Alex Taveras, making his debut at second base with the Astros, committed an error in the 11th inning to set up the run that enabled the Reds to gain a 4-3 victory. The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the first two innings, but the Reds picked up a run in the eighth and tied the score in the ninth when Joe Morgan singled after the Reds had loaded the bases with hits by Cesar Geronimo, Dave Concepcion and Pete Rose.

With one away in the 11th, Ken Griffey grounded to Taveras, who threw wildly, allowing the runner to reach second. After an intentional pass to Morgan, Griffey tried to steal third and was thrown out. Morgan advanced on the play and scored the deciding run when pinch-hitter Bob Bailey singled. The Reds used five pitchers with the victory going to Rawly Eastwick. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Thursday, September 9, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  2    0  1  -   4 13  1
Astros       1  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   3  7  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               6   0   3   0     0   0   .322      Gross rf              4   1   1   1     1   0   .290
  Flynn 3b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .289        Javier ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Griffey rf            6   0   0   0     0   1   .329      Cabell 3b             5   0   2   1     1   0   .278
Morgan 2b             4   2   1   2     2   0   .340      Cedeno cf             5   0   0   0     0   1   .290
Driessen lf           3   0   1   0     2   0   .259      Watson 1b             5   0   2   1     0   0   .306
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cruz lf               5   0   1   0     0   1   .306
  Bailey ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .286      Herrmann c            4   0   1   0     0   1   .204
  McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      DaVanon 2b            1   1   0   0     2   0   .290
Bench c               5   0   3   1     1   0   .243        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Perez 1b              5   0   2   0     0   1   .259        Andrews 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Geronimo cf           3   1   1   0     1   0   .310        Johnson ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .229
Concepcion ss         5   1   1   0     0   0   .279        Taveras pr,2b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Zachry p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .140      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     2   0   .215
  Armbrister ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .323      Andujar p             3   1   0   0     1   0   .140
  Sarmiento p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .100
  Youngblood ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .196        Milbourne ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .237
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
  Foster ph,lf        2   0   0   0     0   1   .311

Totals               43   4  13   4     6   4             Totals               37   3   7   3     8   4

Time of Game: 3:13   Attendance:  8,945
Left on Base: Reds 13, Astros 11
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Rose, Taveras
Doubles: Rose 2 (33)
Stolen Bases: Gross (2)
Caught Stealing: Griffey (8), DaVanon (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Geronimo (2), Metzger (8), Herrmann (3)
GIDP: Perez (9), Boswell (7)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry                  4     3   3   3   6   3   0  20   2.80
Sarmiento               2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.69
Borbon                  2     2   0   0   1   0   0   9   3.36
Eastwick W(11-5)        2     1   0   0   1   0   0   8   2.24
McEnaney SV(7)          1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   4.50
Totals                 11     7   3   3   8   4   0  47

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 8.1   9   3   3   4   4   0  37   3.64
Forsch L(4-3)           2.2   4   1   1   2   0   0  13   2.25
Totals                 11    13   4   4   6   4   0  50

Balks: Andujar (4)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to left; Griffey grounded out (second
to first); Morgan popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gross walked; Gross stole second; Cabell flied out
to right; Cedeno struck out; Watson singled to left [Gross
scored]; Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 1.

REDS 2ND: Driessen walked; Andujar balked [Driessen to second];
Bench walked; Perez grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Driessen to third, Bench out at second];
Geronimo flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann struck out; DaVanon walked; Metzger walked
[DaVanon to second]; Andujar forced Metzger (first to shortstop)
[DaVanon to third, Andujar to first]; Gross singled to center
[DaVanon scored, Andujar to third]; Cabell singled [Andujar
scored, Gross to second]; Cedeno forced Cabell (shortstop
unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion grounded out (third to first); Zachry
struck out; Rose doubled to left; Griffey flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson lined to first; Cruz struck out; Herrmann
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

REDS 4TH: Morgan flied out to center; Driessen singled; Bench
singled [Driessen to second]; Perez flied out to right [Driessen
to third]; Geronimo walked [Bench to second]; Concepcion forced
Geronimo (shortstop to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: DaVanon walked; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [DaVanon to second]; Andujar walked; Gross
grounded out (first unassisted) [DaVanon to third, Andujar to
second]; Cabell walked while DaVanon was caught stealing home
(catcher to shortstop to catcher); Joaquin Andujar ran to 3B
on walk when not forced; Roger Metzger left 3B and tagged; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 5TH: ARMBRISTER BATTED FOR ZACHRY; Armbrister grounded out
(second to first); Rose doubled to left; Griffey struck out;
Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: SARMIENTO REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson flied out to center;
Cruz out on an unknown play; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 3.

REDS 6TH: Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher); Bench flied
out to left; Perez singled; Geronimo flied out to left; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Herrmann singled to right; DaVanon out on an unknown
play; Metzger flied out to center; Andujar flied out to right; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first);
YOUNGBLOOD BATTED FOR SARMIENTO; Youngblood flied out to center;
Rose grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: BORBON REPLACED YOUNGBLOOD (PITCHING); Gross
grounded out (second to first); Cabell flied out to center;
Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 0, Astros 3.

REDS 8TH: Griffey grounded out (first unassisted); Morgan
walked; Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first) [Morgan to
second]; Bench singled to left [Morgan scored]; Perez struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson singled; Cruz singled [Watson to second];
Herrmann reached on an error by Rose on a sacrifice bunt [Watson
to third, Cruz to second, Herrmann to first]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
DAVANON; Boswell grounded into a double play (first to catcher
to first) [Cruz to third, Herrmann to second, Watson out at
home]; Metzger was walked intentionally; Andujar flied out to
left; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: ANDREWS REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING 2B); Geronimo
singled to left; Concepcion singled to second [Geronimo to
second]; FOSTER BATTED FOR BORBON; Foster struck out; Rose
singled to left [Geronimo to third, Concepcion to second];
FORSCH REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Griffey flied out to left;
Morgan singled to right [Geronimo scored, Concepcion scored,
Rose to third, Morgan to second (on throw)]; Driessen was walked
intentionally; Bench grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: EASTWICK REPLACED DRIESSEN (PITCHING); FOSTER STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Gross grounded out (shortstop to first);
Cabell singled to left; Cedeno forced Cabell (third to second);
Watson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Astros 3.

REDS 10TH: Perez singled; Geronimo out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Perez to second]; Concepcion grounded out
(third to first); Foster popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 10TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Herrmann out
on an unknown play; JOHNSON BATTED FOR ANDREWS; Johnson walked;
TAVERAS RAN FOR JOHNSON; Metzger forced Taveras (shortstop to
second) [Metzger to first]; Debut game for Alex Taveras;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 3.

REDS 11TH: TAVERAS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Rose grounded
out (second to first); Griffey reached on an error by Taveras
[Griffey to second]; Morgan was walked intentionally; Griffey
was caught stealing third (catcher to third) [Morgan to second];
BAILEY BATTED FOR EASTWICK; Bailey singled [Morgan scored,
Bailey to second (on throw to home)]; Bench singled to left
[Bailey out at home (left to catcher)]; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 11TH: FLYNN REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); MCENANEY REPLACED
BAILEY (PITCHING); MILBOURNE BATTED FOR FORSCH; Milbourne popped
to second; JAVIER BATTED FOR GROSS; Javier struck out; Debut
game for Al Javier; Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 3.