Rich Gossage pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings and picked up his seventh save of the season as the Pirates defeated the Astros, 6-2. The Pirates scored twice in the first inning on a double by Omar Moreno, pass to Dave Parker, single by Al Oliver and error by Joaquin Andujar. Rennie Stennett walked in the second, took third on a single by Duffy Dyer and scored on the front end of a delayed double steal.

The Astros picked up their pair on successive homers by Cliff Johnson and Jose Cruz in the sixth inning, kayoing Larry Demery. Kent Tekulve and Terry Forster each retired one batter in relief before Gossage took over. The Pirates then pulled away with their final three runs. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Saturday, May       14, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      2  1  0    0  0  0    2  0  1  -   6  8  2
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   2  9  2


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moreno cf             3   2   2   1     2   0   .250      Gonzalez ss           5   0   2   0     0   2   .302
Taveras ss            4   0   3   1     0   0   .268      Cabell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .275
Parker rf             4   1   0   0     1   1   .408      Cedeno cf             5   0   2   0     0   1   .207
Oliver lf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .320      Johnson lf            5   1   1   1     0   2   .364
Kirkpatrick 1b        3   0   0   0     1   2   .091      Cruz rf               3   1   1   1     1   1   .238
Stennett 2b           3   1   0   0     1   0   .277      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .225
Garner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .118
Dyer c                1   2   1   0     3   0   .300        Howard pr,2b        1   0   1   0     0   0   .313
Demery p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .300      Howe 2b               2   0   0   0     0   0   .265
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Ferguson ph,c       1   0   1   0     1   0   .293
  Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Andujar p             1   0   0   0     1   1   .231
  Gossage p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Crawford ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .261
                                                            Larson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   6   8   3     8   4             Totals               36   2   9   2     3   8

Time of Game: 3:00   Attendance: 25,152
Left on Base: Pirates 6, Astros 11
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 1
Errors: Taveras, Kirkpatrick, Cruz, Andujar
Doubles: Moreno (3), Gonzalez (7), Cabell (5)
Home Runs: Johnson (6), Cruz (1)
Stolen Bases: Dyer (3), Stennett (8), Taveras (14), Moreno (14), Cedeno (12)
Caught Stealing: Oliver 2 (6), Taveras (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Taveras (3), Gossage (1)
Hit by Pitch: Watson (2,by Tekulve)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Demery W(3-1)           5     6   2   2   2   1   2  23   3.23
Tekulve                 0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   3   1.80
Forster                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   6.75
Gossage SV(7)           3.1   3   0   0   0   7   0  13   0.96
Totals                  9     9   2   2   3   8   2  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(2-3)          6     4   3   2   5   2   0  24   4.40
Sambito                 2     2   2   1   2   2   0   9   2.63
Larson                  1     2   1   1   1   0   0   6   4.60
Totals                  9     8   6   4   8   4   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Tekulve (1)
Wild Pitches: Gossage (1)

Umpires: HP - Nick Colosi, 1B - Frank Pulli, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - John Kibler


PIRATES 1ST: Moreno doubled to left; Taveras out on a sacrifice
bunt (second to first) [Moreno to third]; Parker walked; Oliver
singled to right [Moreno scored, Parker to third]; Oliver was
picked off first but was safe on an error by Andujar [Parker
scored (unearned), Oliver to second]; Kirkpatrick struck out
while Oliver was caught stealing third (catcher to third); 2 R
(1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to center; Cabell flied out to
left; Cedeno singled to center [Gonzalez to third, Cedeno to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Johnson made an out to shortstop; Cruz
walked; Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stennett walked; On a bunt Garner made an out to
catcher [Stennett to second]; Dyer singled to right [Stennett to
third]; Stennett stole home and Dyer stole second; Demery struck
out; Moreno walked; Taveras flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Herrmann grounded out (second to first); Howe made
an out to shortstop; Andujar walked; Gonzalez popped to second;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Parker grounded out (second to first); Oliver
grounded out (second to first); Kirkpatrick grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
singled to left; Cedeno stole second; Johnson popped to catcher
in foul territory; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stennett grounded out (second to first); Garner
made an out to second; Dyer walked; Demery grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Herrmann
made an out to third; Howe reached on an error by Taveras [Howe
to first]; Andujar struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Moreno grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Taveras
singled to center; Taveras stole second; Parker flied out to
left; Taveras was caught stealing third (catcher to third); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez doubled to left; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno hit into a double play (left to
third) [Gonzalez out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
3, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: Oliver grounded out (second to first); Kirkpatrick
walked; Kirkpatrick was picked off first (pitcher to first);
Stennett grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson homered; Cruz homered; TEKULVE REPLACED
DEMERY (PITCHING); Watson was hit by a pitch; Herrmann forced
Watson (first to shortstop) [Herrmann to second (error by
Kirkpatrick)]; Ed Kirkpatrick called for obstruction;
HOWARD RAN FOR HERRMANN; FERGUSON BATTED FOR HOWE; Ferguson
walked; Joe Ferguson's 4th ball was not pitch as Kent Tekulve
went to mouth; CRAWFORD BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; FORSTER REPLACED
TEKULVE (PITCHING); Crawford flied out to center; GOSSAGE
REPLACED FORSTER (PITCHING); Gonzalez struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

PIRATES 7TH: FERGUSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); HOWARD STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); SAMBITO REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING);
Garner grounded out (second to first); Dyer walked; On a bunt
Gossage grounded out (third to second) [Dyer to second]; Moreno
walked; Taveras singled to right [Dyer scored, Moreno scored
(error by Cruz) (unearned) (no RBI), Taveras to second]; Parker
struck out; 2 R (1 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out
(third to first); Johnson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 5, Astros 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Oliver singled to pitcher; Kirkpatrick struck out;
Oliver was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Stennett made an out to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz struck out; Watson struck out; Howard singled
to center; Ferguson singled to left [Howard to third]; BOSWELL
BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Boswell flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 2.

PIRATES 9TH: LARSON REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Garner flied
out to left; Dyer walked; Gossage out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Dyer to second]; Moreno singled to center
[Dyer scored]; Moreno stole second; Taveras singled to shortstop
[Moreno to third]; Parker flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Gonzalez was called out on strikes; Cabell doubled
to right; Gossage threw a wild pitch [Cabell to third]; Cedeno
was called out on strikes; Johnson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 2.