Shortly after hearing the news that manager Walter Alston would bow out at the close of the season, Don Sutton pitched the Dodgers to a 2-0 triumph over the Astros. Sutton yielded four hits in posting his fourth shutout and 14th complete game. Bill Russell broke up the scoreless duel between Sutton and Dan Larson when he singled home Steve Garvey in the seventh, Garvey had singled and advanced to second on a groundout. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Houston Astros 0
Game Played on Monday, September 27, 1976 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  x  -   2  6  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Howard lf             3   0   1   0     1   0   .219      Lopes 2b              3   1   1   0     1   0   .241
Javier rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Buckner lf            4   0   1   1     0   0   .305
Cruz cf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .304      Smith rf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .256
Johnson 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .222      Garvey 1b             3   1   1   0     0   0   .318
Howe 2b               2   0   1   0     1   0   .136      Cey 3b                3   0   0   0     0   1   .280
  Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .313      Russell ss            3   0   1   1     0   1   .276
Boswell 3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Burke cf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .344
Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   2   .201      Pasley c              2   0   0   0     0   1   .240
Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   0   .211        Goodson ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .228
  Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .289        Yeager c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .214
  Taveras ss          0   0   0   0     0   0   .211      Sutton p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .084
Larson p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .290
  Cedeno ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .296
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .200

Totals               31   0   4   0     2   3             Totals               28   2   6   2     2   5

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 10,639
Left on Base: Astros 6, Dodgers 4
DP: Astros 2, Dodgers 1
Errors: Boswell, Lopes, Russell
Doubles: Smith (15)
Stolen Bases: Lopes 2 (61), Garvey (18), Russell (15)
Caught Stealing: Buckner (9)
GIDP: Boswell (8), Sutton (3), Goodson (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Larson L(5-8)           7     5   1   1   1   4   0  26   3.02
Pentz                   1     1   1   1   1   1   0   4   3.06
Totals                  8     6   2   2   2   5   0  30

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(21-9)          9     4   0   0   2   3   0  33   3.03
Totals                  9     4   0   0   2   3   0  33

Wild Pitches: Sutton (4)

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Bob Engel


ASTROS 1ST: Howard grounded out (first unassisted); Javier
grounded out (third to first); Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes lined to third; Buckner flied out to left;
Smith doubled to left; Garvey grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Johnson grounded out (third to first); Howe singled
to center; Boswell grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Cey grounded out (shortstop to first); Russell
struck out; Burke grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Herrmann made an out to shortstop; Metzger flied out
to center; Larson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Pasley struck out; Sutton struck out; Lopes singled
to center; Lopes stole second; Buckner grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Howard singled to center [Howard to second (error by
Lopes)]; Javier popped to first in foul territory; Cruz struck
out; Johnson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 4TH: Smith walked; Garvey forced Smith (second to
shortstop); Garvey stole second; Cey struck out; Russell
grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe walked; Sutton threw a wild pitch [Howe to
second]; Boswell grounded out (second to first); Herrmann struck
out; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 5TH: Burke grounded out (third to first); Pasley reached
on an error by Boswell [Pasley to first]; Sutton grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Pasley out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Larson singled to right; Howard flied out to right;
Javier popped to catcher in foul territory; Cruz grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 6TH: Lopes grounded out (shortstop to first); Buckner
grounded out (catcher to first); Smith grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Johnson reached on an error by Russell [Johnson to
first]; Howe popped to shortstop; Boswell popped to second;
Herrmann struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 7TH: Garvey singled to center; Cey grounded out (third
to first) [Garvey to second]; Russell singled to left [Garvey
scored]; Russell stole second; Burke singled to left [Russell to
third]; GOODSON BATTED FOR PASLEY; Goodson grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Burke out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 8TH: YEAGER REPLACED GOODSON (PLAYING C ); GROSS BATTED
FOR METZGER; Gross grounded out (second to first); CEDENO BATTED
FOR LARSON; Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Howard
walked; Javier popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 8TH: TAVERAS REPLACED GROSS (PLAYING SS); PENTZ REPLACED
CEDENO (PITCHING); Sutton lined to pitcher; Lopes walked; Lopes
stole second; Buckner singled to center [Lopes scored]; Buckner
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Smith struck
out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Cruz singled to third; Johnson flied out to center;
WATSON BATTED FOR HOWE; Watson flied out to right; Boswell
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Dodgers 2.