Ed Herrmann drove in the tie-breaking run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and delivered an RBI single in the eighth as the Astros beat the Braves, 6-3. Cesar Cedeno equaled the Houston club record for hitting in 21 consecutive games. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Tuesday, September 20, 1977 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  1  2    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  1
Astros       0  2  1    0  0  1    0  2  x  -   6  9  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            3   1   1   0     1   1   .215      Puhl lf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .305
  Pocoroba ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Cabell 3b,1b          4   1   1   0     0   1   .283
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   4   .246      Cedeno cf             4   2   3   0     0   0   .269
Burroughs rf          3   0   0   0     1   1   .277      Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Montanez 1b           4   1   1   2     0   0   .279      Watson 1b             2   2   1   0     2   1   .290
Matthews lf           4   1   1   0     0   0   .284        Sperring 3b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .189
Murphy c              4   0   3   0     0   1   .344      Herrmann c            3   0   1   2     0   1   .286
Bonnell 3b            4   0   2   1     0   0   .292      Howe 2b               3   1   1   2     0   0   .257
Rockett ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .264      Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .185
Ruthven p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .279      Niekro p              3   0   1   1     0   0   .133
  Asselstine ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .196

Totals               34   3   9   3     2   8             Totals               31   6   9   5     2   5

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance:  5,873
Left on Base: Braves 7, Astros 5
DP: Braves 0, Astros 1
Errors: Ruthven, Cabell
Doubles: Murphy (4), Howe (20), Cedeno (33)
Home Runs: Montanez (19)
Stolen Bases: Matthews (22), Cedeno 2 (54), Cabell (41), Puhl (10)
Caught Stealing: Murphy (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Ruthven (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Herrmann (2), Howe (2)
GIDP: Ruthven (2)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(7-11)         8     9   6   5   2   5   0  35   4.13
Totals                  8     9   6   5   2   5   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(13-7)          9     9   3   3   2   8   1  37   2.81
Totals                  9     9   3   3   2   8   1  37

Balks: Ruthven (4)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Jerry Crawford


BRAVES 1ST: Royster struck out; Office struck out; Burroughs
walked; Montanez grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Cabell made an out to first;
Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second; Cruz grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Matthews singled; Murphy doubled [Matthews to
third]; Bonnell singled [Matthews scored, Murphy to third];
Murphy was caught stealing home (catcher to shortstop to third);
Rockett made an out to third; Ruthven struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled; Herrmann grounded out (first to
shortstop to first) [Watson to second]; Howe doubled [Watson
scored]; Metzger grounded out (second to first) [Howe to third];
Niekro singled [Howe scored]; Puhl struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Braves 1, Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster singled; Office struck out; Burroughs struck
out; Montanez homered [Royster scored]; Matthews flied out to
center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Cabell was
picked off second but was safe on an error by Ruthven [Cabell to
third]; Ruthven balked [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Cedeno
grounded out (third to first); Cruz made an out to catcher;
Watson struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 3.

BRAVES 4TH: Murphy singled; Bonnell singled [Murphy to third];
Rockett reached on a fielder's choice [Murphy out at home (third
to catcher to third), Bonnell to second]; Ruthven out on a
sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Bonnell to third, Rockett to
second]; Royster walked; Office struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann struck out; Howe made an out to second;
Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Braves 3, Astros 3.

BRAVES 5TH: Burroughs grounded out (first unassisted); Montanez
made an out to third; Matthews grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro made an out to shortstop; Puhl struck out;
Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

BRAVES 6TH: Murphy singled; Bonnell flied out to center; Rockett
singled [Murphy to second]; Ruthven grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Rockett out at second]; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno singled; Cedeno stole second; Cruz grounded
out (first unassisted) [Cedeno to third]; Watson walked;
Herrmann hit a sacrifice fly to left [Cedeno scored]; Howe
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 4.

BRAVES 7TH: Royster flied out to center; Office struck out;
Burroughs flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
flied out to right; Puhl singled; Puhl stole second; Cabell
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 4.

BRAVES 8TH: Montanez grounded out (second to first); Matthews
reached on an error by Cabell [Matthews to first]; Matthews
stole second; Murphy struck out; Bonnell grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno doubled; Cruz flied out to left; Watson was
walked intentionally; Herrmann singled [Cedeno scored, Watson to
third]; Howe hit a sacrifice fly to center [Watson scored];
Metzger flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 3,
Astros 6.

BRAVES 9TH: SPERRING REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 3B); CABELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Rockett grounded out (third to
first); ASSELSTINE BATTED FOR RUTHVEN; Asselstine flied out to
left; POCOROBA BATTED FOR ROYSTER; Pocoroba made an out to
first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 3, Astros 6.