The Reds promoted Farmers' Night and drew their largest crowd of the season, 52,286, but the Astros reaped the victory, 8-0. J.R. Richard and Joe Sambito combined to post the shutout. Sambito relieved after Richard walked the first two batters in the seventh inning. Wilbur Howard hit a three-run homer for the Astros and Jose Cruz added a two-run blast. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Cincinnati Reds 0
Game Played on Saturday, July      16, 1977 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  1  3    0  2  2  -   8 13  1
Reds         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   1   1     0   0   .211      xRose 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   0   .275      Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   2   .299
Cruz rf               5   1   1   2     0   1   .294      Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .311
Watson 1b             4   2   2   0     1   1   .282        Auerbach 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Ferguson c            4   1   1   0     1   0   .260      Foster cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .317
Howard lf             5   2   2   3     0   1   .237      Bench c               3   0   1   0     1   1   .267
Gonzalez 2b           4   1   4   1     0   0   .265        Henderson p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Metzger ss            2   0   0   1     1   0   .195      Lum lf                3   0   1   0     0   0   .173
Richard p             3   0   1   0     0   1   .200        Armbrister ph,rf    1   0   0   0     0   1   .341
  Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   1   .143      Summers rf            3   0   0   0     0   2   .194
                                                            Bailey ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                          Concepcion ss         3   0   2   0     1   0   .295
                                                          Norman p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .114
                                                            Griffey ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .332
                                                            Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Plummer c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .160

Totals               37   8  13   8     3   5             Totals               32   0   5   0     4   9

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 52,286
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 10
DP: Astros 0, Reds 0
Errors: Ferguson
Doubles: Watson (17), Gonzalez (16), Concepcion (15), Bench (21)
Home Runs: Howard (2), Cruz (11)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (1), Metzger (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(9-6)          6     4   0   0   4   7   0  27   2.69
Sambito SV(2)           3     1   0   0   0   2   0  10   2.22
Totals                  9     5   0   0   4   9   0  37

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman L(9-5)           7     8   4   4   2   4   1  30   3.06
Murray                  1     2   2   2   1   1   0   6   4.65
Henderson               1     3   2   2   0   0   1   6  12.00
Totals                  9    13   8   8   3   5   2  42

Wild Pitches: Norman (5)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl popped to shortstop; Cabell grounded out (third
to first); Cruz was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Driessen struck
out; Morgan struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Ferguson forced Watson
(pitcher to shortstop); Howard struck out; Gonzalez singled to
center [Ferguson to second]; Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster popped to pitcher; Bench walked; Lum forced
Bench (pitcher to shortstop); Summers struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard singled; Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Richard to second]; Cabell reached on a
fielder's choice [Richard out at third (shortstop to third)];
Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion singled to third; On a bunt Norman popped
to catcher in foul territory; Rose reached on catcher's
interference by Ferguson [Concepcion to second]; Driessen flied
out to center; Morgan walked [Concepcion to third, Rose to
second]; Foster forced Rose (shortstop to third); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
3 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson struck out; Ferguson grounded out (first to
pitcher); Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Bench grounded out (second to first); Lum flied out to
center; Summers flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez singled to right; Metzger out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Gonzalez to second]; Norman
threw a wild pitch [Gonzalez to third]; Richard struck out; Puhl
singled to right [Gonzalez scored]; Cabell forced Puhl
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion doubled to right; On a bunt Norman struck
out; Rose reached on a fielder's choice [Concepcion out at third
(pitcher to shortstop to third), Rose to second]; Driessen
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Watson doubled;
Ferguson walked; Howard homered [Watson scored, Ferguson
scored]; Gonzalez singled to left; Gonzalez was picked off first
(pitcher to first); Metzger walked; Richard flied out to center;
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

REDS 6TH: Morgan flied out to center; Foster singled to left;
Bench struck out; Lum singled to shortstop [Foster to second];
Summers struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Cabell popped
to catcher; Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion walked; GRIFFEY BATTED FOR NORMAN; Griffey
walked [Concepcion to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED RICHARD
(PITCHING); Rose flied out to right; Driessen forced Griffey
(shortstop to second) [Concepcion to third]; Morgan grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 0.

ASTROS 8TH: MURRAY REPLACED GRIFFEY (PITCHING); Watson
walked; Reds Manager Sparky Anderson ejected by HP umpire Art
Williams after Dale Murray warned for throwing at Bob
Watson; Ferguson grounded out (third to second to first)
[Watson to second]; Howard singled to center [Watson to third];
Gonzalez doubled to right [Watson scored, Howard to third];
Metzger grounded out (first to second to first) [Howard scored,
Gonzalez to third]; Sambito struck out; 38 minute rain
delay; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 0.

REDS 8TH: Foster struck out; Bench doubled to left; ARMBRISTER
BATTED FOR LUM; Armbrister struck out; BAILEY BATTED FOR
SUMMERS; Bailey popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 0.

ASTROS 9TH: ARMBRISTER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BAILEY
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); AUERBACH REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING
2B); HENDERSON REPLACED BENCH (PITCHING); PLUMMER REPLACED
MURRAY (PLAYING C ); Puhl lined to first; Cabell singled to
right; Cruz homered [Cabell scored]; Watson flied out to center;
Ferguson singled to center; Howard flied out to center; 2 R, 3
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 0.

REDS 9TH: Concepcion flied out to right; Plummer grounded out
(second to first); Rose flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 0.