A hotly-disputed play saw Dave Winfield beat the throw home on a grounder in the ninth inning to give the Padres a 5-4 victory over the Astros. The Padres built up an early 4-1 lead, but Cesar Cedeno homered for the Astros in the sixth and the tying tallies followed in the top of the ninth on a single by Joe Ferguson and doubles by Art Howe and Ed Herrmann.

In the Padres' half, Winfield walked and reached third on a single by George Hendrick. After a pass to Gene Tenace loaded the bases, Dave Kingman batted for Mike Champion and hit a grounder to shortstop Julio Gonzalez, who fired the ball to the plate, but umpire Art Williams called Winfield safe, setting off a post-game rhubarb by the Astros. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 5, Houston Astros 4
Game Played on Friday, August    12, 1977 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  2  -   4 10  2
Padres       0  0  1    2  1  0    0  0  1  -   5 11  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .260      Richards 1b           5   1   1   1     0   0   .272
  Howard ph,lf        2   0   0   0     0   2   .222      Almon ss              4   1   2   0     1   0   .254
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .270      Turner lf             5   0   2   0     0   1   .242
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   1     0   1   .244      Winfield rf           3   1   1   1     2   0   .296
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .285      Hendrick cf           5   1   3   1     0   0   .300
Cruz rf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .288      Tenace c              2   0   1   0     2   0   .229
Ferguson c            4   1   1   0     0   2   .248      Champion 2b           3   0   0   0     0   1   .230
Howe 2b               3   1   1   1     1   0   .265        Kingman ph          1   0   0   1     0   0   .219
Metzger ss            2   0   1   0     1   0   .181      Ashford 3b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .237
  Herrmann ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .272      Wehrmeister p         2   0   0   0     0   1   .182
  Gonzalez pr,ss      0   0   0   0     0   0   .257        Shirley p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .102
Dixon p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .222
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Gardner ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .143
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .077

Totals               34   4  10   4     2   8             Totals               35   5  11   4     5   3

Time of Game: 2:42   Attendance: 13,697
Left on Base: Astros 6, Padres 13
DP: Astros 0, Padres 0
Errors: Dixon 2
Doubles: Cruz (25), Howe (17), Herrmann (5)
Home Runs: Cedeno (9)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (15)
Sacrifice Hits: Dixon (2), Wehrmeister (2), Champion (9)
Hit by Pitch: Tenace (9,by Dixon)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dixon                   4    10   4   3   2   2   0  25   3.00
McLaughlin              2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   4.31
Pentz                   2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   4.94
Forsch L(4-8)           0.1   1   1   1   2   1   0   5   2.71
Totals                  8.1  11   5   4   5   3   0  43

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wehrmeister             6.1   7   2   2   2   2   1  26   4.32
Shirley                 2     1   1   1   0   4   0   7   4.11
Fingers W(8-4)          0.2   2   1   1   0   2   0   4   2.91
Totals                  9    10   4   4   2   8   1  37

Hit by Pitch: Dixon (1)
Wild Pitches: Dixon (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled to pitcher; Watson flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Richards grounded out (first unassisted); Almon
walked; Dixon threw a wild pitch [Almon to second]; Turner
popped to third in foul territory; Winfield walked; Hendrick
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Ferguson
flied out to center; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Tenace was hit by a pitch; Champion was called out
on strikes; Ashford forced Tenace (right to shortstop); Ashford
was picked off first but was safe on an error by Dixon [Ashford
to third]; Wehrmeister was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger grounded out (second to first); Dixon flied
out to center; Puhl singled to right; Cabell grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Richards grounded out (shortstop to first);
Padres Manager Al Dark ejected by 1B umpire Paul Runge;
Almon singled to center; Turner singled to right [Almon to
second]; Winfield flied out to right; Hendrick singled to center
[Almon scored, Turner to third]; Tenace flied out to center; 1
R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno flied out to right; Watson singled to
shortstop; Cruz doubled to right [Watson scored, Cruz out at
third (right to second to first to left to first)]; Ferguson
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 1.

PADRES 4TH: Champion grounded out (pitcher to first); Ashford
singled to left; Wehrmeister out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Ashford to second]; Richards singled to right [Ashford
scored]; Almon singled to center [Richards to second]; Turner
singled to third [Richards to third, Almon to second]; Winfield
singled to center [Richards scored, Almon to third, Turner out
at third (center to third)]; 2 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe flied out to center; Metzger singled to center;
Dixon out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Metzger to
second]; Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 3.

PADRES 5TH: Hendrick singled to left; Tenace singled to third
[Hendrick to second]; Champion reached on an error by Dixon on a
sacrifice bunt [Hendrick scored (unearned) (no RBI), Tenace to
third, Champion to second]; MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED DIXON
(PITCHING); Ashford grounded out (shortstop to first);
Wehrmeister reached on a fielder's choice [Tenace out at home
(shortstop to catcher), Champion to third]; Richards grounded
out (second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); Cedeno
homered; Watson flied out to right; Cruz singled to center; Cruz
was caught stealing second (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 4.

PADRES 6TH: Almon grounded out (shortstop to first); Turner
popped to third in foul territory; Winfield grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Ferguson struck out; Howe walked; Metzger walked
[Howe to second]; BOSWELL BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; SHIRLEY
REPLACED WEHRMEISTER (PITCHING); Boswell was called out on
strikes; HOWARD BATTED FOR PUHL; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 4.

PADRES 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); PENTZ REPLACED
BOSWELL (PITCHING); Hendrick flied out to center; Tenace walked;
Champion grounded out (first unassisted) [Tenace to second];
Ashford grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 2, Padres 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell lined to pitcher; Cedeno struck out; Watson
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 4.

PADRES 8TH: Shirley grounded out (third to first); Richards
flied out to center; Almon grounded out (second to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Padres 4.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz lined to third; Ferguson singled to third;
FINGERS REPLACED SHIRLEY (PITCHING); Howe doubled to center
[Ferguson scored]; HERRMANN BATTED FOR METZGER; Herrmann doubled
to center [Howe scored]; GONZALEZ RAN FOR HERRMANN; GARDNER
BATTED FOR PENTZ; Gardner was called out on strikes; Howard was
called out on strikes; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 4.

PADRES 9TH: FORSCH REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); GONZALEZ STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING SS); Turner struck out; Winfield walked;
Hendrick singled to center [Winfield to third, Hendrick to
second (on throw to 3b)]; Tenace walked; KINGMAN BATTED FOR
CHAMPION; Kingman reached on a fielder's choice [Winfield
scored, Hendrick to third, Tenace to second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 4, Padres 5.