The Reds, continuing to play like chumps instead of champions, failed to hold a 6-0 lead and lost to the Astros, 7-6, for their fifth straight defeat. The Astros, who swept the three-game series, began their comeback with two runs in the fourth inning and tied the score with four more in the sixth on a walk and five singles. With two out in the ninth, Jose Cruz doubled. The Reds then walked Bob Watson intentionally, but Willie Crawford singled for his third hit in four times at bat to drive in the winning run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Cincinnati Reds 6
Game Played on Wednesday, April     13, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         2  0  2    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   6 10  0
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  4    0  0  1  -   7 14  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   3   2   0     1   1   .269      Gonzalez 2b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Griffey rf            4   1   3   2     0   0   .345        Sperring 2b         4   0   1   0     0   2   .200
Morgan 2b             4   1   1   2     0   0   .182      Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .280
Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .105      Cruz rf               5   3   3   1     0   0   .261
Foster lf             3   0   2   2     0   1   .261      Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   1   .227
Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .111      Crawford lf           4   1   3   2     1   0   .364
Concepcion ss         4   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Gardner cf            3   1   1   1     0   0   .071
Geronimo cf           4   0   0   0     0   2   .240      Herrmann c            4   0   2   1     0   1   .400
Billingham p          3   1   1   0     0   0   .200      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Andujar p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Lum ph              1   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Sambito p           2   0   1   0     0   1   .500
  Armbrister pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Boswell ph          1   0   1   1     0   0  1.000
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000        Larson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Ferguson ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .353
                                                            Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   6  10   6     1   5             Totals               38   7  14   6     2   5

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 17,492
Left on Base: Reds 4, Astros 8
DP: Reds 1, Astros 0
Doubles: Morgan (2), Rose (4), Cruz 2 (2)
Caught Stealing: Armbrister (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Gardner (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Foster (2)
GIDP: Metzger (1)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham              5     7   5   5   1   4   0  23   5.68
Murray                  3     5   1   1   0   0   0  13   7.11
Borbon L(0-1)           0.2   2   1   1   1   1   0   5   2.70
Totals                  8.2  14   7   7   2   5   0  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 2.2   5   4   4   1   2   0  14   3.09
Sambito                 3.1   3   2   2   0   2   0  13   5.40
Larson                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   0.00
Forsch W(2-0)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.80
Totals                  9    10   6   6   1   5   0  37

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


REDS 1ST: Rose walked; Griffey singled to center [Rose to
third]; Morgan doubled to right [Rose scored, Griffey to third];
Bench reached on a fielder's choice [Griffey out at home
(pitcher to third to catcher), Morgan to third, Bench to
second]; Foster hit a sacrifice fly to right [Morgan scored,
Bench to third]; Driessen was called out on strikes; 2 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
was called out on strikes; Billingham flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson struck out; Crawford grounded out (third to
first); Gardner grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Rose singled to left; Griffey singled to right [Rose
to third]; Morgan grounded out (second to first) [Rose scored,
Griffey to second]; Bench grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Griffey to third]; Foster singled to right [Griffey scored];
SAMBITO REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Driessen grounded out
(pitcher to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Herrmann struck out; Metzger grounded out (pitcher
to first); Sambito struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: SPERRING REPLACED GONZALEZ (PLAYING 2B); Concepcion
lined to third; Geronimo struck out; Billingham singled to
center; Rose doubled [Billingham to third]; Griffey singled to
left [Billingham scored, Rose scored]; Morgan lined to
shortstop; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Sperring struck out; Cabell singled to third; Cruz
doubled to center [Cabell scored]; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Cruz to third]; Crawford singled to center
[Cruz scored]; Gardner flied out to left; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Reds 6, Astros 2.

REDS 5TH: Bench grounded out (pitcher to first); Foster struck
out; Driessen flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
6, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Herrmann grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger
flied out to right; Sambito singled to first; Sperring singled
to left [Sambito to second]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 2.

REDS 6TH: Concepcion grounded out (second to first); Geronimo
grounded out (third to first); Billingham grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz singled to center; Watson singled [Cruz to
second]; Crawford walked [Cruz to third, Watson to second];
MURRAY REPLACED BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Gardner singled to
shortstop [Cruz scored, Watson to third, Crawford to second];
Herrmann singled to center [Watson scored, Crawford to third,
Gardner to second]; Metzger grounded into a double play (second
to shortstop to first) [Crawford scored (no RBI), Gardner to
third, Herrmann out at second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR SAMBITO;
Boswell singled to center [Gardner scored]; Sperring flied out
to right; 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 6.

REDS 7TH: LARSON REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Rose grounded out
(second to first); Griffey lined to shortstop; Morgan flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz flied
out to right; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 6.

REDS 8TH: Bench grounded out (catcher to first); Foster singled
to center; Driessen flied out to center; Concepcion forced
Foster (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6,
Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: Crawford singled; Gardner out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Crawford to second]; Herrmann singled to
right [Crawford to third]; Metzger lined to shortstop; FERGUSON
BATTED FOR LARSON; Ferguson popped to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 6.

REDS 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED FERGUSON (PITCHING); Geronimo grounded
out (first to pitcher); LUM BATTED FOR MURRAY; Lum singled to
center; ARMBRISTER RAN FOR LUM; Armbrister was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Rose was called out on strikes; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 6.

ASTROS 9TH: BORBON REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); Sperring
struck out; Cabell lined to center; Cruz doubled to left; Watson
walked; Crawford singled to center [Cruz scored, Watson to
second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 7.