Floyd Bannister hurled the route and gained his first major league victory when the Astros trounced the Pirates, 11-3. The Astros knocked out Jerry Reuss in the fourth inning with a five-run blast. Doubles by Art Howe and Rob Sperring each accounted for two RBIs. Joe Ferguson then went into action, hitting a homer in the fifth and connecting again with two men on base in the sixth when the Astros completed their scoring with another five-run inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, Pittsburgh Pirates 3
Game Played on Friday, April     29, 1977 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    5  1  5    0  0  0  -  11 14  2
Pirates      2  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   3 11  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez ss           5   1   3   1     0   0   .310      Taveras ss            5   1   1   0     0   1   .206
Cruz rf               5   1   2   1     0   1   .286        Jackson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cedeno cf             4   1   0   0     0   0   .133      Dilone cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .160
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .257      Parker rf             5   1   3   2     0   0   .403
Ferguson c            5   3   3   4     0   1   .291      Oliver lf             5   0   1   0     0   2   .269
Johnson lf            5   1   3   0     0   1   .306      Stargell 1b           4   0   1   1     0   2   .222
  Gardner lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Stennett 2b           3   0   1   0     1   1   .254
Howe 3b               4   1   1   2     1   0   .417      Garner 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .263
Sperring 2b           3   2   1   2     2   0   .265      Dyer c                3   0   0   0     1   1   .226
Bannister p           4   0   0   0     0   1   .167      Reuss p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
                                                            Demery p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Gonzalez ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .167
                                                            O. Jones p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Helms ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Mendoza ph,ss       1   0   1   0     0   0   .500

Totals               39  11  14  10     4   4             Totals               37   3  11   3     3   9

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance:  7,186
Left on Base: Astros 7, Pirates 10
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 2
Errors: Gonzalez, Ferguson, Garner
Doubles: Howe (3), Sperring (1), Gonzalez (4), Oliver (3), Parker (7)
Home Runs: Ferguson 2 (5)
Stolen Bases: Dilone (6), Parker (3)
Caught Stealing: Parker (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Bannister (1)
GIDP: Cedeno (1), Bannister (1), Garner (3)
Hit by Pitch: Cedeno (1,by O. Jones)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister W(1-1)        9    11   3   3   3   9   0  40   4.50
Totals                  9    11   3   3   3   9   0  40

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Reuss L(0-3)            3     8   5   4   2   1   0  17   4.26
Demery                  2     1   1   1   0   0   1   8   6.00
O. Jones                1     4   5   5   1   0   1   9   8.59
Forster                 2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7  10.13
Jackson                 1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   1.23
Totals                  9    14  11  10   4   4   2  45

Hit by Pitch: O. Jones (1)
Wild Pitches: Bannister (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to center; Cruz flied out to
center; Cedeno grounded into a double play (second to first)
[Gonzalez out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras grounded out (third to first); Dilone
singled to left; Dilone stole second; Parker singled to center
[Dilone scored]; Parker stole second; Oliver struck out;
Stargell singled to right [Parker scored]; Stennett struck out;
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Ferguson
struck out; Johnson singled to center; Howe forced Johnson
(third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Garner singled to third; Garner was picked off
first but was safe on an error by Ferguson [Garner to second];
Dyer struck out; Reuss struck out; Taveras struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Sperring walked; On a bunt Bannister grounded into a
double play (third to shortstop to second) [Sperring out at
second]; Gonzalez singled to center; Cruz singled to center
[Gonzalez to second]; Cedeno popped to first in foul territory;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Dilone grounded out (third to first); Parker
singled to center; Parker was picked off and caught stealing
second (pitcher to first to shortstop); Oliver doubled to right;
Stargell was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson walked; Ferguson singled to right [Watson to
second]; Johnson singled to left [Watson to third, Ferguson to
second]; Howe doubled to left [Watson scored, Ferguson scored,
Johnson to third]; Sperring doubled to right [Johnson scored,
Howe scored]; DEMERY REPLACED REUSS (PITCHING); Bannister
grounded out (pitcher to second); Gonzalez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz reached on an error by Garner
[Sperring scored (unearned) (no RBI), Cruz to second]; Cedeno
reached on a fielder's choice [Cruz out at third (third
unassisted)]; 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Stennett walked; Garner grounded into a double play
(shortstop to first) [Stennett out at second]; Dyer grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Ferguson
homered; Johnson flied out to left; Howe grounded out (shortstop
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 5TH: GONZALEZ BATTED FOR DEMERY; Gonzalez singled to
right; Taveras forced Gonzalez (third to second); Dilone
grounded out (third to first) [Taveras to second]; Parker lined
to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 6TH: O. JONES REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Sperring
walked; Bannister out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Sperring to second]; Gonzalez doubled to left [Sperring
scored]; Cruz singled to right [Gonzalez scored, Cruz to second
(on throw to home)]; Cedeno was hit by a pitch; Watson flied out
to right; Ferguson homered [Cruz scored, Cedeno scored]; Johnson
singled to left; Howe popped to third in foul territory; 5 R, 4
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Oliver lined to left; Stargell grounded out (first
to pitcher); Stennett singled to right; Garner walked [Stennett
to second]; Dyer reached on an error by Gonzalez [Stennett to
third, Garner to second, Dyer to first]; HELMS BATTED FOR O.
JONES; Helms was called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 11, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 7TH: FORSTER REPLACED HELMS (PITCHING); Sperring flied
out to center; Bannister struck out; Gonzalez grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Taveras singled to center; Dilone lined to center;
Bannister threw a wild pitch [Taveras to second]; Parker doubled
to left [Taveras scored]; Oliver struck out; Stargell struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz struck out; Cedeno popped to first in foul
territory; Watson singled to center; Ferguson grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: Stennett lined to left; Garner popped to third in
foul territory; Dyer walked; MENDOZA BATTED FOR FORSTER; Mendoza
singled to center [Dyer to second]; Taveras grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 9TH: MENDOZA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); JACKSON
REPLACED TAVERAS (PITCHING); Johnson struck out; Howe walked;
Sperring made an out to first; Bannister lined to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 9TH: GARDNER REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING LF); Dilone
grounded out (third to first); Parker lined to left; Oliver
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
11, Pirates 3.