A wild throw by Joe Sambito on a bunt in the ninth inning enabled the Phillies to score their winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Astros. The Phillies tied the score at 2-2 in the third inning when Greg Luzinski drove in two runs with a single and knotted the count again at 4-4 in the sixth on an error by Enos Cabell and doubles by Ted Sizemore and Tim McCarver.

Mike Schmidt was hit by a pitch in the ninth and Luzinski walked. Davey Johnson batted for Richie Hebner and laid down what was scored as a safe bunt. Sambito fielded the ball and made a wild throw to third in an attempted forceout, allowing Schmidt to score. [The Sporting News]

Philadelphia Phillies 5, Houston Astros 4

Game Played on Saturday, August 20, 1977 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium

Astros       1  0  1    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   4 11  3
Phillies     0  0  2    0  0  2    0  0  1  -   5  9  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard cf             5   1   1   0     0   2   .218      McBride cf            4   1   2   0     1   0   .297
Cabell 3b             4   1   2   0     1   0   .275      Bowa ss               5   1   0   0     0   0   .281
Cruz rf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .293      Schmidt 3b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .286
Watson 1b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .288      Luzinski lf           4   0   1   2     1   2   .321
Ferguson c            4   0   2   0     0   0   .252      Hebner 1b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .289
Howe 2b               4   2   1   0     0   1   .274        Johnson ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .325
Fuller lf             1   0   1   0     3   0   .168      Johnstone rf          3   0   0   0     1   0   .298
Sperring ss           3   0   1   2     0   1   .216      Boone c               3   1   0   0     1   0   .287
Larson p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .231      Sizemore 2b           3   1   1   1     1   1   .281
  Cedeno ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Kaat p                2   0   1   0     0   0   .214
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McCarver ph         1   0   1   1     0   0   .328
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182        McGraw p            1   0   1   0     0   0   .429

Totals               33   4  11   3     4   6             Totals               33   5   9   4     7   3

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 47,048
Left on Base: Astros 7, Phillies 12
DP: Astros 0, Phillies 1
Errors: Cabell, Sperring, Sambito, Bowa, Boone, Kaat
Doubles: Cabell (28), Ferguson (19), Sizemore (15), McCarver (9)
Stolen Bases: McBride (23), Boone (4), Luzinski (2)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (17), Sizemore (10)
Sacrifice Flies: Sperring (1)
GIDP: Sperring (4)
Hit by Pitch: Schmidt (6,by McLaughlin)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson                  8     8   4   3   6   3   0  38   5.36
McLaughlin L(3-6)       0     0   1   0   1   0   0   2   4.25
Sambito                 0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1   2.52
Totals                  8     9   5   3   7   3   0  41

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat                    6     8   4   3   3   2   0  27   5.15
McGraw W(7-2)           3     3   0   0   1   4   0  11   2.50
Totals                  9    11   4   3   4   6   0  38

Hit by Pitch: McLaughlin (6)
Wild Pitches: Larson (6)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Howard struck out; Cabell doubled to right; Cabell
was picked off second but was safe on an error by Kaat [Cabell
scored]; Cruz singled to first; Watson singled to center [Cruz
to second]; Ferguson flied out to left; Howe forced Watson
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies
0.

PHILLIES 1ST: McBride singled to center; McBride stole second;
Bowa flied out to center; Schmidt grounded out (second to
first); Luzinski struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Phillies 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Fuller walked; Sperring grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Fuller out at second]; Larson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Hebner grounded out (pitcher unassisted);
Johnstone flied out to center; Boone walked; Boone stole second;
Larson threw a wild pitch [Boone to third]; Sizemore struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howard singled to right; Cabell flied out to left;
Cruz singled to left [Howard to third]; Watson grounded out
(third to first) [Howard scored, Cruz to second]; Cruz was
caught stealing third (catcher to third); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Kaat singled to right; McBride walked [Kaat to
second]; Bowa forced Kaat (pitcher to third) [McBride to
second]; Schmidt walked [McBride to third, Bowa to second];
Luzinski singled to right [McBride scored, Bowa scored, Schmidt
to third]; Luzinski stole second; Hebner popped to second;
Johnstone walked; Boone forced Johnstone (shortstop to second);
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Ferguson singled to center; Howe forced Ferguson
(third to second); Fuller walked [Howe to second]; Sperring
singled to left [Howe scored, Fuller to second]; Larson forced
Sperring (shortstop to second) [Fuller to third]; Howard forced
Larson (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3,
Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 4TH: Sizemore walked; Sizemore was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Kaat lined to center; McBride
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Phillies 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Watson grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 5TH: Bowa grounded out (second to first); Schmidt
singled to left; Luzinski struck out; Hebner grounded out (first
to second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Ferguson flied out to center; Howe singled to left;
Howe was picked off first but was safe on an error by Boone
[Howe to third]; Fuller walked; Sperring hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Howe scored (unearned)]; Larson struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 6TH: Johnstone grounded out (second to pitcher); Boone
reached on an error by Cabell [Boone to first]; Sizemore doubled
to left [Boone scored (unearned)]; MCCARVER BATTED FOR KAAT;
McCarver doubled to right [Sizemore scored, McCarver out at
third (right to second to third)]; McBride grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 7TH: MCGRAW REPLACED MCCARVER (PITCHING); Howard struck
out; Cabell walked; Cruz flied out to center [Cabell to second
(error by Bowa)]; Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 7TH: Bowa grounded out (second to first); Schmidt
popped to second; Luzinski reached on an error by Sperring
[Luzinski to first]; Hebner walked [Luzinski to second];
Johnstone grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Astros 4, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Ferguson doubled to center; Howe struck out; Fuller
singled to right [Ferguson to third, Fuller out at second (right
to first to second to shortstop)]; Sperring struck out; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 8TH: Boone popped to third in foul territory; Sizemore
flied out to right; McGraw singled to left; McBride singled to
right [McGraw to second]; Bowa flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 4.

ASTROS 9TH: CEDENO BATTED FOR LARSON; Cedeno flied out to right;
Howard popped to third in foul territory; Cabell singled to left
[Cabell out at second (left to second)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Phillies 4.

PHILLIES 9TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING); Schmidt was
hit by a pitch; Luzinski walked [Schmidt to second]; SAMBITO
REPLACED MCLAUGHLIN (PITCHING); JOHNSON BATTED FOR HEBNER;
Johnson singled to third [Schmidt scored (error by Sambito)
(unearned) (no RBI), Luzinski to second]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 5.

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