Winning for the 13th time in their last 15 games, the Astros defeated the Giants, 6-1, behind the four-hit hurling of Joe Niekro, who notched his eighth complete game in 10 starts. After the Giants picked up their lone run on a single by Mike Sadek in the second inning, the Astros struck back in the third with two runs on a homer by Jose Cruz, a pair of passes and a single by Roger Metzger. Joe Ferguson singled and Art Howe tripled for another run in the fifth before the Astros wrapped up the decision with three runs in the sixth, including an RBI single by Ferguson for his third hit of the game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, San Francisco Giants 1
Game Played on Friday, September 9, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1
Astros       0  0  2    0  1  3    0  0  x  -   6 14  1


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Thomas cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .261      Puhl lf               3   1   1   0     2   1   .297
Andrews 2b            3   0   2   0     1   0   .267      Cabell 3b,1b          5   1   1   1     0   1   .282
Madlock 3b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .301      Cedeno cf             5   0   2   0     0   2   .248
McCovey 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .278      Cruz rf               4   2   1   1     1   1   .296
Evans lf              3   0   0   0     1   0   .255      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .284
Thomasson rf          4   1   0   0     0   2   .251        Walton ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .667
Foli ss               3   0   0   0     0   0   .226        Sperring pr,3b      1   0   1   0     0   0   .192
Sadek c               3   0   1   1     0   0   .241      Ferguson c            4   2   3   1     1   1   .254
Barr p                2   0   0   0     0   0   .134      Howe 2b               3   0   2   1     1   1   .259
  Heaverlo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Metzger ss            4   0   2   1     0   1   .198
  Whitfield ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .280      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .125
  Curtis p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               31   1   4   1     2   4             Totals               36   6  14   6     5  10

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 10,019
Left on Base: Giants 5, Astros 12
DP: Giants 0, Astros 0
Errors: Evans, Howe
Doubles: Metzger (8)
Triples: Howe (6)
Home Runs: Cruz (14)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (3)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Barr L(12-14)           5.1   9   5   5   4   5   1  29   4.65
Heaverlo                1.2   3   1   1   1   3   0   9   2.77
Curtis                  1     2   0   0   0   2   0   4   5.67
Totals                  8    14   6   6   5  10   1  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(12-5)          9     4   1   1   2   4   0  33   2.80
Totals                  9     4   1   1   2   4   0  33

Wild Pitches: Curtis (4)
Balks: Barr (2)

Umpires: HP - Eric Gregg, 1B - Ed Montague, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Jerry Dale


GIANTS 1ST: Thomas made an out to second; Andrews grounded out
(third to first); Madlock singled to center; McCovey grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Cabell flied out to center; Cedeno
singled [Puhl to second]; Cruz flied out to center; Watson was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Evans walked; Thomasson forced Evans (pitcher to
shortstop); Foli grounded out (third to first) [Thomasson to
second]; Sadek singled to left [Thomasson scored]; Barr grounded
out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros
0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson singled to center; Howe singled to right
[Ferguson to second]; Metzger flied to left in foul territory;
Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Ferguson to
third, Howe to second]; Puhl walked; Cabell was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Thomas grounded out (first unassisted); Andrews
singled to center; Madlock forced Andrews (third to second)
[Madlock to second (error by Howe)]; McCovey grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Cruz homered;
Watson grounded out (second to first); Ferguson walked; Howe
walked [Ferguson to second]; Metzger singled to center [Ferguson
scored, Howe to third, Metzger to second (on throw)]; Niekro
flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 2.

GIANTS 4TH: Evans made an out to second; Thomasson struck out;
Foli flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros
2.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl was called out on strikes; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 2.

GIANTS 5TH: Sadek grounded out (third to first); Barr flied out
to center; Thomas grounded out (pitcher to second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz flied out to left; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Ferguson singled to left; Howe tripled to
right [Ferguson scored]; Metzger was called out on strikes; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Andrews walked; Madlock grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Andrews to second]; McCovey grounded out (second to
first) [Andrews to third]; Evans flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Niekro flied out to center; Puhl singled to right;
Barr balked [Puhl to second]; Cabell singled to left [Puhl
scored, Cabell to third (error by Evans)]; HEAVERLO REPLACED
BARR (PITCHING); Cedeno struck out; Cruz was walked
intentionally; WALTON BATTED FOR WATSON; Walton singled to left
[Cabell scored, Cruz to second]; SPERRING RAN FOR WALTON;
Ferguson singled [Cruz scored, Sperring to second]; Howe struck
out; 3 R, 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.

GIANTS 7TH: SPERRING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); CABELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Thomasson grounded out (first
unassisted); Foli grounded out (third to first); Sadek grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger doubled to center; Niekro struck out; Puhl
flied out to left; Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.

GIANTS 8TH: WHITFIELD BATTED FOR HEAVERLO; Whitfield grounded
out (second to first); Thomas struck out; Andrews singled;
Madlock forced Andrews (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: CURTIS REPLACED WHITFIELD (PITCHING); Cedeno singled
to third; Curtis threw a wild pitch [Cedeno to second]; Cedeno
was caught stealing third (catcher to third); Cruz struck out;
Sperring singled to center; Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.

GIANTS 9TH: McCovey struck out; Evans flied out to center;
Thomasson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 6.