Ken Reitz broke out of a 2-for-38 slump with four hits in four trips, including a homer, to lead the Cardinals to a 5-2 victory over the Astros. Reitz hit his homer after a single by Jerry Mumphrey in the second inning.

Bob Watson singled, Jose Cruz doubled and Joe Ferguson drove them home with a single to knot the count in the fourth, but a walk to Lou Brock, single by Garry Templeton and double by Hector Cruz sent the Cards ahead to stay in the fifth. With the bases loaded in the seventh, the Cards sent Ted Simmons up to bat for Dave Rader after the Astros brought southpaw Joe Sambito to the mound. Simmons singled to drive in two runs. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Sunday, August    7, 1977 (Day game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  2  0    0  1  0    2  0  0  -   5 12  0
Astros       0  0  0    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  1


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Brock lf              4   2   1   0     1   1   .270      Puhl lf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .238
  Anderson rf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .227      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Templeton ss          4   1   2   0     1   0   .325      Cedeno cf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .234
Cruz rf,lf            4   0   1   1     1   0   .260      Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .287
Rader c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     0   1   .293
  Simmons ph,c        2   0   1   2     0   0   .326      Ferguson c            4   0   2   2     0   2   .253
Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .300      Howe 2b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .260
Mumphrey cf           4   1   2   0     0   1   .319      Gonzalez ss           4   0   1   0     0   0   .257
Reitz 3b              4   1   4   2     0   0   .275      Larson p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .286
Kessinger 2b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Tyson 2b            0   0   0   0     0   0   .221        Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .218
Urrea p               3   0   0   0     0   0   .125        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Scott ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .297        Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .229
  Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   5  12   5     3   3             Totals               35   2   8   2     1   7

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 19,901
Left on Base: Cardinals 8, Astros 7
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 1
Errors: Ferguson
Doubles: Cruz (18), Cruz (23), Ferguson (15), Cedeno (19)
Home Runs: Reitz (12)
Stolen Bases: Templeton (21), Mumphrey (11), Cruz (3), Cedeno (35), Ferguson (3)
Caught Stealing: Mumphrey (9), Templeton (17)
GIDP: Hernandez (10)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Urrea W(4-3)            7     6   2   2   0   4   0  27   2.92
Metzger SV(5)           2     2   0   0   1   3   0   9   3.35
Totals                  9     8   2   2   1   7   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson L(0-6)           6.1   9   5   5   3   3   1  30   6.01
Sambito                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   1.96
Forsch                  2     2   0   0   0   0   0   8   2.70
Totals                  9    12   5   5   3   3   1  40

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Frank Pulli, 3B - Ed Montague


CARDINALS 1ST: Brock struck out; Templeton singled to center;
Templeton stole second; Cruz flied out to center; Rader grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl was called out on strikes; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno stole second;
Watson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hernandez flied out to right; Mumphrey singled to
second; Mumphrey stole second; Reitz homered [Mumphrey scored];
Kessinger popped to shortstop; Urrea popped to shortstop; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to left; Ferguson struck out; Howe
popped to shortstop; Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock popped to shortstop; Templeton grounded out
(second to first); Cruz walked; Cruz stole second [Cruz to third
(error by Ferguson)]; Rader grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Larson grounded out (first unassisted); Puhl
grounded out (third to first); Cabell flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez was called out on strikes; Mumphrey
singled to center; Mumphrey was caught stealing second (catcher
to second); Reitz singled to left; Kessinger flied out to right;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Watson singled
to right; Cruz doubled to right [Watson to third]; Ferguson
singled to right [Watson scored, Cruz scored]; Ferguson stole
second; Howe grounded out (second to first) [Ferguson to third];
Gonzalez lined to first; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2,
Astros 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Urrea grounded out (second to first); Brock
walked; Templeton singled to left [Brock to second]; Templeton
was caught stealing second (catcher to second) [Brock to third];
Cruz doubled to left [Brock scored]; Rader flied out to center;
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Larson struck out; Puhl flied out to left; Cabell
grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hernandez grounded out (first to pitcher);
Mumphrey struck out; Reitz singled to center; Kessinger flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Watson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz lined to shortstop; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 3, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 7TH: Urrea grounded out (first unassisted); Brock
singled to center; Templeton walked [Brock to second]; Cruz
reached on a fielder's choice [Brock to third, Templeton to
second]; SAMBITO REPLACED LARSON (PITCHING); SIMMONS BATTED FOR
RADER; Simmons singled to left [Brock scored, Templeton scored,
Cruz to second]; Hernandez grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Simmons out at second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: SIMMONS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); Ferguson
doubled to left; Howe lined to left; Gonzalez flied out to left;
BOSWELL BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Boswell grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Mumphrey
grounded out (third to first); Reitz singled to left; Kessinger
singled to center [Reitz to second]; SCOTT BATTED FOR URREA;
Scott lined to center; Brock flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: METZGER REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); ANDERSON REPLACED
BROCK (PLAYING RF); CRUZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); TYSON
REPLACED KESSINGER (PLAYING 2B); Puhl flied out to center;
Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno doubled to
left; Watson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Templeton flied out to center; Cruz flied out to
left; Simmons grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz struck out; Ferguson was called out on strikes;
Howe walked; Gonzalez singled to left [Howe to second]; HOWARD
BATTED FOR FORSCH; Howard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 5, Astros 2.