Pat Zachry, making his debut with the Mets after being obtained from the Reds, failed to pitch over an error by Lenny Randle in the fifth inning and wound up being charged with a 7-1 loss to the Astros. A pass to Enos Cabell and double by Jose Cruz produced the only earned run off Zachry in the third.

With two out in the fifth, Cabell doubled and Cruz was passed intentionally. Randle then bobbled a grounder by Joe Ferguson to load the bases. Bob Watson singled, driving in two runs, and Art Howe followed with a single to bat in another tally. Cabell capped the Astros' scoring by smashing a three-run homer off reliever Rick Baldwin in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, New York Mets 1
Game Played on Friday, June      17, 1977 (Night game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    0  3  0    0  3  0  -   7 11  1
Mets         0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .197      Randle 3b             5   0   0   0     0   1   .308
Cabell 3b             4   3   2   3     1   1   .276      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .216
Cruz rf               3   1   2   1     2   0   .267      Henderson lf          4   0   2   0     0   0   .400
Ferguson c            4   1   0   0     1   0   .255      Milner 1b             4   0   1   0     0   2   .289
Watson 1b             4   0   1   2     1   1   .264      Vail rf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .352
Howe 2b               5   0   2   1     0   0   .289      Grote c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .267
Howard lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .208      Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   0     0   3   .220
Gonzalez ss           4   0   2   0     0   0   .265      Flynn ss              3   0   1   0     1   0   .257
  Metzger ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Zachry p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .125
Bannister p           3   1   1   0     1   1   .238        Valentine ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .179
                                                            Baldwin p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Torre ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .176

Totals               36   7  11   7     6   4             Totals               35   1   8   0     3   8

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 15,201
Left on Base: Astros 8, Mets 10
DP: Astros 0, Mets 1
Errors: Cabell, Randle
Doubles: Cruz (13), Cabell (12), Vail (5)
Home Runs: Cabell (5)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (18), Mazzilli (13)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister W(2-6)        9     8   1   0   3   8   0  38   5.29
Totals                  9     8   1   0   3   8   0  38

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Zachry L(3-8)           6     7   4   1   4   4   0  28   4.78
Baldwin                 3     4   3   3   2   0   1  14   4.35
Totals                  9    11   7   4   6   4   1  42

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


ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno lined to shortstop; Cabell struck out; Cruz
walked; Ferguson walked [Cruz to second]; Watson was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle grounded out (third to first); Millan walked;
Henderson singled to right [Millan to third]; Milner was called
out on strikes; Vail lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe popped to second; Howard grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gonzalez singled to pitcher; Bannister
singled to left [Gonzalez to second]; Cedeno grounded out (third
to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Grote flied out to center; Mazzilli was called out on
strikes; Flynn flied to right in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell walked; Cruz doubled to right [Cabell scored,
Cruz out at third (right to second to third)]; Ferguson grounded
out (first unassisted); Watson grounded out (pitcher
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Zachry was called out on strikes; Randle struck out;
Millan singled to left; Henderson grounded out (third to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe flied out to left; Howard grounded out (first
unassisted); Gonzalez flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Milner popped to second; Vail doubled to left; Grote
flied out to center; Mazzilli singled to left [Vail scored
(error by Cabell) (unearned) (no RBI)]; Mazzilli stole second;
Flynn walked; Zachry grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R (0
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Bannister grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
struck out; Cabell doubled to left; Cruz was walked
intentionally; Ferguson reached on an error by Randle [Cabell to
third, Cruz to second, Ferguson to first]; Watson singled to
left [Cabell scored (unearned), Cruz scored (unearned), Ferguson
to second]; Howe singled to right [Ferguson scored (unearned),
Watson to third]; Howard forced Howe (shortstop to second); 3 R
(0 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

METS 5TH: Randle grounded out (second to first); Millan popped
to left; Henderson singled to second; Milner singled to left
[Henderson to third]; Vail struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Mets 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Gonzalez singled to shortstop; On a bunt Bannister
struck out; Cedeno hit into a double play (right to first)
[Gonzalez out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets
1.

METS 6TH: Grote flied out to left; Mazzilli struck out; Flynn
singled to pitcher; VALENTINE BATTED FOR ZACHRY; Valentine
walked [Flynn to second]; Randle forced Valentine (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

ASTROS 7TH: BALDWIN REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz singled to right; Cruz
stole second; Ferguson flied out to center; Watson was walked
intentionally; Howe singled to second [Cruz out at home (second
to third), Watson to second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Mets 1.

METS 7TH: Millan flied out to right; Henderson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Milner was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Howard popped to third; Gonzalez lined to pitcher;
Bannister walked; Cedeno singled to left [Bannister to second];
Cabell homered [Bannister scored, Cedeno scored]; Cruz grounded
out (second to first); 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 1.

METS 8TH: Vail made an out to second; Grote singled to center;
Mazzilli struck out; Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Ferguson flied out to right; Watson grounded out
(second to first); Howe grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Mets 1.

METS 9TH: METZGER REPLACED GONZALEZ (PLAYING SS); TORRE BATTED
FOR BALDWIN; Torre flied out to right; Randle popped to catcher
in foul territory; Millan lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 7, Mets 1.