FORSCH 2-HITS ASTROS
4-Run Cards 7th Breaks Open Close Game
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 9 (AP) - Bob Forsch fired a complete game two-hitter to lead the
St. Louis Cardinals past the Houston Astros 6-1 at Busch Stadium. Forsch
became the first Cardinals starter to allow fewer than three hits in a complete
game this season. John Denny and Pete Falcone had tossed complete game
three-hitters on April 28 and June 1 respectively.
The Astros nicked Forsch for a run in the very first inning. With one out,
Jerry DaVanon tripled and scored on Cesar Cedeno's sacrifice fly.
The Cardinals pushed a pair of runs across against Houston starter Dan Larson in
the second. Ted Simmons drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third on
Willie Crawford's double to left-center. Keith Hernandez's grounder to
second scored Simmons, knotting the game at a run apiece, and moved Crawford to
third. Don Kessinger's roller to a drawn in infield failed to score
Crawford but, with the count at 2-2 to Hector Cruz, Larson balked, allowing
Crawford to score and give St. Louis a 2-1 lead.
The score was still 2-1, and the Astros still had only one hit, when the
Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the seventh. Hernandez drew a
lead-off four-pitch walk from Larson and was forced at second by Kessinger's
grounder to short. Cruz filed to left for the second out but Forsch kept
the inning alive with a base hit to left-center, chasing Hernandez to
third. Jerry Mumphrey jumped on the first pitch he saw and lined it into
the right-center field gap, scoring Hernandez and advancing Forsch to
third. Garry Templeton then dropped a single into center field.
Hernandez scored easily and Cedeno's throw to the plate, in an attempt to nab
Forsch was wild, allowing Templeton to move all the way to third. Joe
Niekro replaced Larson, but yielded an infield hit to Lou Brock which scored
Templeton to give St. Louis a 6-1 advantage.
In the top of the eighth, Ken Boswell tripled into the right field corner to
lead off the frame. But Forsch retired Herrmann, Roger Metzger and pinch
hitter Wilbur Howard without allowing Boswell to score, and then pitched around
a one-out walk to DaVanon in the ninth to finish off the two-hitter.
8/9/1976, Hou76-StL76, Busch Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Astros 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 1976 Cardinals 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 x 6 8 0 6 3 Astros AB R H BI AVG Cardinals AB R H BI AVG Gross,G rf 3 0 0 0 .295 Mumphrey cf 4 1 1 1 .253 DaVanon 2b 2 1 1 0 .327 Templeton ss 4 1 2 2 .500 Cedeno cf 3 0 0 1 .247 Brock lf 4 0 1 1 .338 Watson 1b 3 0 0 0 .335 Simmons c 3 1 0 0 .273 Cruz,J lf 3 0 0 0 .283 Crawford,W rf 3 1 2 0 .271 Boswell 3b 3 0 1 0 .247 Hernandez,K 1b 3 0 0 1 .294 Herrmann c 3 0 0 0 .226 Kessinger 2b 3 1 0 0 .240 Metzger,R ss 2 0 0 0 .224 Cruz,Hec 3b 3 0 1 0 .196 Larson p 2 0 0 0 .000 Forsch,B p 4 1 1 0 .164 Niekro,J p 0 0 0 0 .148 31 6 8 5 Howard,W ph 1 0 0 0 .242 Rondon p 0 0 0 0 .077 25 1 2 1 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Larson L 1-4 6.2 6 6 5 3 2 95 53 4.79 Niekro,J 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 8 4 4.05 Rondon 1.0 1 0 0 2 0 13 5 5.70 8.0 8 6 5 5 2 116 62 Cardinals INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Forsch,B W 5-12 9.0 2 1 1 4 1 111 67 4.29 9.0 2 1 1 4 1 111 67 Hou: Howard,W batted for Niekro,J in the 8th E-Cedeno. 2B-Mumphrey(8), Crawford,W(11). 3B-DaVanon(1), Boswell(1). RBI-Cedeno(44), Mumphrey(13), Templeton 2(2), Brock(29), Hernandez,K(22). SB-Templeton(1), Brock(45). K-Watson, Cruz,Hec, Forsch,B. BB-Gross,G, DaVanon 2, Metzger,R, Simmons, Crawford,W, Hernandez,K, Kessinger, Cruz,Hec. SF-Cedeno. BALK-Larson. Temperature: 90, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: right to left at 18 MPH. Attendance: 6,884 Game Time: 2:14