A single by Lenny Randle with one out in the ninth inning scored Leo Foster and gave the Mets a 2-1 victory over the Expos. The first run was scored by the Astros in the eighth when Terry Puhl doubled and Jose Cruz singled. The Mets tied the score in their half on a single by Steve Henderson, a balk and two-out double by Ed Kranepool for his eighth hit in 20 trips as a pinch-hitter this season. In the ninth, Foster singled and Skip Lockwood sacrificed. After a wild pitch by Joe Sambito, Randle rapped his game-winning single. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Tuesday, August    23, 1977 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  8  1
Mets         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  1  -   2 11  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   1   1   0     0   1   .276      Randle 3b             5   0   3   1     0   0   .303
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Flynn ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .223
Cruz rf               4   0   3   1     0   1   .296      Henderson lf          4   1   2   0     0   0   .311
Watson 1b             2   0   0   0     2   1   .285      Vail rf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .276
Howe 2b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Stearns 1b,c          4   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Howard lf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .222      Grote c               2   0   1   0     1   0   .270
Herrmann c            3   0   2   0     0   0   .284        Kranepool ph,1b     1   0   1   1     0   0   .290
  Gardner pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Mazzilli cf           4   0   1   0     0   1   .234
  Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Foster 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .174
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .221      Espinosa p            3   0   1   0     0   2   .100
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .182        Lockwood p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Sperring ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .215
Bannister p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .235
  Ferguson c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .247

Totals               32   1   8   1     2   6             Totals               34   2  11   2     2   3

Time of Game: 2:35   Attendance:  9,071
Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 10
DP: Astros 1, Mets 0
Errors: Howe
Doubles: Herrmann (6), Puhl (9), Kranepool (15)
Stolen Bases: Cruz 2 (38)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (19), Randle (18)
Sacrifice Hits: Howard (6), Lockwood (3)
GIDP: Randle (11)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister               6     6   0   0   2   2   0  25   4.56
Dixon                   2     3   1   1   0   1   0   9   3.71
Sambito L(5-5)          0.1   2   1   1   0   0   0   3   2.60
Totals                  8.1  11   2   2   2   3   0  37

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa                7.2   8   1   1   2   6   0  31   3.87
Lockwood W(3-6)         1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.96
Totals                  9     8   1   1   2   6   0  35

Wild Pitches: Sambito (1)
Balks: Dixon (1)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Bill Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Cabell flied out to left; Cruz
singled to shortstop; Cruz stole second; Watson walked; Howe
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Randle reached on an error by Howe [Randle to first];
Randle was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop to
first); Flynn flied out to center; Henderson singled to
shortstop; Vail singled to shortstop [Henderson to second];
Stearns flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howard made an out to second; Herrmann flied out to
right; Sperring struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

METS 2ND: Grote singled to left; Mazzilli singled to left [Grote
to second]; Foster forced Grote (pitcher to third) [Mazzilli to
second]; Espinosa struck out; Randle singled to third [Mazzilli
to third, Foster to second]; Flynn flied out to right; 0 R, 3 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Bannister grounded out (second to first); Puhl flied
to left in foul territory; Cabell flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 3RD: Henderson flied out to right; Vail flied out to
center; Stearns made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz struck out; Watson struck out; Howe struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 4TH: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Mazzilli
struck out; Foster flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard singled to center; Herrmann doubled to center
[Howard to third]; Sperring reached on a fielder's choice
[Howard out at home (third to catcher), Herrmann stayed at
second]; Bannister struck out; Puhl flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 5TH: On a bunt Espinosa singled; Randle grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Espinosa out at
second]; Flynn grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz singled
to second; Cruz was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets
0.

METS 6TH: Henderson grounded out (third to first); Vail walked;
Stearns grounded out (third to first) [Vail to second]; Grote
walked; Mazzilli lined to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Mets 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe singled to left; Howard out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Howe to second]; Herrmann singled to right
[Howe out at home (right to catcher), Herrmann to second (on
throw to home)]; GARDNER RAN FOR HERRMANN; Sperring grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Mets 0.

METS 7TH: FERGUSON REPLACED BANNISTER (PLAYING C ); DIXON
REPLACED GARDNER (PITCHING); Foster grounded out (pitcher to
first); Espinosa struck out; On a bunt Randle singled; Flynn
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Mets 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
doubled to right; Cabell grounded out (first to pitcher) [Puhl
to third]; Cruz singled to right [Puhl scored]; Cruz stole
second; Watson walked; LOCKWOOD REPLACED ESPINOSA (PITCHING);
Howe flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 8TH: Henderson singled to shortstop; Dixon balked
[Henderson to second]; Vail flied out to right; Stearns flied
out to center [Henderson to third]; KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR GROTE;
Kranepool doubled to right [Henderson scored]; Mazzilli flied
out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 1.

ASTROS 9TH: KRANEPOOL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); STEARNS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C ); Howard flied out to left;
BOSWELL BATTED FOR DIXON; Boswell made an out to third; Sperring
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Mets 1.

METS 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Foster singled to
center; Lockwood out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second)
[Foster to second]; Sambito threw a wild pitch [Foster to
third]; Randle singled to center [Foster scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 2.