Bob Shirley turned in a tremendous pitching performance before weakening in the ninth inning, but the rookie lefthander emerged with the victory when the Padres defeated the Astros, 4-2. Shirley gave up a single to Julio Gonzalez, the Astros' leadoff batter in the game, but then retired 25 consecutive batters before Cliff Johnson, pinch-hitting for the Astros, homered with one out in the ninth.

Shirley retired Gonzalez, but when Enos Cabell also homered, Rollie Fingers took over and put down the last batter. Jerry Turner provided the Padres' winning margin with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 4, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Friday, April     22, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    1  0  1    2  0  0  -   4  6  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  2  -   2  3  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Turner lf             5   1   2   2     0   2   .250      Gonzalez 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .259
Almon ss              5   0   2   0     0   1   .275      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .269
Winfield rf           3   2   1   0     1   0   .316      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .105
Hendrick cf           2   0   1   1     2   0   .392      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .262
Tenace c              2   0   0   0     2   0   .255      Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .316
Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .239
Rader 3b              4   0   0   0     0   2   .302      Roberts lf            3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Champion 2b           2   0   0   0     2   1   .184      Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   1   .171
Shirley p             3   1   0   0     0   2   .111        Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Johnson ph          1   1   1   1     0   0   .320

Totals               30   4   6   3     7   8             Totals               30   2   3   2     0   6

Time of Game: 1:58   Attendance:  6,106
Left on Base: Padres 7, Astros 1
DP: Padres 0, Astros 1
Errors: Ivie
Home Runs: Turner (2), Johnson (4), Cabell (1)
Stolen Bases: Hendrick (1)
Caught Stealing: Turner (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Shirley (1)
GIDP: Ivie (2)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Shirley W(2-1)          8.2   3   2   2   0   5   2  29   1.07
Fingers SV(2)           0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   1.46
Totals                  9     3   2   2   0   6   2  30

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(1-1)          9     6   4   4   7   8   1  38   2.32
Totals                  9     6   4   4   7   8   1  38

Wild Pitches: Richard (2)
Balks: Shirley (2), Richard (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Harry Wendelstedt, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Jim Quick


PADRES 1ST: Turner struck out; Almon struck out; Winfield made
an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled; Shirley balked [Gonzalez to
second]; Cabell flied out to right [Gonzalez to third]; Cedeno
reached on a fielder's choice [Gonzalez out at home (third
unassisted)]; Cedeno was picked off first but was safe on an
error by Ivie [Cedeno to third]; Watson flied out to right; 0 R,
1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Hendrick walked; Tenace made an out to first; Ivie
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Hendrick
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson flied out to left; Cruz flied out to left;
Roberts popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Rader was called out on strikes; Champion walked;
Shirley out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Champion to
second]; Turner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger struck out; Richard grounded out (second to
first); Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Almon singled to left; Winfield forced Almon
(shortstop to second); Richard threw a wild pitch [Winfield to
second]; Hendrick singled to center [Winfield scored]; Hendrick
stole second; Tenace walked; Ivie made an out to second; Rader
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno lined
to second; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Champion struck out; Shirley was called out on
strikes; Turner singled to left; Turner was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (catcher to first); Roberts struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: Almon flied out to right; Winfield singled to right;
Hendrick walked [Winfield to second]; Tenace grounded out (third
to first) [Winfield to third, Hendrick to second]; Richard
balked [Winfield scored, Hendrick to third]; Ivie grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger lined to right; Richard struck out; Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
2, Astros 0.

PADRES 7TH: Rader popped to first in foul territory; Champion
walked; On a bunt Shirley forced Champion (first to shortstop);
Turner homered [Shirley scored]; Almon singled to right;
Winfield walked [Almon to second]; Hendrick made an out to
shortstop; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno
grounded out (second to first); Watson grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 4, Astros 0.

PADRES 8TH: Tenace walked; Ivie flied out to center; Rader flied
out to center; Champion grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Ferguson struck out; Cruz struck out; Roberts
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 4,
Astros 0.

PADRES 9TH: Shirley struck out; Turner struck out; Almon flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 9TH: HOWE BATTED FOR METZGER; Howe made an out to
shortstop; JOHNSON BATTED FOR RICHARD; Johnson homered; Gonzalez
flied out to left; Cabell homered; FINGERS REPLACED SHIRLEY
(PITCHING); Cedeno struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 4,
Astros 2.