Joe Ferguson, playing in his first game with the Astros, smashed a homer in the 11th inning to beat the Braves, 3-2, before 25,781, the largest season-opening crowd in the Astrodome since 1967 when the turnout was 26,001. Jeff Burroughs made his N.L. debut with the Braves and hit a two-run homer in his first time at bat in the first inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Friday, April     8, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  -   2  8  2
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  -   3  8  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .200      Gonzalez 2b           5   1   2   0     0   0   .400
Royster 3b            5   0   1   0     0   1   .200      Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .250
Montanez 1b           5   0   1   0     0   0   .200      Cruz rf               3   0   0   1     1   1   .000
Burroughs rf          5   1   2   2     0   2   .400      Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Matthews lf           5   0   1   0     0   2   .200      Crawford lf           5   0   1   1     0   1   .200
Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gilbreath 2b          3   0   2   0     1   1   .667      Ferguson c            5   1   2   1     0   0   .400
Rockett ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gardner cf            3   0   0   0     1   2   .000
Messersmith p         2   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   2   .333
  Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Sperring ss         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               39   2   8   2     2   8             Totals               35   3   8   3     4   8

Time of Game: 2:56   Attendance: 25,781
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 9
DP: Braves 1, Astros 2
Errors: Gilbreath, Messersmith
Doubles: Office (1), Crawford (1)
Triples: Watson (1)
Home Runs: Burroughs (1), Ferguson (1)
Stolen Bases: Royster (1), Matthews (1), Gonzalez (1)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Richard (1), Metzger (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (1)
GIDP: Rockett (1), Matthews (1)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith             9     6   2   2   2   7   0  35   2.00
Johnson L(0-1)          1     2   1   1   2   1   1   7   9.00
Totals                 10     8   3   3   4   8   1  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 9     7   2   2   2   7   1  35   2.00
Forsch W(1-0)           2     1   0   0   0   1   0   6   0.00
Totals                 11     8   2   2   2   8   1  41

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Ed Montague


BRAVES 1ST: Office doubled to left; Royster flied out to center;
Montanez flied out to center; Burroughs homered [Office scored];
Matthews grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled; Debut game for Julio
Gonzalez; Cabell singled [Gonzalez to third]; Cabell was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Cruz hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Gonzalez scored]; Watson grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba grounded out (pitcher unassisted);
Gilbreath walked; Rockett grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Gilbreath out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Crawford struck out; Ferguson singled; Gardner flied
out to right; Metzger struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Messersmith flied out to right; Office grounded out
(pitcher to first); Royster flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; Gonzalez reached on an error by
Gilbreath [Gonzalez to first]; Gonzalez stole second; Cabell
flied out to right; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Montanez grounded out (first to pitcher); Burroughs
was called out on strikes; Matthews was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Crawford grounded out
(second to first); Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Pocoroba made an out to shortstop; Gilbreath struck
out; Rockett flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Gardner struck out; Metzger singled; Richard reached
on an error by Messersmith on a sacrifice bunt [Metzger to
second, Richard to first]; Gonzalez lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Richard out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
 Braves 2, Astros 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Messersmith flied out to center; Office grounded out
(pitcher to first); Royster singled; Royster stole second;
Montanez singled [Royster to third]; Burroughs grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell lined to second; Cruz walked; Watson forced
Cruz (shortstop to second); Crawford doubled [Watson scored];
Ferguson made an out to first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 7TH: Matthews singled; Matthews stole second; Pocoroba
struck out; Gilbreath singled [Matthews to third]; Rockett
reached on a fielder's choice [Matthews out at home (third to
catcher), Gilbreath to second]; Messersmith walked [Gilbreath to
third, Rockett to second]; Office struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gardner walked; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Gardner to second]; Richard grounded out
(second to first) [Gardner to third]; Gonzalez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Royster made an out to first; Montanez grounded out
(first unassisted); Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz struck
out; Watson tripled; Crawford lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 9TH: Matthews struck out; Pocoroba flied out to center;
Gilbreath singled; Rockett flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Ferguson flied out to right; Gardner struck out;
Metzger was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 10TH: FORSCH REPLACED METZGER (PITCHING); SPERRING
REPLACED RICHARD (PLAYING SS); ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR
MESSERSMITH; Asselstine flied out to center; Office flied out to
right; Royster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 10TH: JOHNSON REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PITCHING); Sperring
struck out; Gonzalez singled; Cabell walked [Gonzalez to
second]; Cruz made an out to catcher; Watson walked [Gonzalez to
third, Cabell to second]; Crawford grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 2.

BRAVES 11TH: HOWARD REPLACED CRAWFORD (PLAYING LF); Montanez
grounded out (second to first); Burroughs singled; Matthews
grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Burroughs out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 11TH: Ferguson homered; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 3.