On the verge of being shut out, the Astros rallied for three tying runs on a homer by Bob Watson in the ninth inning and then erupted for three more runs in the 11th to defeat the Reds, 6-4. Watson singled with one out in the 11th and, after the second out, Enos Cabell also singled.

Art Howe followed with his third straight double, driving in both runners, and scored himself on a single by Cliff Johnson. The Reds rallied for a run in their half on singles by George Foster, Dave Concepcion and Dan Driessen with none out, but Ken Forsch saved the game for the Astros, retiring Johnny Bench on a liner to Howe at second and inducing Cesar Geronimo to ground into a double play. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Cincinnati Reds 4
Game Played on Thursday, June      2, 1977 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  3    0  3  -   6 13  1
Reds         0  1  0    0  1  0    0  1  0    0  1  -   4 12  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cedeno cf             5   0   0   0     1   1   .195      Rose 3b               4   0   1   1     1   0   .320
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Knight 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Gonzalez ss           5   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Griffey rf            5   0   0   0     1   2   .314
Cruz rf               5   1   1   0     0   0   .263      Morgan 2b             2   1   2   0     2   0   .290
Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .265        Flynn 2b            2   0   0   0     0   1   .105
  Herrmann c          2   1   1   0     0   0   .167      Foster lf             4   1   1   0     2   2   .304
Watson 1b             5   2   4   3     0   0   .282      Concepcion ss         6   0   4   1     0   1   .287
Crawford lf           2   0   0   0     1   0   .253      Driessen 1b           4   0   1   1     2   1   .268
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Plummer c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .182
  Boswell ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .265        Lum ph              1   0   0   0     0   1   .167
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bench c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .224
  Gardner ph,cf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .139      Geronimo cf           5   1   0   0     1   2   .263
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .272      Billingham p          4   0   2   1     0   1   .226
Howe 2b               5   1   3   2     0   0   .270        Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
Bannister p           2   0   1   0     0   0   .143        Fryman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .308
  Johnson lf          2   0   1   1     1   0   .306        Summers ph          0   0   0   0     1   0   .188
                                                            Armbrister pr       0   0   0   0     0   0   .316
                                                            Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               43   6  13   6     3   1             Totals               43   4  12   4    10  11

Time of Game: 3:14   Attendance: 23,503
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 16
DP: Astros 1, Reds 3
Errors: Herrmann
Doubles: Watson (6), Howe 3 (7), Billingham (1), Morgan (7), Concepcion (5)
Triples: Concepcion (1)
Home Runs: Watson (6)
Stolen Bases: Morgan 3 (20), Concepcion (16), Armbrister (3), Griffey (12)
Caught Stealing: Morgan (6)
GIDP: Cabell (5), Howe (3), Cedeno (4), Geronimo (6)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister               6.2   6   2   2   7   8   0  32   6.65
Sambito                 1.1   2   1   0   0   1   0   6   2.15
Pentz W(1-0)            2     1   0   0   3   2   0  10   1.59
Forsch SV(7)            1     3   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.53
Totals                 11    12   4   3  10  11   0  53

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham              8.1   7   2   2   2   1   0  31   3.72
Eastwick                1.1   2   1   1   1   0   1   7   2.55
Fryman                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.73
Murray L(3-2)           1     4   3   3   0   0   0   7   5.02
Totals                 11    13   6   6   3   1   1  46

Passed Balls: Herrmann (2)
Wild Pitches: Bannister (2)

Umpires: HP - Ed Sudol, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Terry Tata


ASTROS 1ST: Cedeno grounded out (catcher to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose flied to right in foul territory; Griffey flied
out to right; Morgan singled to center; Morgan stole second;
Foster walked; Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson flied to left in foul territory; Watson
singled to pitcher; Crawford walked [Watson to second]; Cabell
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Crawford
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Driessen struck out; Plummer grounded out (shortstop
to first); Geronimo walked; Billingham doubled [Geronimo
scored]; Rose walked; Bannister threw a wild pitch [Billingham
to third, Rose to second]; Griffey struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Bannister
singled to center; Cedeno flied out to left; Gonzalez forced
Bannister (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Morgan walked; Morgan stole second; Foster struck out;
Concepcion flied out to right [Morgan to third]; Driessen
walked; Plummer flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Ferguson
popped to second; Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo was called out on strikes; Billingham struck
out; Rose flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Crawford grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell
singled to shortstop; Howe grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Griffey struck out; Morgan doubled; Morgan stole
third; Foster struck out; Concepcion singled to left [Morgan
scored]; Concepcion stole second; Driessen grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Bannister flied out to left; Cedeno struck out;
Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: Plummer grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
flied out to left; Billingham singled to center; Rose grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Ferguson popped
to shortstop in foul territory; Watson doubled to left; Crawford
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: Griffey popped to third; Morgan walked; Morgan was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); Foster walked;
Concepcion doubled to left [Foster to third]; SAMBITO REPLACED
CRAWFORD (PITCHING); JOHNSON REPLACED BANNISTER (PLAYING LF);
Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 8TH: FLYNN REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Cabell grounded
out (third to first); Howe doubled to left; Johnson walked;
Cedeno grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Johnson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Reds 2.

REDS 8TH: HERRMANN REPLACED FERGUSON (PLAYING C ); Plummer
singled to center; Plummer was picked off first but was safe on
an error by Herrmann [Plummer to second]; Geronimo struck out;
Billingham grounded out (second to first) [Plummer to third];
Rose singled to right [Plummer scored (unearned)]; Herrmann
allowed a passed ball [Rose to second]; Griffey grounded out
(second to first); 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds
3.

ASTROS 9TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Gonzalez grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cruz singled to left; Herrmann singled
to shortstop [Cruz to second]; EASTWICK REPLACED BILLINGHAM
(PITCHING); Watson homered [Cruz scored, Herrmann scored];
BOSWELL BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Boswell flied out to right; Cabell
grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Reds 3.

REDS 9TH: PENTZ REPLACED BOSWELL (PITCHING); Flynn grounded out
(shortstop to first); Foster grounded out (pitcher to first);
Concepcion tripled; Driessen was walked intentionally; LUM
BATTED FOR PLUMMER; Lum struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 3.

ASTROS 10TH: BENCH REPLACED LUM (PLAYING C ); Howe doubled;
Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cedeno was walked
intentionally; Gonzalez popped to first; Jose Cruz hit into
46 force out, but Reds manager Sparky Anderson had come out of
dugout and called time to make pitching change so the play was
nullified; FRYMAN REPLACED EASTWICK (PITCHING); Cruz forced
Howe (third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

REDS 10TH: Geronimo popped to shortstop; SUMMERS BATTED FOR
FRYMAN; Summers walked; ARMBRISTER RAN FOR SUMMERS; Armbrister
stole second; Knight flied out to right [Armbrister to third];
Griffey was walked intentionally; Griffey stole second; Flynn
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

ASTROS 11TH: MURRAY REPLACED ARMBRISTER (PITCHING); Herrmann
grounded out (first unassisted); Watson singled to left; GARDNER
BATTED FOR PENTZ; Gardner flied out to right; Cabell singled
[Watson to third, Cabell to second (on throw to 3b)]; Howe
doubled to right [Watson scored, Cabell scored]; Johnson singled
to center [Howe scored]; Cedeno flied out to right; 3 R, 4 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 3.

REDS 11TH: FORSCH REPLACED CEDENO (PITCHING); GARDNER STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING CF); Foster singled to center; Concepcion singled
to left [Foster to second]; Driessen singled to right [Foster
scored, Concepcion to third]; Bench lined to second; Geronimo
grounded into a double play (first unassisted) [Driessen out at
second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 4.