After exploding for five runs in the first inning on a double by Steve Garvey and homer by Dusty Baker, the Dodgers added a pair of tallies on a round-tripper by Steve Yeager in the fourth to defeat the Astros, 7-4. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the first on a single by Bill Russell and walks to Reggie Smith and Ron Cey before Garvey lashed his double. Baker followed with his homer.

The Astros came back with a solo drive by Jose Cruz in the second and three-run blast by Bob Watson in the third to cut the Dodgers' lead to 5-4, but Yeager's drive in the fourth put the game out of the Astros' reach. Ken Forsch was the hard-luck loser, pitching to only two batters in the first before suffering a muscle spasm in his arm. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Thursday, July      7, 1977 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  1  3    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   4 13  0
Dodgers      5  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  x  -   7  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Gonzalez 2b,ss        5   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Martinez 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .299
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .278      Russell ss            4   1   1   0     0   0   .287
Cedeno cf             1   0   1   0     0   0   .209      Smith rf              0   1   0   0     1   0   .312
  Howard cf           3   1   1   0     0   2   .213        Hale rf             3   0   0   0     0   1   .257
Watson 1b             4   1   4   3     0   0   .285      Cey 3b                3   1   0   0     1   0   .288
Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     1   0   .258      Garvey 1b             4   1   1   3     0   1   .308
Cruz rf               4   1   3   1     0   1   .276      Monday cf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .260
Fuller lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .189      Baker lf              3   2   3   2     1   0   .301
Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     1   0   .200      Yeager c              4   1   1   2     0   1   .288
  Boswell ph,2b       1   0   0   0     0   0   .240      Rau p                 2   0   1   0     1   0   .167
Forsch p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .077        Hough p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .056
  Lemongello p        2   0   1   0     0   0   .032
  Sperring ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .159
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .137

Totals               36   4  13   4     2   4             Totals               32   7   9   7     4   4

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 29,239
Left on Base: Astros 7, Dodgers 5
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 3
Doubles: Garvey (15), Baker (13)
Home Runs: Cruz (8), Watson (11), Baker (16), Yeager (9)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (27), Martinez (2)
Caught Stealing: Gonzalez (3), Baker (3)
GIDP: Gonzalez (4), Sperring (3), Ferguson (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(4-7)           0.1   1   1   1   0   0   0   2   2.89
Lemongello              4.2   6   6   6   2   1   2  22   4.56
Pentz                   3     2   0   0   2   3   0  12   4.22
Totals                  8     9   7   7   4   4   2  36

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rau W(9-1)              7.2  13   4   4   2   4   2  34   4.18
Hough SV(19)            1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   3.25
Totals                  9    13   4   4   2   4   2  38

Wild Pitches: Pentz (3)

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Paul Pryor


ASTROS 1ST: Gonzalez singled to pitcher; Gonzalez was caught
stealing second (catcher to second); Cabell grounded out (second
to first); Cedeno singled to left; Cedeno stole second; Watson
singled to center [Cedeno to third]; Ferguson flied out to left;
0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Martinez grounded out (shortstop to first); Russell
singled to right; LEMONGELLO REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Smith
walked [Russell to second]; Cey walked [Russell to third, Smith
to second]; Garvey doubled to right [Russell scored, Smith
scored, Cey scored]; Monday grounded out (first to pitcher)
[Garvey to third]; Baker homered [Garvey scored]; Yeager
grounded out (third to first); 5 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 2ND: HALE REPLACED SMITH (PLAYING RF); Cruz homered;
Fuller struck out; Metzger flied out to right; Lemongello
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 2ND: HOWARD REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING CF); Rau grounded
out (second to first); Martinez singled to left; Martinez stole
second; Russell grounded out (shortstop to first); Hale popped
to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell
singled to left; Howard singled to right [Cabell to third];
Watson homered [Cabell scored, Howard scored]; Ferguson walked;
Cruz struck out; Fuller grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 3RD: Cey flied out to right; Garvey struck out; Monday
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Dodgers 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger flied out to right; Lemongello singled to
right; Gonzalez grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Lemongello out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Dodgers 5.

DODGERS 4TH: Baker singled to center; Yeager homered [Baker
scored]; Rau singled to right; Martinez flied to right in foul
territory; Russell grounded out (first unassisted) [Rau to
second]; Hale popped to third; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Howard struck
out (catcher to first); Watson singled to left; Ferguson flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 5TH: Cey grounded out (third to first); Garvey popped to
second; Monday flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz singled to left; Fuller popped to second;
Metzger walked [Cruz to second]; SPERRING BATTED FOR LEMONGELLO;
Sperring grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 6TH: PENTZ REPLACED SPERRING (PITCHING); Baker doubled
to right; Pentz threw a wild pitch [Baker to third]; Yeager
struck out; Baker was caught stealing home (catcher unassisted);
Rau walked; Martinez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
flied out to left; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 7TH: Russell grounded out (second to first); Hale struck
out; Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson singled to center; Ferguson grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Watson out at second];
Cruz singled to center; Fuller singled to left [Cruz to second];
HOUGH REPLACED RAU (PITCHING); BOSWELL BATTED FOR METZGER;
Boswell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 8TH: BOSWELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); GONZALEZ
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Garvey popped to third; Monday
singled to right; Baker walked [Monday to second]; Yeager
grounded out (third to first) [Monday to third, Baker to
second]; Hough struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 9TH: GARDNER BATTED FOR PENTZ; Gardner grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gonzalez popped to first; Cabell grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 7.