Homers by Bob Watson and Enos Cabell, plus the relief pitching of Joe Niekro, enabled Mark Lemongello to gain his first victory since May 13 as the Astros defeated the Reds, 3-1. Doug Capilla, who suffered his first loss in three decisions with the Reds, was the victim of both Astro homers. Jack Billingham gave up the other run in the seventh inning on singles by Joe Ferguson and Julio Gonzalez around an infield out. Lemongello yielded the Reds' tally in the first on a double by Champ Summers and single by Dan Driessen. Niekro held the Reds to two hits in the last three innings. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Cincinnati Reds 1
Game Played on Sunday, July      17, 1977 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  1    1  0  0  -   3  6  2
Reds         1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  8  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               3   0   0   0     0   1   .182      Rose 3b               5   0   1   0     0   0   .315
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .275      Summers rf            5   1   1   0     0   0   .195
Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .290      Driessen 1b           4   0   2   1     0   1   .302
Watson 1b             4   1   1   1     0   1   .281      Foster cf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .316
Ferguson c            4   1   2   0     0   0   .264      xBench c              3   0   1   0     0   2   .000
Howard lf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .227      Lum lf                4   0   0   0     0   1   .161
Gonzalez 2b           3   0   1   1     0   1   .266      Knight 2b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .316
Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .190        Geronimo ph         1   0   1   0     0   0   .277
Lemongello p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .029        Auerbach pr         0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Niekro p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Concepcion ss         3   0   1   0     1   0   .296
                                                          Capilla p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Griffey ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .331
                                                            Billingham p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .184
                                                            Morgan ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .311

Totals               32   3   6   3     0   5             Totals               35   1   8   1     2   5

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance: 37,499
Left on Base: Astros 3, Reds 10
DP: Astros 1, Reds 0
Errors: Puhl, Ferguson
Doubles: Ferguson (13), Summers (3), Bench (22), Concepcion (16)
Home Runs: Watson (12), Cabell (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (2)
GIDP: Driessen (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(2-11)      6     6   1   1   1   4   0  27   4.15
Niekro SV(5)            3     2   0   0   1   1   0  11   3.09
Totals                  9     8   1   1   2   5   0  38

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Capilla L(2-1)          6     3   2   2   0   4   2  21   4.45
Billingham              3     3   1   1   0   1   0  12   4.81
Totals                  9     6   3   3   0   5   2  33

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Cabell lined to second; Cruz flied
out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose flied out to right; Summers doubled to left;
Driessen singled to right [Summers scored]; Foster grounded out
(third to first) [Driessen to second]; Bench reached on
catcher's interference by Ferguson; Lum grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson popped to shortstop; Ferguson doubled to
center; Howard flied out to left [Ferguson to third]; Gonzalez
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: Knight reached on an error by Puhl [Knight to third];
Concepcion flied out to left; Capilla grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first);
Lemongello struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Summers grounded out (first to pitcher); Driessen was
called out on strikes; Foster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz flied out
to center; Watson homered; Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Bench doubled to left; Lum struck out; Knight lined to
second; Concepcion was walked intentionally; Capilla grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard flied out to right; Gonzalez grounded out
(second to first); Metzger flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Summers
grounded out (third to first); Driessen singled to center;
Foster singled [Driessen to second]; Bench was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Puhl
popped to shortstop; Cabell homered; Cruz struck out; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Lum grounded out (shortstop to first); Knight flied
out to right; Concepcion doubled to right; GRIFFEY BATTED FOR
CAPILLA; Griffey grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 1.

ASTROS 7TH: BILLINGHAM REPLACED GRIFFEY (PITCHING); Watson
struck out; Ferguson singled to center; Howard grounded out
(second to first) [Ferguson to second]; Gonzalez singled to
right [Ferguson scored]; Metzger grounded out (second to first);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

REDS 7TH: NIEKRO REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Rose singled to
center; Summers flied out to center; Driessen grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Rose out at second];
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Niekro singled to center; Puhl out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Niekro to second]; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

REDS 8TH: Foster popped to catcher; Bench struck out; Lum popped
to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Reds 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson flied out to center; Ferguson grounded out
(third to first); Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.

REDS 9TH: GERONIMO BATTED FOR KNIGHT; Geronimo singled to
center; AUERBACH RAN FOR GERONIMO; Concepcion forced Auerbach
(right to shortstop); MORGAN BATTED FOR BILLINGHAM; Morgan
walked [Concepcion to second]; Rose flied out to left; Summers
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 1.