Equalling his entire homer production for 1976, George Foster smashed his 29th of the season as the Reds defeated the Astros, 8-3. Foster's homer followed a single by Dan Driessen in the sixth inning. Paul Moskau, who was lifted in the seventh, received credit for his first major league victory. After the rookie's departure, the Reds iced the game in their half of the seventh, capitalizing on four walks issued by Joe Niekro and a passed ball by Joe Ferguson. Mike Lum drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 8, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, July      15, 1977 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  1  -   3  7  1
Reds         0  0  1    1  0  2    4  0  x  -   8  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Rose 3b               3   1   1   1     1   0   .320
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .276        Knight 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .343
Cruz rf               1   0   1   1     2   0   .295      Driessen 1b           4   1   1   0     0   1   .303
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .279      Morgan 2b             2   2   0   0     2   0   .314
Ferguson c            3   2   1   0     1   0   .260      Foster cf             3   2   2   2     1   0   .317
Boswell 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .235      Bench c               3   0   1   2     1   0   .266
Howard lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .227        Plummer c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .162
Metzger ss            3   0   1   1     1   0   .198      Lum lf                4   0   2   2     0   1   .163
Pentz p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Summers rf            3   1   1   0     0   0   .212
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Murray p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .151        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Concepcion ss         3   0   0   0     0   0   .292
  Larson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .444        Bailey ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .292
  Herrmann ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .190        Auerbach ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                          Moskau p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Armbrister rf       2   1   1   0     0   0   .349

Totals               32   3   7   2     4   1             Totals               32   8   9   7     5   2

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 46,953
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 5
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Errors: Cabell
Doubles: Cabell (21), Cruz (19), Ferguson (12), Summers (2), Bench (20)
Home Runs: Foster (29)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (28), Rose (8), Driessen (20)
Caught Stealing: Concepcion (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (4)
GIDP: Howard (4), Lum (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pentz L(2-1)            5.2   7   4   4   1   1   1  24   4.70
Sambito                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.36
Niekro                  0.2   1   4   4   4   1   0   7   3.25
Larson                  1.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   5   5.93
Totals                  8     9   8   8   5   2   1  37

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Moskau W(1-1)           6     4   2   2   2   1   0  24   5.91
Murray                  2     3   1   1   2   0   0  10   4.43
Borbon                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.01
Totals                  9     7   3   3   4   1   0  37

Passed Balls: Ferguson (13)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Joe West


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(catcher to first); Cruz walked; Watson popped to shortstop; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to left; Driessen flied out to right;
Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Boswell
flied out to left; Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster singled to left; Bench forced Foster (pitcher
to second); Lum grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Bench out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger flied out to center; Pentz grounded out
(pitcher to first); Puhl flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Summers doubled to center; Concepcion grounded out
(second to first); Moskau popped to third; Rose singled to right
[Summers scored]; Rose stole second; Driessen grounded out
(pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell doubled to left; Cabell stole third; Cruz hit
a sacrifice fly to center [Cabell scored]; Watson lined to
right; Ferguson popped to catcher in foul territory; 1 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Morgan walked; Foster grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Morgan to second]; Bench doubled to left [Morgan
scored]; Lum was called out on strikes; Summers flied out to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Boswell grounded out (shortstop to first); Howard
flied out to left; Metzger walked; Pentz struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion reached on an error by Cabell [Concepcion
to first]; Concepcion was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Moskau flied out to right; Rose grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl lined to left; Cabell flied out to left; Cruz
doubled; Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: Driessen singled to center; Driessen stole second;
Morgan flied out to center [Driessen to third]; Foster homered
[Driessen scored]; Bench popped to first; Lum singled to right;
SAMBITO REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); Summers grounded out
(shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Ferguson doubled; Boswell singled to center
[Ferguson to third]; ARMBRISTER REPLACED MOSKAU (PLAYING RF);
MURRAY REPLACED SUMMERS (PITCHING); Howard grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Ferguson scored (no
RBI), Boswell out at second]; Metzger singled to center; GARDNER
BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Gardner flied out to center; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 4.

REDS 7TH: NIEKRO REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Concepcion
grounded out (third to first); Armbrister singled to left; Rose
walked [Armbrister to second]; Driessen struck out; Morgan
walked [Armbrister to third, Rose to second]; Ferguson allowed a
passed ball [Armbrister scored, Rose to third, Morgan to
second]; Foster walked; Bench walked [Rose scored, Morgan to
third, Foster to second]; LARSON REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Lum
singled to left [Morgan scored, Foster scored, Bench to second];
Murray flied out to right; 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds
8.

ASTROS 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Puhl grounded out
(third to first); Cabell popped to shortstop; Cruz walked;
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 8.

REDS 8TH: BAILEY BATTED FOR CONCEPCION; Bailey grounded out
(pitcher to first); Armbrister popped to first; Knight popped to
third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 8.

ASTROS 9TH: AUERBACH REPLACED BAILEY (PLAYING SS); PLUMMER
REPLACED BENCH (PLAYING C ); Ferguson walked; Boswell singled to
center [Ferguson to second]; Howard singled to right [Ferguson
to third, Boswell to second]; BORBON REPLACED MURRAY (PITCHING);
Metzger grounded out (first unassisted) [Ferguson scored,
Boswell to third, Howard to second]; HERRMANN BATTED FOR LARSON;
Herrmann flied out to left; Puhl grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 8.