After taking an 8-0 lead with the aid of three homers, the Cubs hung on to gain an 8-7 victory over the Astros, who also hit three homers in belated rallies. The Cubs scored four runs in the first inning, three coming on a homer by Manny Trillo. Jerry Morales accounted for three more with a circuit clout in the second before a round-tripper by George Mitterwald added what proved to be the winning run in the fifth. The Astros then fell short although Bob Watson homered with a man on base and Cliff Johnson with two aboard in the seventh and Joe Ferguson found the range with a man on base in the eighth. [The Sporting News]

Chicago Cubs 8, Houston Astros 7

Game Played on Thursday, May 5, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field

Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    5  2  0  -   7  8  0
Cubs         4  3  0    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   8  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez ss           5   0   0   0     0   1   .333      De Jesus ss           1   2   1   0     0   0   .311
Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .242        Kelleher ph,ss      3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Cardenal lf           2   1   0   0     2   0   .170
Crawford lf           4   2   2   0     0   0   .239      Biittner 1b           4   1   1   0     0   0   .296
Watson 1b             4   1   1   2     0   1   .253      Murcer rf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .311
Ferguson c            3   2   3   2     1   0   .301      Morales cf            4   1   1   3     0   1   .292
Howe 3b               3   0   1   0     1   0   .250      Trillo 2b             4   1   3   3     0   1   .358
Sperring 2b           3   1   0   0     0   1   .180      Ontiveros 3b          3   0   0   0     1   1   .203
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Mitterwald c          4   1   2   1     0   0   .254
Bannister p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      R. Reuschel p         3   0   0   0     0   0   .091
  Niekro p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .148        Sutter p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Larson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Johnson ph          1   1   1   3     0   0   .333
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Herrmann ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143

Totals               34   7   8   7     3   3             Totals               33   8   9   8     3   5

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  3,645
Left on Base: Astros 3, Cubs 5
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Doubles: Trillo (5)
Triples: Trillo (2)
Home Runs: Watson (3), Johnson (5), Ferguson (6), Trillo (2), Morales (2), Mitterwald (2)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (5), Cardenal (3)
GIDP: Sperring (2)
Hit by Pitch: De Jesus (1,by Bannister)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister L(1-2)        1.2   7   7   7   2   2   2  15   8.04
Niekro                  3.1   1   1   1   1   3   1  12   4.63
Larson                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   5.25
Sambito                 2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   2.37
Totals                  8     9   8   8   3   5   3  37

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel W(4-1)      6.1   6   5   5   3   1   2  27   3.21
P. Reuschel             1.1   2   2   2   0   1   1   6   2.25
Sutter SV(5)            1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.92
Totals                  9     8   7   7   3   3   3  37

Hit by Pitch: Bannister (3)
Balks: Bannister (1)

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


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

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus singled to left; Cardenal walked [De Jesus to
second]; Biittner flied out to center [De Jesus to third];
Murcer singled to left [De Jesus scored, Cardenal to second];
Morales was called out on strikes; Cardenal stole third; Trillo
homered [Cardenal scored, Murcer scored]; Ontiveros walked;
Mitterwald singled to right [Ontiveros to third]; R. Reuschel
forced Mitterwald (shortstop to second); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 4.

ASTROS 2ND: Crawford lined to left; Watson grounded out (first
unassisted); Ferguson walked; Howe forced Ferguson (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 4.

CUBS 2ND: De Jesus was hit by a pitch; Cardenal popped to
shortstop; Biittner singled to left [De Jesus to second];
Bannister balked [De Jesus to third, Biittner to second]; Murcer
struck out; Morales homered [De Jesus scored, Biittner scored];
Trillo doubled to left; NIEKRO REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING);
Ontiveros struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 7.

ASTROS 3RD: Sperring was called out on strikes; Niekro grounded
out (second to first); Gonzalez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 7.

CUBS 3RD: Mitterwald grounded out (shortstop to first); R.
Reuschel popped to catcher in foul territory; KELLEHER BATTED
FOR DE JESUS; Kelleher struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 7.

ASTROS 4TH: KELLEHER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno flied out to left; Crawford
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 7.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal walked; Biittner lined to left; Murcer flied
out to left [Cardenal to second]; Morales flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 7.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson grounded out (second to first); Ferguson
singled to left; Howe singled to left [Ferguson to second];
Sperring grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Howe
out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 7.

CUBS 5TH: Trillo struck out; Ontiveros flied out to center;
Mitterwald homered; R. Reuschel lined to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 8.

ASTROS 6TH: GARDNER BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Gardner grounded out
(second to first); Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); Cruz
walked; Cruz stole second; Cedeno lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 8.

CUBS 6TH: LARSON REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Kelleher flied out
to right; Cardenal grounded out (third to first); Biittner
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Cubs 8.

ASTROS 7TH: Crawford singled to center; Watson homered [Crawford
scored]; Ferguson singled to center; Howe walked [Ferguson to
second]; Sperring forced Howe (third to second) [Ferguson to
third]; JOHNSON BATTED FOR LARSON; Johnson homered [Ferguson
scored, Sperring scored]; P. REUSCHEL REPLACED R. REUSCHEL
(PITCHING); Gonzalez lined to first; Cruz flied out to left; 5
R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 8.

CUBS 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED JOHNSON (PITCHING); Murcer flied out
to right; Morales grounded out (second to first); Trillo tripled
to right; Ontiveros grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno lined to third; Crawford singled to left;
Watson was called out on strikes; Ferguson homered [Crawford
scored]; SUTTER REPLACED P. REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Howe grounded
out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Cubs
8.

CUBS 8TH: Mitterwald grounded out (third to first); Sutter flied
out to center; Kelleher grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Cubs 8.

ASTROS 9TH: BOSWELL BATTED FOR SPERRING; Boswell grounded out
(second to first); HERRMANN BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Herrmann
grounded out (first unassisted); Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Cubs 8.

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