Cesar Cedeno knocked in two runs with a triple in the first inning and scored on a double by Bob Watson to start the Astros off to a 5-3 victory over the Cubs. J.R. Richard accounted for what proved to be his own winning run by hitting a homer in the second.

Jose Cruz added the Astros' final tally with a circuit clout in the eighth. Bill Madlock and Rick Monday hit homers for the Cubs. Richard, who gained his 15th victory, was lifted after 8 1/3 innings and Jerry Morales singled off Ken Forsch to drive in the Cubs' last run, scoring Champ Summers, who had hit a pinch-double. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Chicago Cubs 3
Game Played on Thursday, August    26, 1976 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       3  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   5 10  0
Cubs         0  0  0    1  0  1    0  0  1  -   3  6  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
DaVanon 2b            4   1   2   0     1   1   .338      Monday 1b             4   1   2   1     0   1   .272
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   1   .272      Cardenal lf           4   0   0   0     0   0   .296
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   2     0   0   .295        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Watson 1b             4   0   1   1     0   1   .296      Madlock 3b            2   1   1   1     0   0   .337
Cruz rf               4   1   1   1     0   0   .315        Rosello ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Roberts lf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .295        Summers ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .223
  Howard lf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .223      Wallis cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .235
Herrmann c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .212      Morales rf            4   0   1   1     0   1   .269
Metzger ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .218      Trillo 2b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .242
Richard p             4   1   2   1     0   2   .134      Mitterwald c          4   0   0   0     0   2   .207
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .100      Kelleher ss,3b        3   0   0   0     0   1   .224
                                                          R. Reuschel p         1   0   1   0     0   0   .230
                                                            Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .224
                                                            P. Reuschel p       0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
                                                            LaCock ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .216

Totals               37   5  10   5     1   7             Totals               33   3   6   3     0   6

Time of Game: 2:11   Attendance:  6,653
Left on Base: Astros 6, Cubs 4
DP: Astros 0, Cubs 0
Doubles: Watson (23), Monday (17), Summers (2)
Triples: Cedeno (4)
Home Runs: Richard (1), Cruz (3), Madlock (14), Monday (23)
Hit by Pitch: Madlock (11,by Richard)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(15-13)        8.1   5   3   3   0   6   2  31   2.60
Forsch SV(17)           0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.33
Totals                  9     6   3   3   0   6   2  34

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel L(11-9)     6     8   4   4   0   3   1  26   3.63
P. Reuschel             2     1   1   1   1   3   1   8   4.57
Knowles                 1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.98
Totals                  9    10   5   5   1   7   2  38

Hit by Pitch: Richard (4)

Umpires: HP - Lee Weyer, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Nick Colosi, 3B - Ed Montague


ASTROS 1ST: DaVanon singled to right; Cabell singled to right
[DaVanon to second]; Cedeno tripled to center [DaVanon scored,
Cabell scored]; Watson doubled to center [Cedeno scored]; Cruz
popped to second; Roberts grounded out (shortstop to first);
Herrmann grounded out (pitcher to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Monday lined to third; Cardenal flied out to left;
Madlock flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Metzger struck out; Richard homered; DaVanon
grounded out (pitcher to second to first); Cabell flied out to
left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Wallis grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Morales
popped to first; Trillo lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno singled to third; Watson flied out to center;
Cruz grounded out (second to first) [Cedeno to second]; Roberts
lined to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 3RD: Mitterwald lined to left; Kelleher grounded out
(pitcher to first); R. Reuschel singled to left; Monday struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger
grounded out (second to first); Richard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 0.

CUBS 4TH: Cardenal popped to catcher in foul territory; Madlock
homered; Wallis was called out on strikes; Morales struck out; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 5TH: DaVanon singled to center; Cabell struck out; Cedeno
popped to shortstop; Watson flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: Trillo flied out to right; Mitterwald struck out;
Kelleher struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz flied out to left; Roberts singled to
shortstop; Herrmann popped to third; Metzger grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: BIITTNER BATTED FOR R. REUSCHEL; Biittner grounded out
(second to first); Monday homered; Cardenal grounded out (third
to first); Madlock was hit by a pitch; Wallis grounded out
(first unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 7TH: ROSELLO REPLACED MADLOCK (PLAYING SS); KELLEHER
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); P. REUSCHEL REPLACED BIITTNER
(PITCHING); Richard struck out; DaVanon walked; Cabell grounded
out (second to first) [DaVanon to second]; Cedeno flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Morales popped to right; Trillo flied out to left;
Mitterwald struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson was called out on strikes; Cruz homered;
Roberts was called out on strikes; Herrmann lined to center; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: HOWARD REPLACED ROBERTS (PLAYING LF); Kelleher
grounded out (second to first); LACOCK BATTED FOR P. REUSCHEL;
LaCock grounded out (second to first); Monday doubled to center;
Cardenal popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 9TH: LACOCK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); KNOWLES REPLACED
CARDENAL (PITCHING); Metzger popped to first in foul territory;
Richard singled to center; DaVanon struck out; Cabell grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 2.

CUBS 9TH: SUMMERS BATTED FOR ROSELLO; Summers doubled to right;
Wallis grounded out (second to first) [Summers to third]; FORSCH
REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Morales singled to left [Summers
scored]; Trillo flied out to center; Mitterwald forced Morales
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Cubs 3.