The Phillies collected only five hits off Joe Niekro and were stopped on their six-game winning streak by the Astros, 3-1. Niekro was safe on an error by Larry Bowa in the third inning and scored the Astros' first run on a double by Enos Cabell. Singles by Terry Puhl, Cabell and Joe Ferguson added a tally in the sixth.

The Astros, who snapped their six-game losing streak, clinched the verdict with a run on a walk to Rob Sperring and singles by Puhl and Cabell in the seventh. Jerry Martin saved the Phillies from being shut out by hitting a homer in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Philadelphia Phillies 1
Game Played on Wednesday, August    24, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Phillies     0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  5  1
Astros       0  0  1    0  0  1    1  0  x  -   3  7  1


Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
McBride cf            2   0   0   0     0   0   .307      Puhl cf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .286
  Martin cf           2   1   2   1     0   0   .279      Cabell 3b             4   0   3   2     0   0   .277
Bowa ss               4   0   1   0     0   0   .277      Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .293
Schmidt 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .284      Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .282
Luzinski lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .314      Ferguson c            4   0   1   1     0   1   .247
Hebner 1b             1   0   1   0     3   0   .289      Howe 2b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .264
Johnstone rf          4   0   0   0     0   0   .293      Howard lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .223
Boone c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Sperring ss           2   1   0   0     1   0   .211
Sizemore 2b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .282      Niekro p              3   1   0   0     0   2   .097
Christenson p         1   0   0   0     0   1   .151
  Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   1   5   1     3   3             Totals               31   3   7   3     3   3

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance: 13,098
Left on Base: Phillies 6, Astros 7
DP: Phillies 0, Astros 2
Errors: Bowa, Cabell
Doubles: Martin (13), Cabell (30)
Home Runs: Martin (5)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Christenson (6)
GIDP: Boone 2 (8)


Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Christenson L(12-6)     7     7   3   2   2   2   0  30   4.72
Garber                  1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   2.77
Totals                  8     7   3   2   3   3   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(9-5)           9     5   1   1   3   3   1  34   3.12
Totals                  9     5   1   1   3   3   1  34

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


PHILLIES 1ST: McBride grounded out (shortstop to first); Bowa
singled to right; Schmidt grounded out (first unassisted) [Bowa
to second]; Luzinski grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); Cruz made an out to shortstop; Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0,
Astros 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Hebner walked; Johnstone made an out to third;
Boone grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Hebner out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson flied out to center; Howe grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howard singled to second; Sperring flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Sizemore singled to left; Christenson out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Sizemore to second]; McBride
flied out to right [Sizemore to third]; Bowa grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: MARTIN REPLACED MCBRIDE (PLAYING CF); Niekro reached
on an error by Bowa [Niekro to first]; Puhl flied out to right;
Cabell doubled to center [Niekro scored (unearned), Cabell out
at third (center to shortstop to first to third to second)];
Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Schmidt flied out to center; Luzinski made an out
to second; Hebner walked; Johnstone made an out to third; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson made an out to first; Ferguson grounded out
(pitcher to first); Howe flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 5TH: Boone grounded out (third to first); Sizemore
flied out to left; Christenson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Phillies 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard grounded out (third to first); Sperring
grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

PHILLIES 6TH: Martin doubled to center; Bowa popped to pitcher;
Schmidt flied out to right; Luzinski grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl singled to center; Cabell singled to center
[Puhl to second]; Cruz forced Cabell (first to shortstop) [Puhl
to third]; Watson made an out to second; Ferguson singled to
second [Puhl scored, Cruz to second]; Howe forced Ferguson
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros
2.

PHILLIES 7TH: Hebner walked; Johnstone flied out to left; Boone
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Hebner
out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Howard grounded out (second to first); Sperring
walked; On a bunt Niekro struck out; Puhl singled to right
[Sperring to second]; Cabell singled to right [Sperring scored,
Puhl to second]; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 0, Astros 3.

PHILLIES 8TH: Sizemore made an out to catcher; HUTTON BATTED FOR
CHRISTENSON; Hutton grounded out (first unassisted); Martin
homered; Bowa flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Phillies 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: GARBER REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Watson grounded
out (third to first); Ferguson was called out on strikes; Howe
walked; Howard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Phillies 1, Astros 3.

PHILLIES 9TH: Schmidt struck out; Luzinski struck out; Hebner
singled to center; Johnstone reached on an error by Cabell
[Hebner to second, Johnstone to first]; Boone flied out to left;
0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Phillies 1, Astros 3.