Taking advantage of errors by Johnnie LeMaster and Jim Barr, the Astros scored four unearned runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Giants, 5-4. Mark Lemongello, who started for the Astros, gave up two-run homers by Gary Alexander and Gary Matthews, but came out a winner on the Astros' rally.

Larry Milbourne led off with a single, took second on a throwing error by LeMaster and scored on infield outs by Ed Herrmann and Ken Boswell, who batted for Lemongello. Wilbur Howard then was safe on an error by Barr, opening the gates for three runs on singles by Alex Taveras, Cesar Cedeno and Cliff Johnson. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, San Francisco Giants 4
Game Played on Friday, October   1, 1976 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  2  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   4  6  3
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  0    4  0  x  -   5 11  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Herndon cf            4   1   2   0     0   0   .288      Howard lf             4   1   1   0     0   1   .220
Thomas 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Taveras ss            4   1   2   2     0   0   .217
Matthews lf           4   1   2   2     0   0   .279      Cedeno cf             4   1   3   0     0   0   .299
Thomasson 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Johnson 1b            3   0   1   2     1   0   .223
Clark rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .224      Howe 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .138
Reitz 3b              1   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Javier rf             2   0   1   0     0   0   .208
  Arnold ph,3b        3   0   0   0     0   0   .221        Roberts rf          2   0   0   0     0   0   .289
Alexander c           3   1   1   2     0   0   .183        Gross rf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .289
LeMaster ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Milbourne 2b          4   1   2   0     0   0   .248
Barr p                2   0   0   0     0   2   .162      Herrmann c            4   1   1   0     0   0   .199
  Ontiveros ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .169      Lemongello p          2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Moffitt p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Boswell ph          1   0   0   1     0   0   .256
                                                            Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               33   4   6   4     0   2             Totals               34   5  11   5     1   1

Time of Game: 1:55   Attendance:  5,196
Left on Base: Giants 2, Astros 6
DP: Giants 1, Astros 0
Errors: Thomas, LeMaster, Barr, Howard
Doubles: Cedeno (26), Herrmann (8)
Home Runs: Alexander (2), Matthews (20)
Stolen Bases: Clark (6), Cedeno 2 (57)
GIDP: Taveras (2)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Barr L(15-12)           7    10   5   1   1   1   0  31   2.89
Moffitt                 1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.27
Totals                  8    11   5   1   1   1   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(3-1)       7     4   4   4   0   2   2  25   2.79
Pentz SV(5)             2     2   0   0   0   0   0   8   2.97
Totals                  9     6   4   4   0   2   2  33

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Jerry Dale, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Doug Harvey


GIANTS 1ST: Herndon grounded out (third to first); Thomas flied
out to right; Matthews grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Howard struck out; Taveras grounded out (shortstop
to first); Cedeno doubled; Johnson walked; Howe flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Thomasson made an out to third; Clark singled; Clark
stole second; Reitz flied out to center; Alexander homered
[Clark scored]; LeMaster grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Javier singled; Milbourne forced Javier (shortstop
to second); Herrmann made an out to second; Lemongello grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Barr struck out; Herndon grounded out (second to
first); Thomas grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard singled; Taveras grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Howard out at second]; Cedeno
singled; Cedeno stole second; Johnson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Matthews grounded out (third to first); Thomasson
made an out to catcher; Clark grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Javier
grounded out (shortstop to first); Milbourne grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2, Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: ROBERTS REPLACED JAVIER (PLAYING RF); ARNOLD BATTED
FOR REITZ; Arnold flied out to center; Ken Reitz hurt by own
foul ball; Alexander flied out to right; LeMaster grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 2,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: ARNOLD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); Herrmann
doubled; Lemongello grounded out (first unassisted) [Herrmann to
third]; Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); Taveras singled
[Herrmann scored, Taveras to second (error by Thomas)]; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
2, Astros 1.

GIANTS 6TH: Barr struck out; Herndon singled; Thomas grounded
out (second to first) [Herndon to second]; Matthews homered
[Herndon scored]; Thomasson grounded out (second to first); 2 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson flied out to center; Howe grounded out
(shortstop to first); Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 1.

GIANTS 7TH: Clark grounded out (catcher to first); Arnold
grounded out (second to first); Alexander flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Milbourne singled to shortstop [Milbourne to second
(error by LeMaster)]; Herrmann grounded out (second to first)
[Milbourne to third]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR LEMONGELLO; Boswell
grounded out (second to pitcher) [Milbourne scored (unearned)];
Howard reached on an error by Barr [Howard to second]; Taveras
singled [Howard scored (unearned)]; Cedeno singled [Taveras to
third]; Cedeno stole second; Johnson singled to left [Taveras
scored (unearned), Cedeno scored (unearned), Johnson out at
second (left to catcher to second)]; 4 R (0 ER), 4 H, 2 E, 0
LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 5.

GIANTS 8TH: PENTZ REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); LeMaster flied
out to center; ONTIVEROS BATTED FOR BARR; Ontiveros grounded out
(second to first); Herndon singled; Thomas grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: MOFFITT REPLACED ONTIVEROS (PITCHING); Howe grounded
out (third to first); Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first);
Milbourne singled; Herrmann flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 4, Astros 5.

GIANTS 9TH: GROSS REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING RF); Matthews
singled to left [Matthews to second (error by Howard)];
Thomasson flied out to left; Clark grounded out (pitcher to
first); Arnold flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants
4, Astros 5.