A winner for the fifth straight time since a season-opening loss to the Reds, J.R. Richard pitched the Astros to a 3-1 victory over the Cardinals. Jose Cruz, playing center field in place of Cesar Cedeno, who was out with a sprained ankle, batted in two of the Astros' runs with a pair of singles. His brother, Hector, homered for the Cardinals' tally in the seventh inning. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Friday, May       7, 1976 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       1  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  8  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0  -   1  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Milbourne 2b          4   2   1   0     1   0   .290      Brock lf              4   0   1   0     1   1   .256
Cabell 3b             3   0   0   0     0   2   .278      Harris 2b             3   0   1   0     1   1   .295
Cruz cf               4   0   2   2     0   1   .222      McBride cf            3   0   2   0     1   0   .362
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .295      Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Johnson c             2   0   0   0     2   2   .208      Crawford rf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .316
Gross rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .278      Hernandez 1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .182
Howard lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .167      Cruz 3b               4   1   1   1     0   1   .173
Metzger ss            2   0   2   0     2   0   .263      Kessinger ss          3   0   0   0     1   0   .253
Richard p             3   0   0   1     0   1   .000      Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
                                                            Melendez ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Frisella p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fairly ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .357
                                                            Richard pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .095

Totals               30   3   8   3     5   6             Totals               31   1   6   1     6   6

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance: 15,141
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cardinals 9
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 2
Doubles: Howard 2 (3)
Home Runs: Cruz (2)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (1)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (1), Brock (4), Hernandez (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Cabell (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Richard (1)
GIDP: Gross (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(5-1)          9     6   1   1   6   6   1  37   2.55
Totals                  9     6   1   1   6   6   1  37

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(0-1)           7     7   3   3   4   6   0  30   5.65
Frisella                2     1   0   0   1   0   0   7   0.64
Totals                  9     8   3   3   5   6   0  37

Wild Pitches: Forsch (2)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - John Kibler


ASTROS 1ST: Milbourne walked; Forsch threw a wild pitch
[Milbourne to second]; Cabell grounded out (first unassisted);
Cruz singled to center [Milbourne scored]; Cruz stole second;
Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Johnson walked; Gross
forced Johnson (first to shortstop); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock singled to third; Brock was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Harris walked; McBride singled to
center [Harris to second]; Simmons struck out; Crawford grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howard grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
singled to right; Richard hit into a double play (catcher to
second) [Metzger out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hernandez walked; Hernandez was picked off and
caught stealing second (pitcher to first to second); Cruz popped
to second; Kessinger walked; Forsch struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Milbourne singled to left; Cabell out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to first) [Milbourne to second]; Cruz singled to
center [Milbourne scored]; Cruz was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Watson flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock grounded out (shortstop to first); Harris
was called out on strikes; McBride walked; Simmons grounded out
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Johnson struck out; Gross singled to center; Howard
doubled to right [Gross to third]; Metzger was walked
intentionally; Richard hit a sacrifice fly to center [Gross
scored, Howard to third]; Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Crawford struck out; Hernandez singled to right;
Cruz flied out to right; Kessinger flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell struck out; Cruz struck out; Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Forsch flied out to right; Brock struck out;
Harris grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Johnson struck out; Gross flied out to left; Howard
doubled to left; Metzger was walked intentionally; Richard
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: McBride flied out to center; Simmons grounded out
(shortstop to first); Crawford flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Milbourne grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell
struck out; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 7TH: Hernandez flied out to left; Cruz homered;
Kessinger flied out to left; MELENDEZ BATTED FOR FORSCH;
Melendez popped to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 8TH: FRISELLA REPLACED MELENDEZ (PITCHING); Watson flied
out to center; Johnson walked; Gross grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Johnson out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 8TH: Brock walked; Harris singled to right [Brock to
second]; McBride singled to third [Brock to third, Harris to
second]; Simmons flied out to left; Crawford flied out to left;
Hernandez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Howard grounded out (first to pitcher); Metzger
singled to center; Richard popped to pitcher; Milbourne popped
to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 9TH: Cruz was called out on strikes; Kessinger
grounded out (third to first); FAIRLY BATTED FOR FRISELLA;
Fairly walked; RICHARD RAN FOR FAIRLY; Brock grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 1.