'77 Astros lose in 12

Yo! Your '77 Astros played in the Game of the Day over at Play That Funky Baseball:

Astros 5
Dodgers 2

All Forsch has to do is get the bottom of the Dodger lineup.

But he hits Yeager to start the inning. Glenn Burke runs, Many Mota pinch-hits a walk, and Forsch is in wicked trouble. Lopes blows a bunt try and pops out, but Russell singles up the middle to tie it again! Garvey walks, loading the bases, and Bo McLaughlin is hailed to replace Foolish Forsch. The infield comes in, but Ron Cey raps into a 6-2-3 double play to take it to the 11th.

“I’m done,” says Sherman, “Spent. Do me a favor and cremate me now before they screw up another rally.” McLaughlin and someone named Stan Wall go another two innings, and Bo whiffs the first two guys in the last of the 12th.

Then Russell doubles, and here’s Garvey. And there goes one of the best two-out clutch hitters in the league walking to first on an intentional walk. Much better idea to pitch to the Penguin, who is more prone to walk or whiff than—

—hit the waddle-off 3-run shot into the bleachers that he now hits.

Record: 11-17
GB: 8