Back-to-back doubles by Cesar Cedeno and Bob Watson in the fourth inning produced the game's only run and enabled the Astros to defeat the Cubs, 1-0. Joe Niekro, who was forced into the Astros' rotation because of injuries to other pitchers, beat the Cubs for the second time in one week. In his first start of the season for the Astros, Niekro clipped the Cubs, 6-4, July 24. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Friday, July      29, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  3
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   1  3  0


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cardenal lf           4   0   2   0     0   1   .243      Puhl lf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .222
Biittner 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .296      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .270
Murcer rf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .274      Cedeno cf             3   1   1   0     0   0   .220
Morales cf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .332      Watson 1b             3   0   1   1     0   1   .282
Ontiveros 3b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .290      Cruz rf               1   0   1   0     2   0   .295
Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .294      Ferguson c            2   0   0   0     1   0   .257
Mitterwald c          2   0   0   0     0   1   .253      Howe 2b               3   0   0   0     0   1   .277
  Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .279      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Swisher c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .170      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .176
De Jesus ss           1   0   0   0     1   1   .249
  Wallis ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .281
  P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Bonham p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .208
  Buckner ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .282
  Kelleher ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .290

Totals               29   0   4   0     2   6             Totals               26   1   3   1     3   4

Time of Game: 1:49   Attendance: 23,208
Left on Base: Cubs 5, Astros 4
DP: Cubs 3, Astros 1
Errors: Ontiveros, Trillo, De Jesus
Doubles: Cardenal (10), Ontiveros (11), Cedeno (15), Watson (20)
Triples: Cruz (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Bonham (8)
GIDP: Howe (7), Metzger (2)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham L(9-10)          7     3   1   1   3   3   0  26   4.19
P. Reuschel             1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.96
Totals                  8     3   1   1   3   4   0  29

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(6-3)           9     4   0   0   2   6   0  32   2.85
Totals                  9     4   0   0   2   6   0  32

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Jim Quick


CUBS 1ST: Cardenal doubled to left; Biittner grounded out
(second to first) [Cardenal to third]; Murcer hit into a double
play (center to catcher) [Cardenal out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Cabell grounded out (second
to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 2ND: Morales singled to right; Ontiveros flied out to left;
Trillo struck out; Mitterwald forced Morales (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson was called out on strikes; Cruz tripled to
right; Ferguson reached on a fielder's choice that turned into a
double play [Cruz out at home (shortstop to catcher to third),
Ferguson out at second (third to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 3RD: De Jesus walked; Bonham out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [De Jesus to second]; Cardenal was called out on
strikes; Biittner flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe struck out; Metzger reached on an error by
Trillo [Metzger to first]; On a bunt Niekro made an out to
first; Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

CUBS 4TH: Murcer grounded out (second to first); Morales flied
out to center; Ontiveros grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
doubled to left; Watson doubled to center [Cedeno scored]; Cruz
was walked intentionally; Ferguson walked [Watson to third, Cruz
to second]; Howe grounded into a double play (pitcher to catcher
to first) [Watson out at home]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 1.

CUBS 5TH: Trillo flied out to center; Mitterwald struck out; De
Jesus struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs
0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to
first); Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 6TH: Bonham struck out; Cardenal singled to center;
Biittner grounded out (second to first) [Cardenal to second];
Murcer popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson reached on an error by
Ontiveros [Watson to second]; Cruz was walked intentionally;
Cruz was picked off first (pitcher to first to second); 0 R, 0
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 7TH: Morales struck out; Ontiveros doubled to left; Trillo
lined to left; GROSS BATTED FOR MITTERWALD; Gross grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: SWISHER REPLACED GROSS (PLAYING C ); Ferguson flied
out to left; Howe reached on an error by De Jesus [Howe to
first]; Metzger grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 1.

CUBS 8TH: WALLIS BATTED FOR DE JESUS; Wallis grounded out
(second to first); BUCKNER BATTED FOR BONHAM; Buckner grounded
out (second to first); Cardenal grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: P. REUSCHEL REPLACED WALLIS (PITCHING); KELLEHER
REPLACED BUCKNER (PLAYING SS); Niekro grounded out (shortstop to
first); Puhl was called out on strikes; Cabell grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 9TH: Biittner lined to right; Murcer walked; Morales flied
out to center; Ontiveros flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.