Making up for his error, Rob Sperring drove in a run with a single in the 10th inning to enable the Astros to defeat the Padres, 9-8, ending an eight-game losing streak. Sperring's error accounted for an unearned run in the ninth when the Padres scored three times to take an 8-7 lead. The Astros knotted the count in their half on a sacrifice fly by Cesar Cedeno for his first RBI of the season and won in the 10th when Bob Watson singled, Joe Ferguson walked and Sperring hit his run-scoring single. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, San Diego Padres 8
Game Played on Sunday, April     24, 1977 (Day game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  1    1  0  0    1  2  3    0  -   8 13  0
Astros       0  0  1    1  0  3    0  2  1    1  -   9 12  1


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Turner lf             5   1   1   1     0   1   .240      Gonzalez 2b           5   1   2   1     0   0   .333
Almon ss              5   1   2   1     1   1   .246      Cabell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   1   .273
Winfield rf           5   1   2   0     1   0   .319      Cedeno cf             3   1   0   1     1   1   .133
Hendrick cf           5   1   0   0     0   1   .338      Crawford lf           3   1   1   1     0   0   .304
Tenace c              5   3   2   2     0   0   .254        Gardner lf          2   0   1   0     0   1   .174
Ivie 1b               4   0   2   0     1   1   .304      Cruz rf               4   2   2   0     1   0   .288
Rader 3b              4   1   1   1     1   1   .320      Watson 1b             4   2   2   3     1   0   .245
Champion 2b           3   0   2   1     0   0   .230      Ferguson c            2   0   0   0     3   1   .279
  Sutherland ph,2b    2   0   1   2     0   0   .667      Metzger ss            2   1   0   0     0   0   .190
Sawyer p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .600        Boswell ph          1   0   1   2     0   0   .500
  Rettenmund ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .200        Sperring ss         1   0   1   1     0   0   .227
  Freisleben p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Konieczny p           2   0   0   0     0   2   .167
  Valentine ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .100        Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Strom p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Roberts ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .231
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               42   8  13   8     5   5             Totals               35   9  12   9     6   6

Time of Game: 2:58   Attendance:  6,362
Left on Base: Padres 10, Astros 7
DP: Padres 1, Astros 0
Errors: Sperring
Doubles: Turner (1), Tenace (2), Champion (4), Rader (6), Gonzalez (3), Cruz (4)
Triples: Watson (2)
Home Runs: Crawford (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (9)
Caught Stealing: Winfield (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Konieczny (1), Metzger (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Turner (1), Cedeno (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sawyer                  6     6   5   5   4   2   1  26   6.62
Freisleben              1     0   0   0   0   2   0   3   4.98
Strom                   0.1   2   2   2   0   1   0   3  12.46
Metzger                 0.2   1   0   0   1   0   0   4   6.30
Fingers L(2-1)          1.1   3   2   2   1   1   0   8   2.45
Totals                  9.1  12   9   9   6   6   1  44

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Konieczny               7     8   4   4   1   2   0  30   3.93
Forsch                  1.1   4   4   3   4   2   0  13   4.82
Sambito W(1-1)          1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.84
Totals                 10    13   8   7   5   5   0  48

Passed Balls: Tenace (2)
Wild Pitches: Fingers (1), Forsch (1)

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


PADRES 1ST: Turner flied out to center; Almon singled to center;
Winfield made an out to second; Hendrick grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); Cabell
singled; Cabell stole second; Cedeno hit into a double play
(left to second) [Cabell out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Tenace flied out to right; Ivie walked; Rader forced
Ivie (shortstop to second); Champion grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Crawford flied out to left; Cruz singled to center;
Cruz was picked off first (pitcher to first); Watson flied out
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Sawyer grounded out (first to pitcher); Turner
doubled to right; Almon singled to left [Turner scored, Almon to
second (on throw to home)]; Winfield grounded out (third to
first); Hendrick grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ferguson walked; Metzger forced Ferguson (first to
shortstop); Konieczny out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Metzger to second]; Gonzalez doubled to left [Metzger
scored]; Tenace allowed a passed ball [Gonzalez to third];
Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 1, Astros 1.

PADRES 4TH: Tenace doubled to left; Ivie struck out; Rader made
an out to shortstop; Champion doubled to right [Tenace scored];
Sawyer grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 2, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Crawford
homered; Cruz lined to shortstop; Watson grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 2.

PADRES 5TH: Turner flied out to center; Almon grounded out
(pitcher to first); Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Ferguson walked; Metzger out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Ferguson to second]; Konieczny struck out;
Gonzalez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 2, Astros 2.

PADRES 6TH: Hendrick grounded out (first to pitcher); Tenace
flied out to center; Ivie grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell singled; Cedeno walked [Cabell to second];
Crawford grounded out (first unassisted) [Cabell to third,
Cedeno to second]; Cruz was walked intentionally; Watson tripled
to left [Cabell scored, Cedeno scored, Cruz scored]; Ferguson
struck out; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 5.

PADRES 7TH: GARDNER REPLACED CRAWFORD (PLAYING LF); Rader
doubled to left; Champion singled to center [Rader to third];
RETTENMUND BATTED FOR SAWYER; Rettenmund made an out to
shortstop; Turner hit a sacrifice fly to left [Rader scored];
Almon struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: FREISLEBEN REPLACED RETTENMUND (PITCHING); Konieczny
struck out; Gonzalez grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 5.

PADRES 8TH: Winfield singled to left; FORSCH REPLACED KONIECZNY
(PITCHING); Forsch threw a wild pitch [Winfield to second];
Hendrick struck out; Tenace singled to center [Winfield scored];
Ivie singled to center [Tenace to second]; Rader struck out;
SUTHERLAND BATTED FOR CHAMPION; Sutherland singled to center
[Tenace scored, Ivie to third]; VALENTINE BATTED FOR FREISLEBEN;
Valentine walked [Sutherland to second]; Turner made an out to
third; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: STROM REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); SUTHERLAND
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); Cedeno struck out; Gardner singled
to right; Cruz doubled to center [Gardner to third]; METZGER
REPLACED STROM (PITCHING); Watson was walked intentionally;
Ferguson forced Gardner (third to catcher) [Cruz to third,
Watson to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER; Boswell singled
to left [Cruz scored, Watson scored, Ferguson to third, Boswell
to second (on throw)]; Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first);
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 5, Astros 7.

PADRES 9TH: SPERRING REPLACED BOSWELL (PLAYING SS); Almon
walked; Winfield walked [Almon to second]; Hendrick forced
Winfield (shortstop to second) [Almon to third]; Tenace reached
on an error by Sperring [Almon scored (RBI), Hendrick to second,
Tenace to first]; Ivie singled [Hendrick to third, Tenace to
second]; Rader walked [Hendrick scored, Tenace to third, Ivie to
second]; SAMBITO REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Sutherland forced
Rader (shortstop to second) [Tenace scored (unearned), Ivie to
third]; ROBERTS BATTED FOR METZGER; Roberts made an out to
shortstop; 3 R (2 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 8, Astros 7.

ASTROS 9TH: FINGERS REPLACED ROBERTS (PITCHING); Gonzalez
singled to center; Fingers threw a wild pitch [Gonzalez to
second]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first) [Gonzalez to
third]; Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to center [Gonzalez scored];
Gardner struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 8, Astros 8.

PADRES 10TH: Turner struck out; Almon grounded out (shortstop to
first); Winfield singled to center; Winfield was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 8,
Astros 8.

ASTROS 10TH: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Watson
singled to right; Ferguson walked [Watson to second]; Sperring
singled to left [Watson scored, Ferguson to second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 8, Astros 9.