf          3   0   0   1     0   1   .339      Roberts lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .289
Boone c               3   0   2   0     1   0   .301      Johnson c             3   0   1   0     1   1   .221
Tolan lf              4   0   1   0     0   0   .252      Cruz rf               3   0   0   1     1   0   .311
Hutton 1b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .200      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   2   .215
Underwood p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .111      Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   3   .129
  Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Taylor ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  McCarver ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .273

Totals               32   2   7   1     2   5             Totals               30   3   7   3     5  10

Time of Game: 2:13   Attendance:  6,881
Left on Base: Phillies 7, Astros 8
DP: Phillies 0, Astros 0
Errors: Cash, DaVanon, Cedeno
Doubles: Maddox (31), Johnson (17)
Stolen Bases: Bowa (26), Cabell 2 (29)
Caught Stealing: Tolan (3), Cedeno (12), Cruz (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Underwood (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Johnstone (7)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Underwood               5     5   1   1   3   5   0  22   3.27
Schueler                1     0   0   0   1   2   0   3   3.15
McGraw L(6-6)           2     2   2   1   1   3   0  10   2.64
Totals                  8     7   3   2   5  10   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(16-13)        9     7   2   1   2   5   0  36   2.54
Totals                  9     7   2   1   2   5   0  36

Wild Pitches: McGraw (3)

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


PHILLIES 1ST: Cash grounded out (pitcher to first); Bowa
grounded out (second to first); Maddox grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: DaVanon flied out to right; Cabell singled to
center; Cabell stole second; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to
first); Watson singled to right [Cabell scored]; Roberts
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies
0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 2ND: Schmidt struck out; Johnstone struck out; Boone
singled to right; Tolan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson lined to left; Cruz flied out to left;
Metzger struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 3RD: Hutton grounded out (second to first); Underwood
struck out; Cash grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; DaVanon flied out to center;
Cabell singled to center; Cedeno walked [Cabell to second];
Watson walked [Cabell to third, Cedeno to second]; Roberts
forced Watson (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Phillies
0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Bowa grounded out (second to first); Maddox
doubled to right; Schmidt singled to center [Maddox to third,
Schmidt to second (error by Cedeno)]; Johnstone hit a sacrifice
fly to right [Maddox scored, Schmidt to third]; Boone walked;
Tolan popped to shortstop; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 1,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Johnson doubled to left; Cruz grounded out (pitcher
to first); Metzger flied out to center; Richard struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: Hutton walked; Underwood out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Hutton to second]; Cash grounded out (third
to first); Bowa reached on an error by DaVanon [Hutton scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Bowa to first]; Maddox singled to center
[Bowa to second]; Bowa stole third; Schmidt struck out; 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: DaVanon struck out; Cabell singled to right; Cabell
stole second; Cedeno walked; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Watson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 2, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: Johnstone grounded out (second to first); Boone
singled to center; Tolan forced Boone (second to shortstop);
Tolan was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to
first to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: SCHUELER REPLACED UNDERWOOD (PITCHING); Roberts
struck out; Johnson struck out; Cruz walked; Cruz was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 2, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 7TH: Hutton flied out to center; TAYLOR BATTED FOR
SCHUELER; Taylor struck out; Cash flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: MCGRAW REPLACED TAYLOR (PITCHING); Metzger flied out
to center; Richard struck out; DaVanon struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 8TH: Bowa lined to right; Maddox flied out to right;
Schmidt singled to third; Johnstone flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell singled to right; Cedeno reached on an error
by Cash [Cabell to second, Cedeno to first]; Watson singled to
left [Cabell scored, Cedeno to second]; McGraw threw a wild
pitch [Cedeno to third, Watson to second]; Roberts grounded out
(pitcher to first); Johnson was walked intentionally; Cruz
forced Johnson (shortstop to second) [Cedeno scored (unearned),
Watson to third]; Metzger struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 3.

PHILLIES 9TH: Boone grounded out (shortstop to first); Tolan
singled to right; Hutton grounded out (first unassisted) [Tolan
to second]; MCCARVER BATTED FOR MCGRAW; McCarver grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 2, Astros 3.