Collecting four hits, Gary Thomasson scored two of the Giants' runs and batted in one in a 5-1 victory over the Astros. The Giants broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth inning on a single by Thomasson, sacrifice by Ken Reitz, single by Chris Speier and double by Dave Rader. Doubles by Thomasson and Reitz produced the final two tallies in the seventh. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 5, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Sunday, September 26, 1976 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  9  1
Giants       0  0  0    1  0  2    2  0  x  -   5 11  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .217      Clark cf              5   0   0   0     0   0   .233
Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .211        Herndon cf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .284
Cruz cf               4   1   3   0     0   0   .304      Perez 2b              3   0   0   0     2   0   .263
Johnson 1b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .225      Matthews lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .279
  Watson ph,1b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .314      Murcer rf             4   2   2   0     0   0   .257
Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .100      Thomasson 1b          4   2   4   1     0   0   .262
Gross rf              3   0   2   0     1   0   .290        Evans 1b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .204
Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .203      Reitz 3b              3   0   2   1     0   0   .267
Metzger 2b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .212      Speier ss             3   1   2   2     0   0   .224
Lemongello p          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Rader c               4   0   1   1     0   1   .266
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Williams p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .125
  Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lavelle p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .077
                                                            Adams ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .243
                                                            Moffitt p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               31   1   9   0     3   2             Totals               34   5  11   5     2   2

Time of Game: 2:09   Attendance: 15,048
Left on Base: Astros 7, Giants 9
DP: Astros 0, Giants 2
Errors: Howard, Thomasson
Doubles: Howard (7), Rader (15), Murcer (19), Thomasson (20), Reitz (21)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (11), Thomasson (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Lemongello (1), Reitz (3)
GIDP: Taveras (1)
Hit by Pitch: Speier (4,by Sosa)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(2-1)       6     8   3   3   2   2   0  28   2.05
Sosa                    2     3   2   2   0   0   0  10   6.94
Totals                  8    11   5   5   2   2   0  38

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Williams                3     4   0   0   1   0   0  11   3.00
Lavelle W(10-6)         3     2   1   1   2   1   0  13   2.77
Moffitt SV(14)          3     3   0   0   0   1   0  11   2.29
Totals                  9     9   1   1   3   2   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Sosa (3)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Howard singled to center; Taveras grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Howard out at
second]; Cruz singled to second; Cruz was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: Clark made an out to first; Perez walked; Matthews
grounded out (third to first) [Perez to second]; Murcer grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson singled to center [Johnson out at second
(center to shortstop)]; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first);
Gross singled to pitcher; Herrmann grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Thomasson singled to center; Thomasson was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Reitz singled to left;
Speier singled to second [Reitz to second]; Rader was called out
on strikes; Williams grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger walked; Lemongello out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Howard reached on a
fielder's choice [Metzger to third]; Taveras hit into a double
play (center to catcher) [Metzger out at home]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Clark made an out to shortstop; Perez flied out to
center; Matthews grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: LAVELLE REPLACED WILLIAMS (PITCHING); Cruz singled
to shortstop; Johnson grounded out (third to first) [Cruz scored
(error by Thomasson) (no RBI)]; Howe flied out to center; Gross
walked; Herrmann struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Murcer singled to pitcher; Thomasson singled to
center [Murcer to second]; Reitz forced Thomasson (shortstop to
second) [Murcer to third]; Speier reached on a fielder's choice
[Murcer scored, Reitz to second]; Rader forced Speier (shortstop
to second) [Reitz to third]; Lavelle grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); Lemongello
walked; Howard doubled to center [Lemongello to third]; Taveras
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz flied out to left; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Clark made an out to first; Perez walked; Matthews
flied out to left; Murcer flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson flied out to right; Howe grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gross grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Thomasson singled to pitcher; Reitz out on a
sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Thomasson to second]; Speier
singled to center [Thomasson scored]; Rader doubled to left
[Speier scored]; ADAMS BATTED FOR LAVELLE; Adams struck out;
Clark flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Giants 3.

ASTROS 7TH: MOFFITT REPLACED ADAMS (PITCHING); Herrmann flied
out to center; Metzger singled to third; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
LEMONGELLO; Boswell flied out to left; Howard made an out to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 3.

GIANTS 7TH: SOSA REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Perez grounded out
(third to first); Matthews flied out to center; Murcer doubled
to right; Thomasson doubled to left [Murcer scored]; Reitz
doubled to left [Thomasson scored, Reitz to third (error by
Howard)]; Speier was hit by a pitch; Rader made an out to first;
2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 8TH: EVANS REPLACED THOMASSON (PLAYING 1B); Taveras made
an out to second; Cruz singled to left [Cruz out at second
(shortstop unassisted)]; Jose Cruz tripled but out on appeal
for missing 2B; WATSON BATTED FOR JOHNSON; Watson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 5.

GIANTS 8TH: WATSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Moffitt flied
out to right; Clark grounded out (second to first); Perez
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Giants 5.

ASTROS 9TH: HERNDON REPLACED CLARK (PLAYING CF); Howe flied out
to left; Gross singled to right; Herrmann flied out to center;
Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 1, Giants 5.