The Astros, with Art Howe driving in five runs in the opener and Joe Niekro going the distance in the second game in his first start of the season, took a pair from the Cubs, 10-6 and 6-4. Howe broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning of the opener with a three-run homer, then singled home two more runs in the fifth. Cesar Cedeno followed with a homer. Enos Cabell also hit one out for the Astros in the first. Larry Biittner hit a two-run round-tripper for the Cubs in the fifth.

Cabell homered again in the second game, his two-run shot in the seventh putting the Astros ahead, 5-3. Bobby Murcer tagged Niekro for a two-run homer in the third to break a 1-1 deadlock, but a homer by Howe and doubles by Ed Herrmann and Roger Metzger tied it in the fourth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 10, Chicago Cubs 6 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, July      24, 1977 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       1  0  3    0  4  0    0  0  2  -  10 14  0
Cubs         1  0  0    2  3  0    0  0  0  -   6  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               5   1   2   0     0   0   .200      De Jesus ss           4   1   0   0     1   0   .255
Cabell 3b             5   2   1   1     0   1   .270      Cardenal lf           4   2   2   1     1   0   .231
Cruz rf               5   3   4   1     0   0   .300      Biittner 1b           5   2   3   2     0   0   .289
Watson 1b             4   1   2   1     1   0   .289      Murcer rf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .274
Howe 2b               5   2   3   5     0   0   .291      Morales cf            4   0   1   1     0   1   .327
Cedeno cf             5   1   1   2     0   1   .206      Ontiveros 3b          3   0   0   0     1   0   .285
Herrmann c            3   0   1   0     1   1   .211      Trillo 2b             1   0   0   1     0   1   .306
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .183        Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Pentz p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Rosello ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .178
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .145        P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Swisher ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .174
                                                            G. Hernandez p      0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Mitterwald c          4   0   0   0     0   0   .251
                                                          Burris p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .159
                                                            Wallis ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .259
                                                            Broberg p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Kelleher 2b         3   0   0   0     0   0   .295

Totals               40  10  14  10     2   3             Totals               34   6   8   6     4   3

Time of Game: 2:39
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cubs 6
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 1
Errors: Biittner
Doubles: Cruz (21), Biittner (15), Murcer (12), Cardenal (8)
Home Runs: Cabell (9), Howe (6), Cedeno (4), Biittner (7)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (29), Cabell (30)
Sacrifice Flies: Trillo (6)
GIDP: Howe (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Pentz W(3-1)            5     6   6   6   4   1   1  25   5.33
Sambito SV(3)           4     2   0   0   0   2   0  14   1.99
Totals                  9     8   6   6   4   3   1  39

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Burris L(10-10)         3     6   4   4   1   1   2  15   4.93
Broberg                 1.2   4   4   4   1   1   1  10   7.50
Moore                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.44
P. Reuschel             3     0   0   0   0   1   0   9   2.20
G. Hernandez            1     4   2   1   0   0   0   7   2.27
Totals                  9    14  10   9   2   3   3  42

Wild Pitches: G. Hernandez 2 (7)
Balks: Pentz (1)

Umpires: HP - Terry Tata, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Satch Davidson


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
homered; Cruz singled to second; Watson singled to right [Cruz
to third]; Howe grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Watson out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus popped to first in foul territory; Cardenal
walked; Pentz balked [Cardenal to second]; Biittner flied out to
center [Cardenal to third]; Murcer singled to second [Cardenal
scored]; Morales popped to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Herrmann
singled to right; Metzger forced Herrmann (second to shortstop);
Pentz forced Metzger (second unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Cubs 1.

CUBS 2ND: Ontiveros lined to left; Trillo struck out; Mitterwald
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl flied out to left; Cabell popped to first in
foul territory; Cruz doubled to left; Watson walked; Howe
homered [Cruz scored, Watson scored]; Cedeno struck out; 3 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: WALLIS BATTED FOR BURRIS; Wallis walked; De Jesus
forced Wallis (third to second); Cardenal lined to second; De
Jesus was picked off first (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 4TH: BROBERG REPLACED WALLIS (PITCHING); Herrmann struck
out; Metzger grounded out (second to first); Pentz lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Biittner doubled to left; Murcer doubled to right
[Biittner to third]; Morales reached on a fielder's choice
[Biittner scored, Murcer stayed at second]; Ontiveros grounded
out (first unassisted) [Murcer to third, Morales to second];
Trillo lined out on a sacrifice fly to center [Murcer scored];
Mitterwald grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to center; Cabell lined to left; Cruz
singled to right [Puhl to third]; Watson popped to first; Cruz
stole second; Howe singled to center [Puhl scored, Cruz scored];
Cedeno homered [Howe scored]; Herrmann walked; MOORE REPLACED
TRILLO (PITCHING); KELLEHER REPLACED BROBERG (PLAYING 2B);
Metzger flied out to center; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cubs 3.

CUBS 5TH: Kelleher lined to center; De Jesus walked; Cardenal
doubled to left [De Jesus scored]; Biittner homered [Cardenal
scored]; Murcer flied out to center; Morales singled to right;
Ontiveros walked [Morales to second]; ROSELLO BATTED FOR MOORE;
Rosello forced Morales (third unassisted); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 8, Cubs 6.

ASTROS 6TH: P. REUSCHEL REPLACED ROSELLO (PITCHING); GARDNER
BATTED FOR PENTZ; Gardner lined to right; Puhl grounded out
(second to first); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 8, Cubs 6.

CUBS 6TH: SAMBITO REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Mitterwald
grounded out (shortstop to first); Kelleher flied out to center;
De Jesus flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cubs 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Watson
grounded out (pitcher to first); Howe grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cubs 6.

CUBS 7TH: Cardenal singled to left; Biittner singled to right
[Cardenal to second]; Murcer forced Cardenal (pitcher to third)
[Biittner to second]; Morales was called out on strikes;
Ontiveros grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 8, Cubs 6.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); Herrmann
grounded out (second to first); Metzger grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cubs 6.

CUBS 8TH: SWISHER BATTED FOR P. REUSCHEL; Swisher struck out;
Mitterwald flied out to left; Kelleher lined to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cubs 6.

ASTROS 9TH: G. HERNANDEZ REPLACED SWISHER (PITCHING); Sambito
grounded out (catcher to first); Puhl singled to shortstop;
Cabell forced Puhl (third to second); Cabell stole second; G.
Hernandez threw a wild pitch [Cabell to third]; Cruz singled to
center [Cabell scored]; Cruz was picked off first but was safe
on an error by Biittner; assist by G. Hernandez; G. Hernandez
threw a wild pitch [Cruz to second]; Watson singled to left
[Cruz scored (unearned)]; Howe singled to left [Watson to
second]; Cedeno forced Watson (third unassisted); 2 R (1 ER), 4
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 10, Cubs 6.

CUBS 9TH: De Jesus flied out to left; Cardenal popped to second;
Biittner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 10, Cubs 6.