Julio Gonzalez tripled in the seventh inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cesar Cedeno to bring the Astros a 4-3 victory over the Mets. A homer by John Milner in the second and a clout by Ed Kranepool with a man on base in the fourth gave the Mets a 3-0 lead. The Astros rallied to tie the score in the sixth with a walk to Cedeno, single by Enos Cabell, a double steal, double by Jose Cruz and single by Bob Watson. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Saturday, June      18, 1977 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  3    1  0  0  -   4  9  0
Mets         0  1  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno cf             3   1   0   1     1   0   .194      Randle 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .302
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .278      Millan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .217
Cruz rf               4   1   1   2     0   1   .266      Henderson lf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Ferguson c            4   0   1   0     0   2   .255      Milner 1b             3   2   1   1     1   0   .290
Watson 1b             4   0   3   1     0   0   .273      Kranepool rf          4   1   1   2     0   1   .294
Howe 2b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .282      Stearns c             3   0   1   0     1   0   .271
Fuller lf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .000      Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .221
  Gardner lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .171      Flynn ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .237
Gonzalez ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .265        Boisclair ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .268
Lemongello p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Koosman p             2   0   2   0     0   0   .189
  Sperring ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .152        Valentine ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .176
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Apodaca p           0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
  Cacek ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Niekro p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .250

Totals               36   4   9   4     1   9             Totals               32   3   7   3     3   1

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 52,784
Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 5
DP: Astros 1, Mets 0
Errors: Milner
Doubles: Watson (10), Cruz (14)
Triples: Gonzalez (2)
Home Runs: Milner (8), Kranepool (6)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (23), Cabell (23)
Caught Stealing: Mazzilli (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Cedeno (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello              4     4   3   3   1   0   2  16   4.37
Pentz W(2-0)            2     3   0   0   0   1   0   9   2.35
Niekro SV(3)            3     0   0   0   2   0   0  10   2.68
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   1   2  35

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(5-7)          7     7   4   4   1   8   0  29   2.97
Apodaca                 2     2   0   0   0   1   0   9   2.80
Totals                  9     9   4   4   1   9   0  38

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


ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
singled to left; Cruz popped to third; Ferguson grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle flied out to center; Millan flied out to
center; Henderson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Howe forced Watson (first to
shortstop); Fuller struck out; Gonzalez flied out to right; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Milner homered; Kranepool flied out to left; Stearns
grounded out (shortstop to first); Mazzilli singled to second;
Mazzilli was picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to
first to second to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Lemongello struck out; Cedeno flied out to right;
Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 1.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (third to first); Koosman singled
to left; Randle flied out to right; Millan flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz struck out; Ferguson struck out; Watson doubled
to left; Howe flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Mets 1.

METS 4TH: Henderson grounded out (shortstop to first); Milner
walked; Kranepool homered [Milner scored]; Stearns lined to
third; Mazzilli flied out to right; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Fuller flied out to center; Gonzalez flied out to
left; SPERRING BATTED FOR LEMONGELLO; Sperring struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 3.

METS 5TH: PENTZ REPLACED SPERRING (PITCHING); Flynn grounded out
(shortstop to first); Koosman singled to center; Randle flied
out to right; Millan singled to center [Koosman to second];
Henderson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 0, Mets 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno walked; Cabell singled to right [Cedeno to
second]; Cedeno stole third and Cabell stole second; Cruz
doubled to right [Cedeno scored, Cabell scored, Cruz to third
(on throw to home)]; Ferguson struck out; Watson singled to left
[Cruz scored]; Howe struck out; Fuller struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 3.

METS 6TH: Milner grounded out (first to pitcher); Kranepool
struck out; Stearns singled to center; Mazzilli flied out to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Gonzalez tripled to left; CACEK BATTED FOR PENTZ;
Cacek grounded out (shortstop to first); Debut game for Craig
Cacek; Cedeno hit a sacrifice fly to left [Gonzalez scored];
Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 7TH: NIEKRO REPLACED CACEK (PITCHING); Flynn lined to left;
VALENTINE BATTED FOR KOOSMAN; Valentine flied out to left;
Randle walked; Millan grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

ASTROS 8TH: APODACA REPLACED VALENTINE (PITCHING); Cruz popped
to shortstop; Ferguson singled to right; Watson grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Ferguson to second]; Howe reached on a
fielder's choice [Ferguson out at third (third unassisted)]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 8TH: Henderson flied out to left; Milner lined to right;
Kranepool grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Fuller struck out; Gonzalez grounded out (third to
first); Niekro singled to center; Cedeno reached on an error by
Milner [Niekro to second, Cedeno to first]; Cabell lined to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.

METS 9TH: GARDNER REPLACED FULLER (PLAYING LF); Stearns walked;
Mazzilli popped to catcher in foul territory [Stearns to
second]; BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR FLYNN; Boisclair lined into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop) [Stearns out at second]; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 3.