The Cardinals, who had lost six straight times in the Astrodome since last June 7, broke a tie with four unearned runs and defeated the Astros, 8-4. The Astros knotted the count at 3-3 with homers by Cesar Cedeno and Jose Cruz in the fourth inning and pulled even again at 4-4 with a triple by Joe Ferguson and a passed ball in the sixth.

The Cardinals then went ahead to stay in the seventh with a single by Bake McBride, double by Ted Simmons and a bad throw by Art Howe on the relay to the plate. Another error by Howe opened the gates for three more unearned runs in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 8, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Wednesday, May       18, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  3  0    0  0  1    1  3  0  -   8 15  0
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  7  3


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              5   0   3   1     0   1   .299      Gonzalez ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .294
  Anderson rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .188      Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .275
Templeton ss          5   0   1   0     0   1   .286      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .198
McBride cf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .220      Johnson lf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .364
  Scott cf            1   0   1   1     0   0   .364      Cruz rf               3   1   1   2     1   1   .235
Simmons c             5   0   1   0     0   1   .365      Ferguson c            4   1   2   0     0   0   .303
Hernandez 1b          4   2   1   0     1   0   .318      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .223
Mumphrey rf,lf        4   2   2   0     1   0   .423      Howe 2b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .237
Reitz 3b              5   2   2   2     0   1   .256      Lemongello p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Tyson 2b              4   1   3   2     0   0   .202        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .150        Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .278
  Kessinger ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .255        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Schultz p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               41   8  15   6     2   5             Totals               32   4   7   3     3   6

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance:  7,601
Left on Base: Cardinals 8, Astros 4
DP: Cardinals 1, Astros 1
Errors: Cabell, Howe 2
Doubles: Reitz (11), Simmons (9), Gonzalez (8)
Triples: Ferguson (1)
Home Runs: Cedeno (2), Cruz (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (13)
Caught Stealing: Mumphrey (2), Cruz (3)
GIDP: Templeton (2), Cedeno (2)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  5     5   3   3   2   1   2  21   2.79
Schultz W(3-0)          4     2   1   0   1   5   0  14   1.45
Totals                  9     7   4   3   3   6   2  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(1-5)       6.2  10   5   4   2   2   0  31   3.71
Sambito                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.59
Forsch                  1     5   3   0   0   3   0   8   2.86
McLaughlin              1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.33
Totals                  9    15   8   4   2   5   0  43

Passed Balls: Simmons (1)
Wild Pitches: Forsch (2)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Ed Sudol, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Bruce Froemming


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to third [Brock to second (error by
Cabell)]; Templeton grounded out (second to first) [Brock to
third]; McBride grounded out (second to first); Simmons grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez grounded out (second to first); Cabell
flied out to right; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hernandez walked; Mumphrey singled to left
[Hernandez to second]; Reitz doubled to left [Hernandez scored,
Mumphrey scored]; Tyson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Forsch grounded out (second to first) [Reitz to third]; Brock
singled to center [Reitz scored]; Templeton struck out; 3 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (pitcher to first); Ferguson singled to center;
Watson walked [Ferguson to second]; Howe flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: McBride grounded out (third to first); Simmons
lined to first; Hernandez lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (second to first); Cabell flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Mumphrey grounded out (second to first); Reitz
was called out on strikes; Tyson singled to right; Forsch forced
Tyson (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno homered; Johnson singled to left; Cruz
homered [Johnson scored]; Ferguson grounded out (second to
first); Watson popped to first in foul territory; Howe grounded
out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3,
Astros 3.

CARDINALS 5TH: Brock flied out to center; Templeton flied out to
right; McBride flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Lemongello struck out (catcher to first); Gonzalez
doubled to left; Cabell walked; Cedeno grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Simmons grounded out (first unassisted);
Hernandez singled to left; Mumphrey walked [Hernandez to
second]; Reitz popped to first in foul territory; Tyson singled
to left [Hernandez scored, Mumphrey to third]; KESSINGER BATTED
FOR FORSCH; Kessinger forced Tyson (first to second); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: SCHULTZ REPLACED KESSINGER (PITCHING); Johnson flied
out to center; Cruz walked; Cruz was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Ferguson tripled to right; Simmons allowed
a passed ball [Ferguson scored (unearned)]; Watson popped to
first; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 4, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 7TH: Brock singled to center; Templeton grounded into
a double play (catcher to shortstop to first) [Brock out at
second]; McBride singled to center; Simmons doubled to right
[McBride scored (error by Howe) (unearned) (no RBI)]; SAMBITO
REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Hernandez lined to shortstop; 1
R (0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: SCOTT REPLACED MCBRIDE (PLAYING CF); Howe struck
out; HOWARD BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Howard struck out; Gonzalez
lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Mumphrey
singled to shortstop; Mumphrey was caught stealing second but
was safe at second (error by Howe; assist by Ferguson); Reitz
singled to shortstop [Mumphrey to third]; Tyson singled to left
[Mumphrey scored (unearned), Reitz to second]; Schultz struck
out; Brock struck out; Templeton singled to third [Reitz to
third, Tyson to second]; Forsch threw a wild pitch [Reitz scored
(unearned), Tyson to third, Templeton to second]; Scott singled
to right [Tyson scored (unearned), Templeton to third]; Simmons
was called out on strikes; 3 R (0 ER), 5 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 8, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: ANDERSON REPLACED BROCK (PLAYING RF); MUMPHREY
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Cabell singled to left; Cabell
stole second; Cedeno struck out; Johnson struck out; Cruz was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 8,
Astros 4.

CARDINALS 9TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Hernandez
flied out to right; Mumphrey grounded out (first unassisted);
Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 8, Astros 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Ferguson grounded out (pitcher to first); Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 8, Astros 4.