Cesar Cedeno drove in three runs with two singles as the Astros defeated the Braves, 9-3, with a 15-hit attack that also included homers by Joe Ferguson and Bob Watson. Andy Messersmith, who started for the Braves, fell on his right elbow while trying to field a bouncing single by Julio Gonzalez to open the game and had to be removed. Frank LaCorte was the loser in relief. Gonzalez wound up with four straight hits. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 9, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Sunday, July      3, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0  -   3  7  1
Astros       1  1  3    0  2  1    0  1  x  -   9 15  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Office cf             3   0   0   0     0   3   .249      Gonzalez 2b           4   2   4   1     0   0   .259
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gaston ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .224      Cabell 3b             3   1   2   1     0   0   .279
  Capra p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .091        Howe 3b             2   0   1   1     0   0   .283
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .307      Cedeno cf             5   1   2   3     0   2   .209
Moore 3b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .280      Watson 1b             3   1   2   2     0   0   .282
Montanez 1b           2   1   0   0     2   0   .303        Cacek 1b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .071
Burroughs rf          3   1   1   2     1   0   .270      Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .267
Matthews lf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .283      Ferguson c            3   1   1   1     1   1   .259
Correll c             4   0   1   0     0   0   .234      Fuller lf             4   0   0   0     0   4   .158
Gilbreath 2b          2   0   0   0     0   1   .241      Metzger ss            4   2   2   0     0   0   .167
  Kline p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bannister p           2   1   1   0     0   0   .286
  Paciorek cf         2   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Sperring ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .149
Chaney ss             4   0   0   0     0   2   .231
Messersmith p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .118
  LaCorte p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .200
  Royster 2b          3   0   1   0     0   1   .212

Totals               33   3   7   3     4   8             Totals               35   9  15   9     2   7

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 20,397
Left on Base: Braves 7, Astros 6
DP: Braves 1, Astros 1
Errors: Royster
Doubles: Royster (5), Matthews (9), Cabell (18), Gonzalez (14)
Home Runs: Burroughs (21), Ferguson (10), Watson (10)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (25)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Gonzalez (4), Bannister (4)
GIDP: Correll (3), Cruz (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Messersmith             0     1   1   1   0   0   0   1   4.40
LaCorte L(1-8)          3     5   4   4   1   2   2  13  11.68
Kline                   1     4   2   2   0   1   0   8   5.65
Campbell                2     2   1   1   1   1   0   8   4.18
Capra                   2     3   1   1   0   3   0   9   6.11
Totals                  8    15   9   9   2   7   2  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister W(4-6)        8     6   3   3   4   5   1  33   4.48
McLaughlin              1     1   0   0   0   3   0   4   4.04
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4   8   1  37

Umpires: HP - Bob Engel, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - John McSherry, 3B - Jerry Dale


BRAVES 1ST: Office struck out; Moore singled; Montanez walked
[Moore to second]; Burroughs walked [Moore to third, Montanez to
second]; Matthews grounded out (first to pitcher) [Moore scored,
Montanez to third, Burroughs to second]; Correll grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to pitcher; LACORTE REPLACED
MESSERSMITH (PITCHING); Cabell doubled [Gonzalez scored, Cabell
out at third (right to second to first to shortstop)]; Cedeno
struck out; Watson flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 1, Astros 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first); Chaney
flied out to right; LaCorte singled; Office struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz walked; Cruz was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Ferguson homered; Fuller struck out;
Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Braves 1, Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Moore made an out to second; Montanez grounded out
(second to first); Burroughs flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Bannister singled; Gonzalez out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Bannister to second]; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); Cedeno singled [Bannister scored]; Watson
homered [Cedeno scored]; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 3
R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 5.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews walked; Correll grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Matthews out at second];
Gilbreath struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: ROYSTER REPLACED LACORTE (PLAYING 2B); KLINE
REPLACED GILBREATH (PITCHING); Ferguson reached on an error by
Royster [Ferguson to second]; Fuller struck out; Metzger
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Ferguson to third]; Bannister
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves
1, Astros 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Chaney grounded out (third to first); Royster flied
out to center; Office struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves
1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez doubled; Cabell singled [Gonzalez to
third]; Cabell stole second; Cedeno singled [Gonzalez scored,
Cabell scored]; Watson singled [Cedeno to second]; PACIOREK
REPLACED KLINE (PLAYING CF); CAMPBELL REPLACED OFFICE
(PITCHING); Cruz grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Cedeno to third, Watson out at second];
Ferguson was walked intentionally; Fuller struck out; 2 R, 4 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 7.

BRAVES 6TH: HOWE REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 3B); CACEK REPLACED
WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Moore flied out to center; Montanez walked;
Burroughs homered [Montanez scored]; Matthews flied out to left;
Correll singled; Paciorek grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger singled; Bannister out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Metzger to second]; Gonzalez singled [Metzger
scored]; Howe flied out to center; Cedeno flied out to center; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 8.

BRAVES 7TH: Chaney struck out; Royster doubled; GASTON BATTED
FOR CAMPBELL; Gaston grounded out (third to first); Moore
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 8.

ASTROS 7TH: CAPRA REPLACED GASTON (PITCHING); Cacek grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz flied out to right; Ferguson struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 8.

BRAVES 8TH: Montanez flied out to left; Burroughs grounded out
(third to first); Matthews doubled; Correll grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Fuller struck out; Metzger singled; SPERRING BATTED
FOR BANNISTER; Sperring made an out to first; Gonzalez singled
[Metzger to second]; Howe singled [Metzger scored, Gonzalez to
second]; Cedeno struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 9.

BRAVES 9TH: SPERRING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); MCLAUGHLIN
REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Paciorek singled; Chaney struck
out; Royster struck out; POCOROBA BATTED FOR CAPRA; Pocoroba
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 9.