The Reds overcame a triple play, three rain delays and the pounding of Tom Seaver to post an 11-9 victory over the Astros before an opening-day crowd of 52,378. The Astros scored four runs in the ninth inning and had two men on before reliever Dave Tomlin got Bob Watson on a grounder to end the game.

The triple play came in the seventh. With Joe Morgan at third, George Foster at first and Dan Driessen at the plate, relief pitcher Joe Sambito struck out Driessen as Foster tried to steal second. Catcher Joe Ferguson threw to shortstop Roger Metzger at second to trap Foster, but then Metzger saw Morgan leading too far off third and threw to third baseman Enos Cabell, who tagged out Morgan. Cabell then threw back to Metzger at second to nab Foster and complete the triple play.

Seaver was tagged for homers by Terry Puhl, Cesar Cedeno and Ferguson before departing in the fourth inning with the Astros leading, 5-1. Morgan, who hit a homer in the first, keyed the Reds' comeback, driving in a total of five runs. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 11, Houston Astros 9
Game Played on Thursday, April     6, 1978 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    4  0  0    0  0  4  -   9 12  2
Reds         1  0  0    1  5  2    2  0  x  -  11 16  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               4   2   2   1     1   0   .500      Rose 3b               4   1   1   0     1   0   .250
Cabell 3b             5   1   1   1     0   2   .200        Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cedeno cf             4   1   2   2     1   0   .500      Griffey rf            4   2   2   0     1   1   .500
Cruz rf               5   1   3   2     0   0   .600      Morgan 2b             4   3   3   5     1   1   .750
Watson 1b             5   1   1   1     0   1   .200      Foster lf             5   2   2   0     0   1   .400
Ferguson c            4   1   1   2     0   3   .250      Driessen 1b           4   2   2   0     1   1   .500
Howe 2b               4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Bench c               5   0   2   2     0   2   .400
Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   1     1   2   .250
  Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Geronimo cf           4   0   2   1     1   1   .500
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Seaver p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Walling ph          1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000        Collins ph          1   1   1   1     1   0  1.000
  Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Murray p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Howard ph           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               38   9  12   9     2   7             Totals               37  11  16  10     7  11

Time of Game: 2:53   Attendance: 52,378
Left on Base: Astros 5, Reds 9
DP: Astros 0, Reds 0
Errors: Cruz, Howe
Doubles: Cruz (1), Howe (1), Geronimo (1), Rose (1), Morgan 2 (2), Foster (1)
Home Runs: Puhl (1), Cedeno (1), Ferguson (1), Morgan (1)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (1), Cabell (1), Driessen (1), Morgan (1), Griffey (1)
Caught Stealing: Concepcion (1), Foster (1)
Hit by Pitch: Howard (1,by Murray)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(0-1)          4.2  11   7   7   3   8   1  26  13.50
Pentz                   1.1   2   2   1   3   1   0  10   6.75
Dixon                   0     3   2   2   1   0   0   4   0.00
Sambito                 2     0   0   0   0   2   0   4   0.00
Totals                  8    16  11  10   7  11   1  44

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Seaver                  3     6   5   5   0   3   3  15  15.00
Borbon W(1-0)           2     2   0   0   0   0   0   7   0.00
Murray                  3.2   3   4   4   1   4   0  16   9.82
Bair                    0     0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0.00
Tomlin SV(1)            0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   0.00
Totals                  9    12   9   9   2   7   3  41

Passed Balls: Ferguson (1)
Hit by Pitch: Murray (1)
Wild Pitches: Richard (1)
Balks: Richard (1)

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Terry Tata


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Cabell struck out; Cedeno singled;
Cedeno stole second; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first);
Watson grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Griffey struck
out; Morgan homered; Foster grounded out (pitcher to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson struck out; Howe popped to second; Metzger
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: Driessen grounded out (second to first); Bench singled
to center; Concepcion struck out; 33 minute rain delay;
Geronimo doubled to left [Bench to third]; Seaver struck out; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; Puhl flied out to left; Cabell
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); 31 minute
rain delay; Griffey walked; Ferguson allowed a passed ball
[Griffey to second]; Morgan struck out; Foster struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno homered; 38 minute rain delay; Cruz
doubled to left; Watson singled to left [Cruz scored]; Ferguson
homered [Watson scored]; BORBON REPLACED SEAVER (PITCHING); Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger flied out to center;
Richard flied out to center; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Driessen singled to left; Driessen stole second; Bench
struck out; Concepcion singled to center [Driessen scored];
Concepcion was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Geronimo struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl singled to center; Cabell forced Puhl
(shortstop to second); Cabell stole second; Cedeno flied out to
left; Cruz singled to left [Cabell out at home (left to
catcher)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: COLLINS BATTED FOR BORBON; Collins singled to second;
Rose doubled to left [Collins to third]; Griffey was credited
with a single when a runner was hit by the batted ball to
shortstop [Rose out at third (shortstop unassisted), Collins
stayed at third]; Morgan doubled [Collins scored, Griffey
scored]; Richard threw a wild pitch [Morgan to third]; Richard
balked [Morgan scored]; Foster doubled to left; Driessen walked;
Bench struck out; Concepcion walked [Foster to third, Driessen
to second]; Geronimo singled to pitcher [Foster scored, Driessen
to third, Concepcion to second]; PENTZ REPLACED RICHARD
(PITCHING); Collins walked [Driessen scored, Concepcion to
third, Geronimo to second]; Rose grounded out (first to
pitcher); 5 R, 6 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 7.

ASTROS 6TH: MURRAY REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); Watson struck
out; Ferguson struck out; Howe popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 7.

REDS 6TH: Griffey popped to shortstop; Morgan walked; Morgan
stole second; Foster reached on an error by Howe [Morgan stayed
at second, Foster to first]; Joe Morgan escaped rundown back
to 2B; Driessen singled to catcher [Morgan to third, Foster
to second]; Bench singled to center [Morgan scored (unearned),
Foster scored, Driessen to second]; Concepcion grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Driessen to third, Bench to second];
Geronimo was walked intentionally; Murray struck out; 2 R (1
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 9.

ASTROS 7TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); WALLING
BATTED FOR PENTZ; Walling singled to left; Puhl forced Walling
(second to shortstop); Cabell struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 5, Reds 9.

REDS 7TH: DIXON REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Rose walked;
Griffey singled to right [Rose to third (error by Cruz)];
Griffey stole second; Morgan doubled [Rose scored, Griffey
scored]; Foster singled to left [Morgan to third]; SAMBITO
REPLACED DIXON (PITCHING); Driessen struck out while Foster was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop) [Morgan out at
home (shortstop to third to shortstop)]; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Reds 11.

ASTROS 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Cedeno flied out
to left; Cruz grounded out (second to first); Watson flied out
to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 11.

REDS 8TH: Bench lined to third; Concepcion struck out; Geronimo
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
5, Reds 11.

ASTROS 9TH: Ferguson struck out; Howe doubled to left; BERGMAN
BATTED FOR METZGER; Bergman grounded out (first unassisted)
[Howe to third]; HOWARD BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Howard was hit by a
pitch; Puhl walked [Howard to second]; Cabell singled to right
[Howe scored, Howard to third, Puhl to second]; BAIR REPLACED
MURRAY (PITCHING); Cedeno walked [Howard scored, Puhl to third,
Cabell to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED BAIR (PITCHING); Cruz singled
to left [Puhl scored, Cabell scored, Cedeno to second]; Watson
forced Cruz (shortstop to second); 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
9, Reds 11.