The Astros unleashed a 14-hit attack and walloped the Braves, 15-3. Rob Sperring's two-run homer and a grand-slam blast by Art Howe marked a six-run assault on Buzz Capra in the first inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 15, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Monday, August    15, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       6  3  2    0  0  4    0  0  0  -  15 14  4
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  2  -   3  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf,cf            3   4   1   2     3   0   .262      Office cf             5   1   2   0     0   1   .254
Sperring 2b           6   1   4   2     0   0   .207      xBonnell 3b           3   1   1   1     1   0   .000
Cedeno cf             5   1   0   1     0   1   .240      Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   1   .281
  Gardner rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .140        Paciorek 1b         1   0   0   1     0   0   .234
Watson 1b             3   2   2   2     2   0   .287      Burroughs rf          2   0   0   0     1   1   .273
  Fuller 1b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .160        Asselstine rf       2   0   0   0     0   0   .203
Cruz rf               4   2   2   0     1   0   .293      Matthews lf           5   1   1   0     0   0   .283
  Howard lf           1   0   0   0     0   0   .220      Nolan c               2   0   0   0     2   0   .300
Ferguson c            4   1   1   1     1   2   .249      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   1   0     1   2   .241
Howe 3b               4   2   2   4     1   2   .272      Rockett ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .248
Metzger ss            5   1   1   0     0   0   .180        Hargan p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Richard p             3   1   1   1     0   1   .203        Moore ph            0   0   0   1     0   0   .251
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   1     0   0   .220        Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Larson p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .261      Capra p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .115
                                                            Solomon p           1   0   0   0     1   0   .154
                                                            Royster ss          2   0   0   0     0   0   .204

Totals               42  15  14  14     8   6             Totals               33   3   5   3     6   5

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance:  5,919
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 11
DP: Astros 0, Braves 0
Errors: Sperring, Ferguson 2, Metzger, Rockett
Doubles: Watson (29), Ferguson (17), Metzger (6), Bonnell (8)
Triples: Puhl (1)
Home Runs: Sperring (1), Howe (8), Richard (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (41)
Sacrifice Flies: Moore (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(12-9)         5     1   0   0   4   4   0  21   2.91
Larson SV(1)            4     4   3   1   2   1   0  20   5.56
Totals                  9     5   3   1   6   5   0  41

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Capra L(2-9)            1     3   7   7   4   1   2  10   5.57
Solomon                 5     9   8   4   3   3   1  28   4.34
Hargan                  2     1   0   0   1   2   0   8   6.53
Campbell                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.14
Totals                  9    14  15  11   8   6   3  50

Wild Pitches: Solomon (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Sperring homered [Puhl scored]; Cedeno
flied out to center; Watson walked; Cruz singled [Watson to
second]; Ferguson walked [Watson to third, Cruz to second]; Howe
homered [Watson scored, Cruz scored, Ferguson scored]; Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Richard struck out; 6 R, 3 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office flied out to right; Bonnell flied out to
center; Montanez struck out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 6, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Puhl walked; SOLOMON REPLACED CAPRA (PITCHING);
Sperring singled [Puhl to third]; Cedeno forced Sperring
(shortstop to second) [Puhl scored]; Cedeno stole second; Watson
doubled [Cedeno scored]; Cruz grounded out (second to first)
[Watson to third]; Ferguson doubled [Watson scored]; Howe
walked; Metzger forced Howe (second to shortstop); 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 9, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs walked; Matthews flied out to right; Nolan
grounded out (third to first) [Burroughs to second]; Gilbreath
was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 9,
Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard homered; Puhl walked; Sperring grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Puhl to second]; Cedeno struck out; Watson
singled [Puhl scored]; Cruz singled [Watson to second]; Ferguson
made an out to second; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves
0.

BRAVES 3RD: Rockett popped to catcher in foul territory; Solomon
grounded out (second to first); Office singled; Bonnell reached
on an error by Sperring [Office to second, Bonnell to first];
Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 11, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe struck out; Metzger flied out to center;
Richard grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 11, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs was called out on strikes; Matthews
grounded out (first to pitcher); Nolan walked; Gilbreath was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves
0.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Sperring
singled; Cedeno flied out to left; Watson flied out to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Rockett grounded out (shortstop to first); Solomon
walked; Office grounded out (pitcher to first) [Solomon to
second]; Bonnell walked; Montanez grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 11, Braves 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz walked; Ferguson was called out on strikes;
Howe singled [Cruz to second]; Metzger reached on an error by
Rockett [Cruz to third, Howe to second, Metzger to first];
BOSWELL BATTED FOR RICHARD; Boswell grounded out (first
unassisted) [Cruz scored (unearned), Howe to third, Metzger to
second]; Puhl tripled [Howe scored (unearned), Metzger scored
(unearned)]; Solomon threw a wild pitch [Puhl scored
(unearned)]; Sperring flied out to center; 4 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: LARSON REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Burroughs
grounded out (second to first); Matthews singled; Nolan grounded
out (first unassisted) [Matthews to second]; Gilbreath singled
[Matthews to third]; Rockett forced Gilbreath (second to
shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 0.

ASTROS 7TH: ASSELSTINE REPLACED BURROUGHS (PLAYING RF); HARGAN
REPLACED ROCKETT (PITCHING); ROYSTER REPLACED SOLOMON (PLAYING
SS); Cedeno made an out to second; Watson walked; Cruz flied out
to right; Ferguson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 0.

BRAVES 7TH: GARDNER REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); FULLER REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B);
HOWARD REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING LF); Royster flied out to right;
Office struck out; Bonnell reached on catcher's interference by
Ferguson; Montanez grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 0.

ASTROS 8TH: PACIOREK REPLACED MONTANEZ (PLAYING 1B); Howe was
called out on strikes; Metzger doubled; Larson grounded out
(second to first) [Metzger to third]; Puhl grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Asselstine flied out to center; Matthews reached on
an error by Metzger [Matthews to first]; Nolan walked [Matthews
to second]; Gilbreath walked [Matthews to third, Nolan to
second]; MOORE BATTED FOR HARGAN; Moore hit a sacrifice fly to
center [Matthews scored (unearned)]; Royster flied out to left;
1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED MOORE (PITCHING); Sperring
singled; Gardner made an out to third; Fuller flied out to
right; Howard made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 15, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: Office singled; Bonnell doubled [Office scored,
Bonnell to third (error by Ferguson)]; Paciorek grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Bonnell scored (unearned)]; Asselstine
grounded out (first unassisted); Matthews grounded out (third to
first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 15, Braves 3.