Gary Nolan gained his 12th victory and Rawly Eastwick earned his 20th save by combining to pitch the Reds to a 3-0 victory over the Astros. The Reds were held to one hit by Bo McLaughlin until Tony Perez homered in the fifth inning. Pete Rose was safe on an error by Roger Metzger in the sixth and scored on a double by Dan Driessen before Johnny Bench wrapped up the Reds' production with a homer in the ninth. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 3, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Wednesday, September 8, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  1  1    0  0  1  -   3  6  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   1   0   0     0   0   .320      Gross rf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .291
Griffey rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .277
Driessen lf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .258      Cedeno cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .293
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Watson 1b             3   0   2   0     0   0   .305
Bench c               3   1   1   1     1   0   .239      Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     0   2   .307
Perez 1b              4   1   2   1     0   0   .257      Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .309      DaVanon 2b,ss         3   0   0   0     0   0   .293
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .279      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .216
Flynn 2b              3   0   1   0     0   1   .289        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .265
Nolan p               3   0   0   0     0   0   .100        Andrews 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
  Armbrister lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .328      McLaughlin p          1   0   0   0     1   0   .000
                                                            Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .239
                                                            Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250

Totals               32   3   6   3     2   2             Totals               29   0   4   0     1   3

Time of Game: 2:00   Attendance:  9,525
Left on Base: Reds 4, Astros 3
DP: Reds 1, Astros 2
Errors: Flynn, Metzger
Doubles: Driessen (11)
Home Runs: Perez (16), Bench (16)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (6), Cedeno (13)
GIDP: Bench (9), Cabell (10)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nolan W(12-8)           7     4   0   0   1   2   0  24   3.40
Eastwick SV(20)         2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   2.29
Totals                  9     4   0   0   1   3   0  30

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McLaughlin L(3-3)       8     5   2   1   2   2   1  30   1.89
Pentz                   1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   3.20
Totals                  9     6   3   2   2   2   2  34

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Jerry Dale


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey grounded
out (shortstop to first); Driessen grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: On a bunt Gross singled; Cabell forced Gross
(shortstop to second); Cabell was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Cedeno popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Bench walked; Perez singled to center [Bench to
second]; Geronimo forced Bench (pitcher to third) [Perez to
second]; Concepcion lined into a double play (pitcher to second)
[Perez out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to center; Cruz popped to third in
foul territory; Herrmann forced Watson (first to shortstop);
DaVanon grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Flynn struck out; Nolan grounded out (second to
first); Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); McLaughlin
popped to catcher in foul territory; Gross grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Griffey grounded out (second to first); Driessen
walked; Bench grounded into a double play (third to first to
shortstop) [Driessen out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
singled to left; Watson reached on a fielder's choice [Cedeno to
second (error by Flynn)]; Cedeno was caught stealing third
(catcher to third) [Watson to second]; Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 5TH: Perez homered; Geronimo singled to center; Concepcion
struck out; Flynn flied out to center; Nolan grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Herrmann popped to catcher in foul territory;
DaVanon grounded out (third to first); Metzger flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

REDS 6TH: Rose reached on an error by Metzger [Rose to first];
Griffey flied out to left; Driessen doubled to right [Rose
scored (unearned)]; Bench grounded out (third to first); Perez
flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros
0.

ASTROS 6TH: McLaughlin walked; Gross flied out to center; Cabell
grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [McLaughlin out
at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); Concepcion
lined to second; Flynn singled to right; Nolan grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno popped to shortstop; Watson singled; Cruz
struck out; Herrmann flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 8TH: Rose flied out to left; Griffey grounded out (second
to first); Driessen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: EASTWICK REPLACED DRIESSEN (PITCHING); ARMBRISTER
REPLACED NOLAN (PLAYING LF); DaVanon popped to shortstop;
BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER; Boswell flied out to right;
MILBOURNE BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Milbourne grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 9TH: DAVANON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); ANDREWS
REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING 2B); PENTZ REPLACED MILBOURNE
(PITCHING); Bench homered; Perez flied out to right; Geronimo
flied out to left; Concepcion grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Gross struck out; Cabell grounded out (first
unassisted); Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.