The Astros handed the Reds their fourth straight defeat, beating the defending world champions, 4-3. The Astros scored three of their runs in the first inning on a single by Julio Gonzalez, triple by Enos Cabell, singles by Jose Cruz and Bob Watson and infield out by Willie Crawford. Two walks and a single by Joe Ferguson added what proved to be the deciding marker in the third. The Reds won their first two games of the season before falling into a slump. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Cincinnati Reds 3
Game Played on Tuesday, April     12, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   3  8  0
Astros       3  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   4  8  1


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   1   2   0     0   0   .227      Gonzalez 2b           4   1   2   0     0   0   .286
Griffey rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Cabell 3b             4   1   2   1     0   1   .300
Morgan 2b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .167      Cruz rf               4   1   1   1     0   0   .167
Bench c               4   1   1   0     0   0   .133      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .222
Foster lf             3   1   1   0     1   1   .200      Crawford lf           2   0   0   1     1   0   .143
Driessen 1b           4   0   1   1     0   0   .130        Howard lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .500
Concepcion ss         3   0   2   0     0   0   .400      Ferguson c            3   0   1   1     0   2   .375
Geronimo cf           4   0   0   1     0   0   .286        Herrmann c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Zachry p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Gardner cf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     0   0   .214
  Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   2   .000
  Summers ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   3   8   3     1   2             Totals               30   4   8   4     2   5

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 14,029
Left on Base: Reds 6, Astros 5
DP: Reds 1, Astros 1
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Rose (3)
Triples: Cabell (1)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Zachry (1), Concepcion (1), Richard (2)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry L(0-1)           6     6   4   4   2   4   0  25   6.00
Eastwick                2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   3.86
Totals                  8     8   4   4   2   5   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(1-0)          7     5   1   1   1   2   0  27   1.69
Forsch SV(1)            2     3   2   1   0   0   0   9   2.25
Totals                  9     8   3   2   1   2   0  36

Passed Balls: Ferguson 2 (2)

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Bob Engel, 2B - Jerry Dale, 3B - John McSherry


REDS 1ST: Rose doubled to left; Ferguson allowed a passed ball
[Rose to third]; Griffey grounded out (pitcher to first); Morgan
singled to right [Rose scored]; Morgan stole second; Bench
grounded out (shortstop to first); Foster walked; Driessen flied
out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to left; Cabell tripled [Gonzalez
scored]; Cruz singled to right [Cabell scored]; Watson singled
to center [Cruz to third]; Crawford grounded out (second to
first) [Cruz scored, Watson to second]; Ferguson struck out;
Gardner popped to third in foul territory; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 1, Astros 3.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion singled; Geronimo forced Concepcion (third
to second); Zachry out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher unassisted)
[Geronimo to second]; Rose flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger singled; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Metzger to second]; Gonzalez flied out to
right; Cabell was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 3.

REDS 3RD: Griffey grounded out (pitcher to first); Morgan flied
out to center; Bench flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz flied out to right; Watson walked; Crawford
walked [Watson to second]; Ferguson singled to right [Watson
scored, Crawford to third]; Gardner hit into a double play
(right to catcher) [Crawford out at home]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 4TH: Foster struck out; Driessen grounded out (pitcher to
second to first); Concepcion singled to second; Ferguson allowed
a passed ball [Concepcion to second]; Geronimo grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger grounded out (first unassisted); Richard
struck out; Gonzalez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 5TH: Zachry struck out; Rose grounded out (shortstop to
first); Griffey flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
popped to second; Watson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 6TH: Morgan lined to first; Bench grounded out (pitcher to
first); Foster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Crawford flied out to right; Ferguson was called out
on strikes; Gardner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 7TH: HOWARD REPLACED CRAWFORD (PLAYING LF); Driessen
singled to second; Concepcion flied out to right; Geronimo
forced Driessen (second to shortstop); LUM BATTED FOR ZACHRY;
Lum grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: EASTWICK REPLACED LUM (PITCHING); Metzger flied out
to left; Richard was called out on strikes; Gonzalez singled to
center; Cabell singled to third [Gonzalez to second]; Cruz
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 1,
Astros 4.

REDS 8TH: HERRMANN REPLACED FERGUSON (PLAYING C ); FORSCH
REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Rose singled to second; Griffey
flied out to center; Morgan lined into a double play (first
unassisted) [Rose out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to right; Howard flied out to left;
Herrmann popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 9TH: Bench singled; Foster singled to right [Bench to
third]; Driessen reached on an error by Metzger [Bench scored
(RBI), Foster to second, Driessen to first]; Concepcion out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Foster to third, Driessen to
second]; Geronimo grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Foster scored (unearned)]; SUMMERS BATTED FOR EASTWICK; Summers
grounded out (third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 3, Astros 4.