A pair of errors in the ninth inning enabled the Mets to score two unearned runs and defeat the Astros, 4-3. Ed Kranepool was safe on a miscue by first baseman Bob Watson to start the stanza. Steve Henderson, making his first appearance with the Mets following a deal with Reds, ran for Kranepool. With two out, Felix Millan singled. Pinch-hitter Mike Vail then grounded to Julio Gonzalez and when the shortstop threw wildly to second base trying for a forceout, both Henderson and Millan scored on the error. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Thursday, June      16, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  3
Mets         0  1  0    0  1  0    2  0  x  -   4  5  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   2   .197      Randle 3b,ss          3   0   0   0     1   0   .318
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .272      Harrelson ss          3   0   0   0     1   1   .176
Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     1   1   .261        Stearns c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Ferguson c            4   1   2   0     0   0   .261      Boisclair lf,rf       3   0   0   0     1   1   .270
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .264      Milner 1b             2   1   1   1     2   1   .290
Howe 2b               4   0   2   1     0   0   .286      Kranepool rf          3   0   1   0     0   0   .295
  Gardner pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .171        Henderson pr,lf     1   1   0   0     0   1   .000
Howard lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .224      Grote c,3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .268
Gonzalez ss           3   0   1   0     0   0   .260      Mazzilli cf           3   0   0   0     0   0   .220
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .225      Millan 2b             3   2   2   0     0   0   .215
Forsch p              2   1   1   0     0   0   .167      Espinosa p            2   0   1   1     0   1   .125
  Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .356
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .286

Totals               34   3   9   2     1   4             Totals               28   4   5   2     5   5

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance:  8,915
Left on Base: Astros 5, Mets 5
DP: Astros 1, Mets 1
Errors: Cabell, Watson, Gonzalez
Doubles: Ferguson (8), Espinosa (1)
Home Runs: Milner (7)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (9), Randle (6)
GIDP: Grote (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  5     4   2   2   2   1   1  19   3.38
Sambito L(3-2)          2.1   1   2   0   3   3   0  12   1.66
McLaughlin              0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.73
Totals                  8     5   4   2   5   5   1  33

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa W(4-4)         7     7   3   3   1   3   0  27   3.86
Lockwood SV(10)         2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   3.46
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   4   0  35

Wild Pitches: Espinosa (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno struck out; Cabell flied out to center; Cruz
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle walked; Randle was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Harrelson grounded out (second to first);
Boisclair flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson doubled to right; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howe singled to center [Ferguson scored,
Howe to second (on throw to home)]; Howard flied out to right
[Howe to third]; Gonzalez grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Milner homered; Kranepool singled to right; Grote
grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to first)
[Kranepool out at second]; Mazzilli flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch singled to right; Cedeno singled to right
[Forsch to second]; Cabell singled to left [Forsch scored,
Cedeno to third (on throw to home)]; Cabell was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Espinosa threw a wild pitch [Cedeno
scored]; Cruz walked; Ferguson grounded out (third to first)
[Cruz to second]; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Millan grounded out (third to first); Espinosa struck
out; Randle grounded out (catcher unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe made an out to second; Howard popped to third
in foul territory; Gonzalez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Harrelson grounded out (third to first); Boisclair
flied out to center; Milner walked; Kranepool popped to third in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Forsch grounded out (third to first); Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Grote flied out to left; Mazzilli grounded out (second
to first); Millan singled to third [Millan to second (error by
Cabell)]; Espinosa doubled to left [Millan scored]; Randle
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
3, Mets 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Ferguson
singled to left; Watson lined into a double play (pitcher to
first) [Ferguson out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 2.

METS 6TH: SAMBITO REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Harrelson struck
out; Boisclair struck out; Milner was called out on strikes; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Howard
grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez singled to center;
Sambito grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Mets 2.

METS 7TH: Kranepool reached on an error by Watson [Kranepool to
first]; HENDERSON RAN FOR KRANEPOOL; Grote flied out to
center; Debut game for Steve Henderson; Mazzilli lined to
left; Millan singled to left [Henderson to second]; VAIL BATTED
FOR ESPINOSA; Vail reached on an error by Gonzalez [Henderson
scored (unearned) (no RBI), Millan scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Vail to third]; Randle grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R (0
ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 8TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED VAIL (PITCHING); HENDERSON STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BOISCLAIR CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
Cedeno struck out; Cabell made an out to second; Cruz grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets
4.

METS 8TH: Harrelson walked; Boisclair walked [Harrelson to
second]; Harrelson was picked off second (pitcher to shortstop);
Milner walked [Boisclair to second]; MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED SAMBITO
(PITCHING); Henderson struck out; Grote grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 4.

ASTROS 9TH: STEARNS REPLACED HARRELSON (PLAYING C ); RANDLE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); GROTE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
3B); Ferguson flied out to center; Watson flied out to center;
On a bunt Howe singled to third; GARDNER RAN FOR HOWE; Howard
singled to left [Gardner to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR
GONZALEZ; Boswell flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Mets 4.