Rob Sperring rapped three hits, including two doubles, to lead the Astros to a 4-1 victory over the Braves. Sperring singled to set up a run in the first inning and doubled to drive in another run in the eighth. In between, the Astros' two tallies were unearned. Dick Ruthven, the Braves' losing pitcher, hit the first homer of his major league career and also tripled. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 1
Game Played on Tuesday, August    16, 1977 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       1  0  1    0  1  0    0  1  0  -   4  9  0
Braves       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1 10  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               4   2   1   0     1   1   .262      Office cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .257
Sperring 2b           5   0   3   1     0   0   .230      Bonnell 3b            4   0   2   0     1   0   .286
Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     1   1   .240      Burroughs rf          4   0   2   0     1   1   .275
Watson 1b             4   1   1   0     1   0   .286      Montanez 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .278
Cruz rf               5   0   2   0     0   0   .294      Matthews lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .283
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     1   1   .246      Pocoroba c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .277
Howe 3b               2   0   0   0     3   0   .270      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .241
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .181      Royster ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .201
Lemongello p          3   0   0   0     0   0   .058      Ruthven p             2   1   2   1     0   0   .267
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                            Theiss p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Nolan ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .300
                                                            Rockett pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .248

Totals               35   4   9   2     7   3             Totals               34   1  10   1     5   2

Time of Game: 2:53   Attendance:  6,759
Left on Base: Astros 12, Braves 11
DP: Astros 2, Braves 1
Errors: Bonnell, Royster 2
Doubles: Sperring 2 (3), Matthews (19)
Triples: Ruthven (1)
Home Runs: Ruthven (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno 2 (43), Cruz 3 (35)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (10), Cruz (16), Bonnell (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Lemongello (5)
GIDP: Bonnell (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(5-13)      8    10   1   1   5   1   1  37   3.66
McLaughlin SV(4)        1     0   0   0   0   1   0   2   4.25
Totals                  9    10   1   1   5   2   1  39

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(4-9)          6     7   3   1   5   2   0  32   3.83
Campbell                1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.06
Theiss                  2     2   1   1   2   1   0   9   3.38
Totals                  9     9   4   2   7   3   0  43

Wild Pitches: Ruthven (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled; Sperring singled [Puhl to third];
Cedeno forced Sperring (shortstop to second) [Puhl scored];
Cedeno stole second; Watson walked; Cruz forced Watson (first to
shortstop) [Cedeno to third]; Cruz stole second; Ferguson struck
out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Office grounded out (second to first); Bonnell
walked; Bonnell was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Burroughs walked; Montanez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe walked; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Howe to second]; Lemongello grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Howe to third]; Puhl flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Matthews doubled; Pocoroba flied out to center;
Gilbreath flied out to right [Matthews to third]; Royster made
an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Sperring grounded out (third to first); Cedeno
walked; Cedeno stole second; Watson flied out to left; Cruz
reached on an error by Royster [Cedeno scored (unearned) (no
RBI), Cruz to first]; Ferguson forced Cruz (shortstop to
second); 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Ruthven homered; Office singled; Bonnell singled
[Office to third]; Burroughs reached on a fielder's choice
[Office out at home (third to catcher), Bonnell to second];
Montanez walked [Bonnell to third, Burroughs to second];
Matthews popped to third in foul territory; Pocoroba grounded
out (first unassisted); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
1.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe walked; Metzger singled [Howe to second];
Lemongello out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Howe to
third, Metzger to second]; Puhl grounded out (shortstop to
first); Sperring grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Gilbreath singled; Royster lined into a double play
(first unassisted) [Gilbreath out at first]; Ruthven tripled;
Office grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cedeno singled; Cedeno was caught stealing second
but was safe at second (error by Royster; assist by Pocoroba);
Watson reached on a fielder's choice [Cedeno out at third (first
to third), Watson to second]; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted) [Watson to third]; Ferguson reached on an error by
Bonnell [Watson scored (unearned) (no RBI), Ferguson to second];
Ruthven threw a wild pitch [Ferguson to third]; Howe walked;
Metzger made an out to second; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Bonnell flied out to left; Burroughs singled;
Montanez forced Burroughs (second to shortstop); Matthews flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Puhl was
called out on strikes; Sperring doubled; Cedeno flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: Pocoroba grounded out (second to first); Gilbreath
grounded out (third to first); Royster struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson singled; Cruz singled [Watson to third];
CAMPBELL REPLACED RUTHVEN (PITCHING); Cruz stole second;
Ferguson hit into a double play (center to catcher) [Watson out
at home]; Howe made an out to catcher; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR CAMPBELL; Asselstine grounded
out (second to first); Office grounded out (shortstop to first);
Bonnell singled; Burroughs singled [Bonnell to second]; Montanez
made an out to third; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: THEISS REPLACED ASSELSTINE (PITCHING); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Lemongello grounded out (second
to first); Puhl walked; Sperring doubled [Puhl scored, Sperring
to third (on throw to home)]; Cedeno struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: Matthews grounded out (second to first); Pocoroba
flied out to left; Gilbreath walked; Royster flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled; Cruz stole second; Ferguson was walked intentionally;
Cruz was caught stealing third (catcher to third) [Ferguson to
second]; Howe grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 9TH: NOLAN BATTED FOR THEISS; Nolan walked; ROCKETT RAN
FOR NOLAN; Office singled [Rockett to second]; MCLAUGHLIN
REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Bonnell grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Rockett to third, Office
out at second]; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 1.