John Candelaria, with help from Rich Gossage after the Pirate starter was struck on the left forearm by Wilbur Howard's eighth-inning single, notched his 11th victory as Pittsburgh nipped the Astros, 3-2.  A triple by Frank Taveras and single by Dave Parker gave the Bucs a 1-0 lead in the third. A solo homer by Cesar Cedeno tied the score in the fourth.

Taveras' sacrifice fly chased home Omar Moreno, who had tripled, in the fifth, and Ed Ott hit a solo homer in the seventh to provide the winning run. Howard's hit in the eighth loaded the bases. Gossage gave up a sacrifice fly to Enos Cabell, but retired Cedeno to end the Astro threat. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Tuesday, July      26, 1977 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  4  0
Pirates      0  0  1    0  1  0    1  0  x  -   3  7  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .223      Taveras ss            2   1   1   1     1   0   .229
Cabell 3b             3   0   1   1     0   0   .272      Garner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .242
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .208      Parker rf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .338
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .281      Robinson 1b           4   0   1   0     0   1   .311
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .262      Oliver lf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .293
Howe 2b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .287      Stennett 2b           2   0   0   0     1   0   .329
Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .292      Ott c                 3   1   1   1     0   0   .271
Metzger ss            2   1   0   0     1   0   .180      Moreno cf             3   1   2   0     0   1   .235
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .185      Candelaria p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .167
  Fuller ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .159        Gossage p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125

Totals               30   2   4   2     2   4             Totals               28   3   7   3     3   5

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 11,882
Left on Base: Astros 4, Pirates 5
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 1
Errors: Garner, Parker
Doubles: Oliver (21), Robinson (18)
Triples: Taveras (5), Moreno (4)
Home Runs: Cedeno (5), Ott (5)
Stolen Bases: Parker (9)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (15), Moreno (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Cabell (2), Taveras (3)
GIDP: Cabell (7), Ott (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(9-8)          7     6   3   3   3   4   1  28   2.85
Sambito                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   1.96
Totals                  8     7   3   3   3   5   1  32

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Candelaria W(11-3)      7.1   4   2   1   2   2   1  28   2.61
Gossage SV(17)          1.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   5   1.71
Totals                  9     4   2   1   2   4   1  33

Passed Balls: Ferguson (14)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Art Williams, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Lee Weyer


ASTROS 1ST: Howard flied out to center; Cabell singled to
center; Cabell was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras walked; Garner made an out to second;
Parker grounded out (second to first) [Taveras to second];
Robinson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson grounded out (second to first); Ferguson
flied out to center; Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Oliver doubled to left; Ferguson allowed a passed
ball [Oliver to third]; Stennett grounded out (pitcher to
first); Ott grounded out (first unassisted); Moreno struck out;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz popped to third in foul territory; Metzger
walked; Richard struck out; Howard flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Candelaria struck out; Taveras tripled to right;
Garner grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker singled to
center [Taveras scored]; Parker stole second; Robinson flied out
to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to right; Cedeno homered; Watson
flied out to right; Ferguson made an out to shortstop; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Oliver flied out to right; Stennett walked; Ott
grounded into a double play (second to first) [Stennett out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe singled to shortstop; Cruz forced Howe (second
to shortstop); Metzger flied out to center; Richard flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Moreno tripled to right; Candelaria struck out;
Taveras hit a sacrifice fly to right [Moreno scored]; Garner
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Howard reached on an error by Garner [Howard to
first]; Cabell grounded into a double play (pitcher to shortstop
to first) [Howard out at second]; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Parker walked; Robinson flied out to left; Oliver
popped to third; Stennett flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson flied out to center; Ferguson flied out to
right; Howe flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Ott homered; Moreno singled to right; Moreno was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Candelaria popped
to shortstop; Taveras popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz grounded out (third to first); Metzger reached
on an error by Parker [Metzger to first]; FULLER BATTED FOR
RICHARD; Fuller walked [Metzger to second]; Howard singled to
pitcher [Metzger to third, Fuller to second]; GOSSAGE REPLACED
CANDELARIA (PITCHING); Cabell hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Metzger scored (unearned), Fuller to third]; Cedeno lined to
shortstop; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED FULLER (PITCHING); Garner grounded
out (first unassisted); Parker grounded out (shortstop to
first); Robinson doubled to center; Oliver struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson struck out; Ferguson popped to second; Howe
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 3.