The Astros erupted for five runs in the eighth inning and defeated the Expos, 7-2. The Astros started the stanza by loading the bases on a walk to Roger Metzger and singles by Terry Puhl and Wilbut Howard. Art Howe then forced Metzger at the plate, but catcher Gary Carter threw wildly to first base in an attempt to complete the double play and two runs scored. However, those runs became earned when Jose Cruz singled, scoring Howe, and Joe Ferguson followed with a two-run homer. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Montreal Expos 2
Game Played on Sunday, August    28, 1977 (Day game) at Astrodome
Expos        1  0  1    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  6  4
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    2  5  x  -   7  9  0


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Cash 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Puhl cf               4   2   2   0     1   1   .296
Cromartie lf          4   1   1   0     0   2   .282      Howard lf             5   1   3   0     0   0   .244
Dawson cf             3   1   1   0     1   0   .280      Howe 2b               4   2   0   0     0   1   .261
Perez 1b              3   0   2   1     1   0   .283      Cruz rf               3   1   2   1     2   1   .298
Carter c              4   0   2   1     0   0   .276      Ferguson 1b           5   1   2   4     0   2   .251
Mejias rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .278      Herrmann c            5   0   0   0     0   2   .277
Parrish 3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .244      Sperring 3b           3   0   0   0     1   1   .193
Speier ss             4   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Metzger ss            1   0   0   0     3   0   .179
Rogers p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .101      Bannister p           3   0   0   0     0   1   .216
  McEnaney p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   6   2     2   3             Totals               33   7   9   5     7   9

Time of Game: 2:25   Attendance:  8,587
Left on Base: Expos 6, Astros 11
DP: Expos 0, Astros 0
Errors: Carter, Mejias, Parrish, Speier
Doubles: Perez (24), Dawson (18), Carter (21), Cruz (28)
Home Runs: Ferguson (16)
Sacrifice Hits: Howe (1), Bannister (5)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rogers L(14-13)         7.2   9   7   7   7   9   1  41   3.10
McEnaney                0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.02
Totals                  8     9   7   7   7   9   1  42

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister W(5-7)        8     6   2   2   2   2   0  32   4.39
McLaughlin              1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.97
Totals                  9     6   2   2   2   3   0  35

Umpires: HP - Andy Olsen, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Jerry Crawford


EXPOS 1ST: Cash grounded out (third to first); Cromartie
singled; Dawson flied out to center; Perez doubled [Cromartie
scored]; Carter singled [Perez to third]; Mejias flied out to
right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Howard made an out to third; Howe
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Parrish made an out to second; Speier flied out to
center; Rogers grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz walked; Ferguson forced Cruz (shortstop to
second); Herrmann flied out to right; Sperring walked [Ferguson
to second]; Metzger reached on an error by Parrish [Ferguson to
third, Sperring to second, Metzger to first]; Bannister grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Expos 1, Astros 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Cash grounded out (shortstop to first); Cromartie
struck out; Dawson doubled; Perez walked; Carter doubled [Dawson
scored, Perez to third]; Mejias flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl walked; Howard singled [Puhl to second]; Howe
out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Puhl to third, Howard
to second]; Cruz struck out; Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Parrish made an out to third; Speier grounded out
(third to first); Rogers grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Herrmann struck out; Sperring reached on an error by
Speier [Sperring to first]; Metzger walked [Sperring to second];
Bannister out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Sperring to
third, Metzger to second]; Puhl grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

EXPOS 5TH: Cash flied out to left; Cromartie struck out; Dawson
walked; Perez flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard made an out to shortstop; Howe flied out to
left; Cruz doubled; Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 0.

EXPOS 6TH: Carter made an out to shortstop; Mejias flied out to
right; Parrish grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Herrmann struck out; Sperring grounded out
(shortstop to first); Metzger walked; Bannister struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

EXPOS 7TH: Speier flied out to right; Rogers grounded out
(second to first); Cash grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl singled; Howard singled [Puhl to second]; Howe
forced Howard (third to second) [Puhl to third]; Cruz walked
[Howe to second]; Ferguson singled [Puhl scored, Howe scored,
Cruz to second]; Herrmann grounded out (first to pitcher) [Cruz
to third, Ferguson to second]; Sperring struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

EXPOS 8TH: Cromartie grounded out (second to first); Dawson
grounded out (third to first); Perez singled; Carter flied out
to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger walked; Bannister made an out to first; Puhl
singled [Metzger to second]; Howard singled [Metzger to third,
Puhl to second]; Howe forced Metzger (shortstop to catcher)
[Puhl scored (error by Carter) (no RBI), Howard scored (no RBI),
Howe to third]; Cruz singled to right [Howe scored, Cruz to
third (error by Mejias)]; Ferguson homered [Cruz scored];
MCENANEY REPLACED ROGERS (PITCHING); Herrmann flied out to
center; 5 R, 4 H, 2 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 7.

EXPOS 9TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING); Mejias made
an out to shortstop; Parrish struck out; Speier flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 7.