Two rookies, Mark Lemongello and Bo McLaughlin, pitched the Astros to a pair of 3-2 victories in a sweep of a doubleheader with the Padres. In the opener, Lemongello triumphed over Randy Jones when the Astros scored the winning run in the ninth inning on an infield hit by Al Javier, sacrifice by Jose Cruz and single by pinch-hitter Jerry DaVanon.

McLaughlin hurled a four-hitter in the nightcap. The Astros scored in the first on a double by Greg Gross and an error before adding a run on a homer by Cliff Johnson in the fourth. The Padres tied the score when Johnny Grubb walked and Bill Almon hit his first major league homer in the sixth, but the Astros put over the deciding run in the eighth when Cesar Cedeno singled, stole second and scored on a double by Johnson. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Diego Padres 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 19, 1976 (Day game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  6  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    1  0  1  -   3 11  4


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Grubb rf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .280      Taveras 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .263
  Hernandez pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .254      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .278
  Melendez rf         1   0   1   0     0   0   .225      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .292
Fuentes 2b            4   1   0   0     0   0   .261      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .308
W. Davis cf           4   0   1   1     0   0   .272      Johnson c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .220
Ivie 1b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .294      Javier rf,lf          3   1   2   0     1   0   .267
Turner lf             2   0   1   1     1   0   .244        Howard pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .212
Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     0   1   .245      Roberts lf            3   0   2   1     0   0   .291
Kendall c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .243        Cruz rf             0   0   0   0     0   0   .298
Almon ss              4   0   0   0     0   1   .250      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .213
Jones p               3   0   0   0     1   0   .040        Howe ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .143
                                                          Lemongello p          3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            DaVanon ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .290

Totals               32   2   6   2     3   2             Totals               32   3  11   3     3   2

Time of Game: 1:42
Left on Base: Padres 9, Astros 8
DP: Padres 3, Astros 0
Errors: Turner, Taveras, Watson 2, Metzger
Doubles: Grubb (20), Roberts (11), Cedeno (24)
Triples: Turner (5), W. Davis (10)
Stolen Bases: Fuentes (5), Cabell (35)
Sacrifice Hits: Fuentes (15), Turner (3), Rader (5), Cruz (2)
GIDP: Cedeno (16), Metzger (11)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Jones L(21-14)          8.1  11   3   3   3   2   0  36   2.67
Totals                  8.1  11   3   3   3   2   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(2-0)       9     6   2   0   3   2   0  38   1.13
Totals                  9     6   2   0   3   2   0  38

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


PADRES 1ST: Grubb doubled to left; Fuentes out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Grubb to third]; W. Davis grounded out
(second to first); Ivie grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: On a bunt Taveras singled to second; Cabell grounded
out (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Taveras to second]; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson lined to second; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Turner lined to left; Rader flied out to right;
Kendall flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson flied out to right; Javier walked; Roberts
flied out to left; Metzger singled to right [Javier to second];
Lemongello was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Almon grounded out (third to first); Jones grounded
out (shortstop to first); Grubb flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Taveras singled to center; Cabell forced Taveras
(shortstop to second); Cedeno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Fuentes reached on an error by Watson [Fuentes to
first]; Fuentes stole second; W. Davis made an out to shortstop;
Ivie popped to catcher in foul territory; Turner tripled to
right [Fuentes scored (unearned)]; Rader struck out; 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Javier flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Kendall flied out to left; Almon lined to shortstop;
Jones grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Roberts singled to left; Metzger grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Roberts out at
second]; Lemongello grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: Grubb singled to right; Grubb was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Fuentes flied out to center; W. Davis made
an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Taveras grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell
singled to left; Cabell stole second; Cedeno singled to left
[Cabell scored, Cedeno to second (error by Turner)]; Watson
lined into a double play (second unassisted) [Cedeno out at
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 1.

PADRES 7TH: Ivie singled to left; Turner reached on an error by
Watson on a sacrifice bunt [Ivie to second, Turner to first];
Rader out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Ivie to
third, Turner to second]; Kendall was walked intentionally;
Almon struck out; Jones grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Johnson struck out; Javier singled to left; Roberts
doubled to left [Javier scored]; Metzger grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Roberts to third]; Lemongello grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 2.

PADRES 8TH: CRUZ REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING RF); JAVIER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Grubb reached on an error by Taveras
[Grubb to first]; HERNANDEZ RAN FOR GRUBB; On a bunt Fuentes
made an out to third; W. Davis tripled to right [Hernandez
scored (unearned)]; Ivie made an out to second; Turner was
walked intentionally; Rader grounded out (shortstop to first); 1
R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: MELENDEZ REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PLAYING RF); Taveras
flied out to right; Cabell grounded out (second to first);
Cedeno doubled to right; Watson was walked intentionally;
Johnson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 2.

PADRES 9TH: Kendall grounded out (second to first); Almon
grounded out (third to first); Jones walked; Melendez singled to
center [Jones to second]; Fuentes reached on an error by Metzger
[Melendez to second, Fuentes to first, Jones out at home (first
to second to catcher to third)]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres
2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Javier singled to third; HOWARD RAN FOR JAVIER; Cruz
out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Howard to second];
HOWE BATTED FOR METZGER; Howe was walked intentionally; DAVANON
BATTED FOR LEMONGELLO; DaVanon singled to left [Howard scored,
Howe to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.