Larry Christenson joined in a four-homer barrage with a three-run smash in the sixth inning and gained his eighth straight victory as the Phillies defeated the Astros, 9-5. The Phillies scored three runs in the first inning on a single by Bake McBride, two-out double by Greg Luzinski and homer by Richie Hebner.

Bob Boone added a run with a round-tripper in the second. Jay Johnstone led off the sixth with a circuit clout and after Boone walked and Ted Sizemore singled, Christenson smashed his homer for the game-deciding blow. [The Sporting News]



Philadelphia Phillies 9, Houston Astros 5
Game Played on Friday, August    19, 1977 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Astros       1  0  1    0  0  0    2  1  0  -   5 11  0
Phillies     3  1  0    0  0  4    0  1  x  -   9 11  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   3   2   0     1   1   .278      McBride cf            5   1   2   0     0   1   .294
Cabell 3b             5   0   3   2     0   0   .273      Bowa ss               4   0   0   0     0   0   .284
Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .291      Schmidt 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Watson 1b             3   0   1   1     0   0   .288      Luzinski lf           3   1   1   1     1   2   .322
Ferguson c            4   1   2   1     0   0   .249      Hebner 1b             4   2   2   2     0   1   .292
Howe 2b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .274        Hutton 1b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Gardner lf            3   0   0   1     1   0   .143      Johnstone rf          4   1   1   1     0   1   .302
Sperring ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .213      Boone c               3   2   2   1     1   0   .290
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .107      Sizemore 2b           3   1   1   0     1   0   .281
  Boswell ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .226      Christenson p         3   1   1   3     0   0   .154
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Reed p              1   0   1   1     0   0   .167
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .219

Totals               35   5  11   5     2   2             Totals               34   9  11   9     3   5

Time of Game: 2:17   Attendance: 46,266
Left on Base: Astros 6, Phillies 4
DP: Astros 1, Phillies 2
Doubles: Cabell (27), Ferguson (18), Luzinski (27), Boone (17)
Home Runs: Hebner (15), Boone (10), Johnstone (9), Christenson (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (34), McBride (22), Boone (3), Hebner (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (2)
GIDP: Niekro (1), Gardner (3), Hebner (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(8-5)           6     9   8   8   2   3   4  28   3.29
Pentz                   2     2   1   1   1   2   0   9   4.76
Totals                  8    11   9   9   3   5   4  37

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Christenson W(12-5)     7    10   4   4   2   1   0  31   4.81
Reed                    2     1   1   1   0   1   0   7   2.62
Totals                  9    11   5   5   2   2   0  38

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Ed Sudol, 3B - Bob Engel


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to center; Cabell singled to right
[Puhl to second]; Cruz flied out to left [Puhl to third]; Watson
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Puhl scored]; Ferguson forced
Cabell (third to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: McBride singled to second; Bowa grounded out
(second to first) [McBride to second]; Schmidt flied out to
right; Luzinski doubled to right [McBride scored]; Hebner
homered [Luzinski scored]; Johnstone grounded out (first to
pitcher); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe singled to center; Gardner walked [Howe to
second]; Sperring forced Gardner (pitcher to shortstop) [Howe to
third]; Niekro grounded into a double play (second to first)
[Sperring out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Phillies 3.

PHILLIES 2ND: Boone homered; Sizemore flied out to right;
Christenson grounded out (third to first); McBride singled to
shortstop; McBride stole second; Bowa popped to second; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl walked; Cabell flied out to center; Cruz flied
out to right; Watson singled to left [Puhl to second]; Ferguson
singled to right [Puhl scored, Watson to third]; Howe forced
Ferguson (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 3RD: Schmidt flied out to right; Luzinski walked;
Hebner grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Luzinski out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Gardner grounded out (shortstop to first); Sperring
popped to first; Niekro grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 4TH: Johnstone grounded out (first to pitcher); Boone
doubled to center; Sizemore grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Boone to third]; Christenson grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell singled to center;
Cabell stole second; Cruz lined to center; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies
4.

PHILLIES 5TH: McBride struck out; Bowa flied out to center;
Schmidt grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 2, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Ferguson popped to first; Howe singled to center;
Gardner grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 6TH: Luzinski struck out; Hebner struck out; Johnstone
homered; Boone walked; Boone stole second; Sizemore singled to
right [Boone to third]; Christenson homered [Boone scored,
Sizemore scored]; McBride grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 3
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 8.

ASTROS 7TH: Sperring struck out; BOSWELL BATTED FOR NIEKRO;
Boswell singled to center; Puhl singled to right [Boswell to
second]; Cabell doubled to left [Boswell scored, Puhl scored];
Cruz flied out to right; Watson grounded out (second to first);
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 8.

PHILLIES 7TH: PENTZ REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Bowa grounded
out (shortstop to first); Schmidt grounded out (shortstop to
first); Luzinski struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Phillies 8.

ASTROS 8TH: REED REPLACED CHRISTENSON (PITCHING); Ferguson
doubled to center; Howe flied out to right [Ferguson to third];
Gardner grounded out (first unassisted) [Ferguson scored];
Sperring lined to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Phillies 8.

PHILLIES 8TH: Hebner singled to center; Hebner stole second;
Johnstone struck out; Boone flied out to center [Hebner to
third]; Sizemore was walked intentionally; Reed singled to
center [Hebner scored, Sizemore to second]; McBride grounded out
(first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Phillies 9.

ASTROS 9TH: HUTTON REPLACED HEBNER (PLAYING 1B); HOWARD BATTED
FOR PENTZ; Howard grounded out (second to first); Puhl struck
out; Cabell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Phillies 9.