The Astros erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning, including a homer by Cliff Johnson with two men on base, to defeat the Giants, 14-5. John D'Acquisto, the fourth of five pitchers for the Giants, tied an N. L. record by uncorking three wild pitches in one inning after relieving in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 14, San Francisco Giants 5
Game Played on Friday, September 24, 1976 (Night game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  1  0    8  0  1    4  0  0  -  14 15  1
Giants       0  0  2    0  0  2    0  1  0  -   5  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Andrews 2b            5   2   3   1     1   0   .257      Clark cf,lf,rf        4   0   2   1     0   2   .238
Cabell 3b             6   1   1   2     0   3   .276      Thomas 2b             3   1   1   0     2   0   .239
Cedeno cf             6   1   4   2     0   0   .299      Matthews lf           2   0   0   0     1   2   .277
Watson 1b             3   2   2   1     1   0   .312        Herndon cf          2   0   0   0     0   2   .284
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Murcer rf             2   1   1   1     1   0   .254
Roberts lf            4   1   2   2     0   0   .293        Ontiveros lf        2   0   0   0     0   0   .171
Johnson c,1b          4   2   1   3     1   0   .221      Thomasson 1b          5   0   1   1     0   0   .252
Cruz rf               3   2   2   1     2   0   .302      Evans 3b              4   1   1   0     1   1   .204
Metzger ss            5   1   0   1     0   1   .212      Speier ss             4   0   1   0     0   1   .221
Richard p             3   1   0   0     0   1   .118      Rader c               2   2   0   1     2   0   .262
  Boswell ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .269      Riccelli p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .167
  Jutze c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .152        Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Dressler p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .133
                                                            Adams ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .246
                                                            D'Acquisto p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .269
                                                            Arnold ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .231
                                                            Toms p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40  14  15  13     6   5             Totals               34   5   9   4     7   9

Time of Game: 2:49   Attendance:  1,596
Left on Base: Astros 7, Giants 10
DP: Astros 1, Giants 2
Errors: Cruz, Thomasson
Doubles: Watson (31), Cedeno (25), Murcer (18), Evans (9), Clark (5)
Triples: Cruz (5)
Home Runs: Johnson (10)
Stolen Bases: Clark (5), Thomas (10), Murcer (12)
Sacrifice Flies: Roberts (2), Watson (9), Clark (2)
GIDP: Cabell (13), Speier (16)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(18-15)        6     8   4   4   5   7   0  30   2.90
Sambito SV(1)           3     1   1   1   2   2   0  12   3.88
Totals                  9     9   5   5   7   9   0  42

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Riccelli L(1-1)         3     8   5   5   0   2   1  15   6.00
Heaverlo                0.1   4   4   4   0   0   0   6   4.44
Dressler                2.2   2   1   1   1   1   0  11   4.26
D'Acquisto              2     1   4   4   5   1   0  13   5.31
Toms                    1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.68
Totals                  9    15  14  14   6   5   1  48

Passed Balls: Rader (8)
Wild Pitches: Sambito (2), D'Acquisto 3 (10)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - Art Williams, 3B - John Kibler


ASTROS 1ST: Andrews made an out to shortstop; Cabell struck out;
Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Clark singled to center; Clark stole second; Thomas
flied out to center; Matthews walked; Murcer popped to third in
foul territory; Thomasson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson doubled to left; Roberts singled to center
[Watson to third]; Johnson lined into a double play (third to
first) [Roberts out at first]; Cruz singled to left [Watson
scored]; Metzger flied out to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Evans walked; Speier grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Evans out at second]; Rader
walked; Riccelli singled to center [Rader to second]; Clark was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; Andrews singled to left; Cabell
grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Andrews out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants
0.

GIANTS 3RD: Thomas walked; Thomas stole second; Matthews struck
out; Murcer doubled to center [Thomas scored]; Murcer stole
third; Thomasson singled to right [Murcer scored, Thomasson to
second (error by Cruz)]; Evans struck out; Speier struck out; 2
R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno singled to left; Watson singled to right
[Cedeno to third]; Roberts singled to center [Cedeno scored,
Watson to second]; Johnson homered [Watson scored, Roberts
scored]; HEAVERLO REPLACED RICCELLI (PITCHING); Cruz tripled to
center; Metzger reached on an error by Thomasson [Cruz scored
(RBI), Metzger to second]; Richard reached on a fielder's choice
[Metzger out at third (pitcher to third)]; Andrews singled to
center [Richard to second]; Cabell singled [Richard scored,
Andrews to second]; Cedeno doubled [Andrews scored, Cabell to
third]; DRESSLER REPLACED HEAVERLO (PITCHING); Watson was walked
intentionally; Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cabell
scored]; Rader allowed a passed ball [Cedeno to third, Watson to
second]; Johnson flied out to center; 8 R, 8 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 9, Giants 2.

GIANTS 4TH: Rader grounded out (first unassisted); Dressler
grounded out (shortstop to first); Clark was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 9, Giants 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz flied out to right; Metzger grounded out (first
to pitcher); Richard made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 9, Giants 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Thomas grounded out (second to first); Matthews
struck out; Murcer walked; Thomasson grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9, Giants 2.

ASTROS 6TH: HERNDON REPLACED MATTHEWS (PLAYING CF); CLARK
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Andrews singled to second;
Cabell struck out; Cedeno singled to center [Andrews to third];
Watson hit a sacrifice fly to right [Andrews scored]; Roberts
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 10, Giants 2.

GIANTS 6TH: Evans doubled to left; Speier singled to center
[Evans to third]; Rader forced Speier (second to shortstop)
[Evans scored]; ADAMS BATTED FOR DRESSLER; Adams singled to
right [Rader to third]; Clark hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Rader scored]; Thomas singled to right [Adams to second];
Herndon struck out; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Giants 4.

ASTROS 7TH: D'ACQUISTO REPLACED ADAMS (PITCHING); ONTIVEROS
REPLACED MURCER (PLAYING LF); CLARK CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
RF); Johnson walked; D'Acquisto threw a wild pitch [Johnson to
second]; Cruz walked; D'Acquisto threw a wild pitch [Johnson to
third, Cruz to second]; Metzger struck out but Johnson advanced
to home and Cruz advanced to third and Metzger advanced to first
on a wild pitch; BOSWELL BATTED FOR RICHARD; Boswell walked
[Metzger to second]; Andrews walked [Cruz scored, Metzger to
third, Boswell to second]; Cabell forced Andrews (third to
second) [Metzger scored, Boswell to third]; Cedeno singled to
third [Boswell scored, Cabell to second]; Watson flied out to
center; Roberts forced Cedeno (second to shortstop); 4 R, 1 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 4.

GIANTS 7TH: JUTZE REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING C ); JOHNSON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); SAMBITO REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING);
Ontiveros grounded out (second to first); Thomasson grounded out
(second to first); Evans grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Johnson grounded out (third to first); Cruz walked;
Metzger flied out to center; Jutze made an out to shortstop; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 4.

GIANTS 8TH: Speier grounded out (shortstop to first); Rader
walked; ARNOLD BATTED FOR D'ACQUISTO; Arnold was called out on
strikes; Clark doubled to left [Rader to third]; Sambito threw a
wild pitch [Rader scored, Clark to third]; Thomas walked;
Herndon struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 5.

ASTROS 9TH: TOMS REPLACED ARNOLD (PITCHING); Andrews flied out
to center; Cabell struck out; Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 5.

GIANTS 9TH: Ontiveros grounded out (second to first); Thomasson
grounded out (second to first); Evans flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 14, Giants 5.