Julio Gonzalez batted in the tying run with a single in the ninth inning and the winning run with another single in the 11th as the Astros defeated the Cubs, 5-4. The Cubs took a 4-0 lead before Bob Watson hit a three-run homer for the Astros in the eighth. Art Howe walked in the ninth and gave way to Wilbur Howard, who stole second and scored on a single by Gonzalez.

In the 11th, Joe Ferguson walked and Howard sacrificed. Ken Boswell was safe on an error by Manny Trillo. Ferguson was out trying to score on a grounder by Enos Cabell, but Boswell reached third on the play and crossed the plate on Gonzalez' single. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Chicago Cubs 4
Game Played on Wednesday, May       4, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  3  1    0  1  -   5  6  2
Cubs         1  0  0    0  2  0    1  0  0    0  0  -   4  9  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez ss           5   0   2   2     1   0   .355      De Jesus ss           5   1   2   0     1   0   .301
Cruz rf,cf            6   1   0   0     0   0   .250      Gross lf              4   1   0   0     1   1   .261
Cedeno cf             3   0   1   0     2   1   .153      Buckner 1b            0   0   0   0     2   0   .364
  Roberts rf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111        Biittner pr,1b      3   0   1   0     0   0   .300
Crawford lf           5   1   0   0     0   0   .214      Murcer rf             4   1   2   1     1   1   .314
Watson 1b             5   1   2   3     0   1   .253      Wallis cf             5   1   1   2     0   1   .182
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     1   2   .271      Trillo 2b             5   0   1   0     0   2   .333
Howe 3b               2   0   1   0     2   0   .240      Ontiveros 3b          5   0   1   1     0   0   .213
  Howard pr,2b        0   1   0   0     0   0   .500      Mitterwald c          3   0   0   0     2   1   .236
Sperring 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .191      Bonham p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .250
  Boswell ph,3b       2   1   0   0     0   1   .273        Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .250        Morales ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .295
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .154
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .318
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Cabell ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .316
  Lemongello pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               40   5   6   5     6   6             Totals               39   4   9   4     7   6

Time of Game: 2:58   Attendance:  3,044
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cubs 10
DP: Astros 2, Cubs 0
Errors: Gonzalez, Cruz, Trillo 2
Doubles: De Jesus (4)
Home Runs: Watson (2), Wallis (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (4), Watson (2), Howard (1)
Caught Stealing: Murcer (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Howard (1), Gross (1)
GIDP: Ontiveros (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 6     7   3   2   6   3   0  29   3.79
Sambito                 2     1   1   1   0   2   1   7   2.65
Forsch W(3-2)           2     1   0   0   1   1   0   8   3.10
McLaughlin SV(1)        1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.26
Totals                 11     9   4   3   7   6   1  47

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham                  7.2   4   3   3   4   5   1  32   2.92
Sutter L(0-1)           3.1   2   2   1   2   1   0  15   0.98
Totals                 11     6   5   4   6   6   1  47

Wild Pitches: Andujar (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus doubled to left; Gross grounded out (second
to first) [De Jesus to third]; Buckner walked; Murcer singled to
center [De Jesus scored, Buckner to third]; Wallis struck out
while Murcer was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Crawford reached on an error by Trillo [Crawford to
first]; Watson was called out on strikes; Ferguson flied out to
right; Howe singled to left [Crawford to second]; Sperring
forced Howe (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 2ND: Trillo flied out to right; Ontiveros lined to right;
Mitterwald walked; Bonham grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Andujar was called out on strikes; Gonzalez grounded
out (third to first); Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Gross lined to
shortstop; Buckner walked; Murcer singled to right [Buckner to
third (error by Cruz), Murcer to second]; BIITTNER RAN FOR
BUCKNER; Wallis flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 4TH: BIITTNER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Cedeno walked;
Crawford lined to left; Watson singled to center [Cedeno to
second]; Cedeno stole third and Watson stole second; Ferguson
struck out; Howe was walked intentionally; Sperring grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Trillo singled to left; Ontiveros grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Trillo out at
second]; Mitterwald walked; Andujar threw a wild pitch
[Mitterwald to second]; Bonham singled to catcher [Mitterwald to
third]; De Jesus lined to shortstop; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Andujar grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (second to first); Cruz lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: Gross walked; Biittner singled to left [Gross to
second]; Murcer forced Biittner (shortstop to second) [Gross to
third]; Wallis reached on a fielder's choice [Gross scored,
Murcer to second (error by Gonzalez; assist by Cruz)]; Trillo
was called out on strikes; Ontiveros singled to right [Murcer
scored (unearned), Wallis to third]; Mitterwald forced Ontiveros
(shortstop to second); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cubs 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno walked; Crawford popped to shortstop; Watson
flied out to right; Ferguson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 3.

CUBS 6TH: Bonham lined to right; De Jesus walked; De Jesus was
picked off first (pitcher to first); Gross struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe grounded out (third to first); Sperring
grounded out (shortstop to first); GARDNER BATTED FOR ANDUJAR;
Gardner popped to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 3.

CUBS 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Biittner grounded
out (second to first); Murcer struck out; Wallis homered; Trillo
struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Gonzalez walked; Cruz forced Gonzalez (third to
second); Cedeno singled to right [Cruz to second]; Crawford
forced Cedeno (second to shortstop) [Cruz to third]; Watson
homered [Cruz scored, Crawford scored]; SUTTER REPLACED BONHAM
(PITCHING); Ferguson flied out to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 4.

CUBS 8TH: Ontiveros grounded out (shortstop to first);
Mitterwald popped to catcher in foul territory; Sutter grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs
4.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe walked; HOWARD RAN FOR HOWE; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
SPERRING; Howard stole second; Boswell struck out; JOHNSON
BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Johnson flied out to left; Gonzalez singled
to left [Howard scored]; Cruz lined to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); HOWARD STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); BOSWELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); De Jesus
singled to center; Gross out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [De Jesus to second]; Biittner grounded out (first to
pitcher) [De Jesus to third]; Murcer was walked intentionally;
Wallis grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 10TH: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Crawford
flied out to right; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 4.

CUBS 10TH: Trillo lined to center; Ontiveros grounded out
(second to first); Mitterwald struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 11TH: Ferguson walked; Howard out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Ferguson to second]; Boswell reached on an
error by Trillo [Ferguson to third, Boswell to first]; CABELL
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Cabell reached on a fielder's choice
[Ferguson out at home (pitcher to catcher to third), Boswell to
third]; LEMONGELLO RAN FOR CABELL; Gonzalez singled to center
[Boswell scored (unearned), Lemongello to second]; Cruz forced
Gonzalez (shortstop to second); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 5, Cubs 4.

CUBS 11TH: CRUZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); ROBERTS REPLACED
CEDENO (PLAYING RF); MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING);
MORALES BATTED FOR SUTTER; Morales grounded out (shortstop to
first); De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Gross flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 4.