Joaquin Andujar pitched a three-hitter and also batted in one of the Astros' runs in a 2-0 victory over the Braves. In the second inning, Bob Watson doubled and scored on a single by Joe Ferguson. After a walk to Roger Metzger with two out, Andujar gave himself more elbow room with a single that sent Ferguson across the plate. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Saturday, April     9, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  0
Astros       0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  6  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .111      Gonzalez 2b           4   0   0   0     0   3   .222
Royster 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .111      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .125
Montanez 1b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .125      Cruz cf,rf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .143
Burroughs rf          3   0   1   0     0   0   .375      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     1   1   .286
Matthews lf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .125      Ferguson c            3   1   2   1     1   0   .500
Pocoroba c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Johnson rf,lf         3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Gilbreath 2b          3   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Fuller lf             3   0   0   0     0   3   .000
Rockett ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .143        Gardner cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .500      Metzger ss            2   0   1   0     1   0   .400
  Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Andujar p             3   0   1   1     0   1   .333

Totals               29   0   3   0     0   5             Totals               30   2   6   2     3  10

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 23,513
Left on Base: Braves 2, Astros 8
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Doubles: Watson (1)
Triples: Cruz (1)
GIDP: Office (1)
Hit by Pitch: Johnson (1,by Niekro)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(0-1)           8     6   2   2   3  10   0  34   2.25
Totals                  8     6   2   2   3  10   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar W(1-0)          9     3   0   0   0   5   0  29   0.00
Totals                  9     3   0   0   0   5   0  29

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (1)
Balks: Andujar (1)

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


BRAVES 1ST: Office struck out; Royster was called out on
strikes; Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez struck out (catcher to first); Cabell
struck out; Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs grounded out (third to first); Matthews
grounded out (second to first); Pocoroba made an out to third; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson doubled; Ferguson singled [Watson scored];
Johnson made an out to shortstop; Fuller struck out; Metzger
walked [Ferguson to second]; Andujar singled [Ferguson scored,
Metzger to second]; Gonzalez was called out on strikes; 2 R, 3
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Gilbreath flied out to right; Rockett grounded out
(shortstop to first); Niekro singled; Office struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell struck out; Cruz tripled; Watson walked;
Ferguson reached on a fielder's choice [Cruz out at home (second
to catcher), Watson to second]; Johnson was hit by a pitch
[Watson to third, Ferguson to second]; Fuller struck out [Watson
out at home (catcher unassisted), Ferguson to third, Johnson to
second, Fuller to first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 4TH: Royster grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to
first); Montanez grounded out (second to first); Burroughs
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger flied out to left; Andujar struck out;
Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 5TH: Matthews was called out on strikes; Pocoroba
grounded out (first to pitcher); Gilbreath grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (third to first); Watson was called out on strikes;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 6TH: Rockett singled; Niekro forced Rockett (pitcher to
shortstop); Office grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Niekro out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Ferguson singled; Johnson flied out to center;
Fuller struck out; Metzger singled [Ferguson to third]; Andujar
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 7TH: GARDNER REPLACED FULLER (PLAYING CF); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); JOHNSON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
Royster flied out to center; Montanez struck out; Burroughs
singled; Andujar balked [Burroughs to second]; Matthews grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Gonzalez flied out to center; Cabell flied out to
center; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 8TH: Pocoroba grounded out (pitcher to first); Gilbreath
grounded out (second to first); Rockett grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to right; Ferguson walked; Johnson
forced Ferguson (shortstop to second); Gardner grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 9TH: PACIOREK BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Paciorek grounded out
(shortstop to first); Office made an out to third; Royster flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.