RICHARD, ASTROS SQUEAK PAST DODGERS
L.A. Drops 6th Straight
HOUSTON, June 23 (AP) - J.R. Richard tossed a complete game three-hitter and Ed
Herrmann hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, leading the Houston Astros
to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome. It was the
sixth consecutive loss for the Dodgers.
Richard won his fifth straight decision and fired his fourth shutout and seventh
complete game of the season. Richard is now 11-5 on the year. Only
Steve Carlton (12-1) of the Philadelphia Phillies has more victories in the
National League.
Los Angeles starter Rick Rhoden matched zeroes with Richard through the first
six innings of the game, with neither club advancing a baserunner past
second. But in the bottom of the seventh, after retiring Bob Watson on a
ground ball for the first out, Herrmann stepped to the plate, worked the count
full, and drove a Rhoden fastball into the right field seats for a lead the
Astros would never surrender.
With the score still 1-0 in the top of the ninth, Richard retired Bill Buckner
on a fly ball to right, but then walked Ted Sizemore. Joe Simpson came on
to run for Sizemore and immediately advanced to third when Steve Garvey sliced a
double to right. But Richard retired Reggie Smith on a shallow fly to
right fielder Greg Gross, with the runners holding. Ed Goodson then
grounded weakly to first baseman Watson to end the game.
6/23/1976, LA 76-Hou76, Astrodome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 1 1976 Astros 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 x 1 5 0 5 1 Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Astros AB R H BI AVG Buckner lf 4 0 1 0 .319 Gross,G rf 4 0 1 0 .289 Sizemore 2b 2 0 0 0 .126 Andrews,R 2b 3 0 0 0 .228 Simpson pr 0 0 0 0 .059 Cedeno cf 4 0 2 0 .258 Garvey 1b 4 0 1 0 .317 Watson 1b 3 0 0 0 .331 Smith,R rf 4 0 0 0 .166 Herrmann c 3 1 1 1 .213 Goodson 3b 4 0 1 0 .143 Johnson,C lf 3 0 1 0 .259 Russell ss 3 0 0 0 .299 Howard,W lf 0 0 0 0 .246 Baker,D cf 2 0 0 0 .212 Cabell 3b 2 0 0 0 .246 Yeager c 2 0 0 0 .208 Metzger,R ss 2 0 0 0 .234 Cruz,Hen ph 1 0 0 0 .171 Richard,JR p 3 0 0 0 .128 Rodriguez,El c 0 0 0 0 .429 27 1 5 1 Rhoden p 3 0 0 0 .138 29 0 3 0 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Rhoden L 5-5 8.0 5 1 1 3 0 99 58 2.77 8.0 5 1 1 3 0 99 58 Astros INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Richard,JR W 11-5 9.0 3 0 0 3 4 104 63 1.83 9.0 3 0 0 3 4 104 63 LA : Cruz,Hen batted for Yeager in the 8th Rodriguez,El inserted at c in the 8th Simpson ran for Sizemore in the 9th Hou: Howard,W inserted at lf in the 9th 2B-Garvey(16). 3B-Gross,G(1). HR-Herrmann(5). RBI-Herrmann(12). SB-Buckner(13), Cedeno(18), Cabell(14). CS-Cedeno. K-Garvey, Baker,D, Rhoden 2. BB-Sizemore 2, Baker,D, Andrews,R, Cabell, Metzger,R. GWRBI: Herrmann Temperature: 70, Wind: none. Attendance: 9,556 Game Time: 1:50