George Foster hit his second homer of the season to help the Reds rack up a 2-1 victory over the Astros behind the combined four-hit pitching of Fred Norman and Doug Bair. The Astros scored their run in the first inning on singles by Terry Puhl and Enos Cabell and a sacrifice fly by Bob Watson.

The Reds, who were limited to six hits by Joaquin Andujar, tied the score in the second with Foster's homer and then put over the deciding run on an infield hit by Dave Concepcion and triple by Cesar Geronimo. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Saturday, April     8, 1978 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  1
Reds         0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Rose 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .308
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .286        Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   3   .308      Griffey rf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Watson 1b             3   0   0   1     0   0   .167      Morgan 2b             2   0   1   0     2   0   .500
Cruz rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .385      Foster lf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .500
Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .182      Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Howe 2b               3   0   0   0     1   1   .182      Bench c               1   0   0   0     2   1   .375
  Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Concepcion ss         2   1   1   0     0   0   .300
Metzger ss            2   0   1   0     1   0   .143      Geronimo cf           3   0   1   1     0   0   .364
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .500      Norman p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Andujar p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   1   4   1     3   8             Totals               27   2   6   2     4   2

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 17,958
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 6
DP: Astros 1, Reds 0
Errors: Andujar, Rose
Triples: Geronimo (1)
Home Runs: Foster (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (2)
Caught Stealing: Morgan (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Andujar (1), Concepcion (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (1)
GIDP: Griffey (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar L(0-1)          8     6   2   2   4   2   1  32   2.25
Totals                  8     6   2   2   4   2   1  32

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman W(1-0)           8.1   4   1   1   2   7   0  32   1.08
Bair SV(1)              0.2   0   0   0   1   1   0   3   0.00
Totals                  9     4   1   1   3   8   0  35

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled; Cabell singled to right [Puhl to
third]; Cedeno struck out; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to left
[Puhl scored]; Cruz popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 0.

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

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

REDS 2ND: Foster homered; Driessen flied out to right; Bench
struck out; Concepcion singled to pitcher; Geronimo tripled to
right [Concepcion scored]; Norman grounded out (shortstop to
first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Andujar flied out to left; Puhl flied out to left;
Cabell reached on an error by Rose [Cabell to first]; Cabell
stole second; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 2.

REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Griffey flied to
left in foul territory; Morgan singled to right; Foster forced
Morgan (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to left; Cruz popped to shortstop;
Ferguson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 4TH: Driessen flied out to left; Bench walked; Concepcion
flied out to right; Geronimo grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe grounded out (pitcher to first); Metzger
singled to center; Andujar out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to
second) [Metzger to second]; Puhl lined to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 5TH: Norman popped to third in foul territory; Rose singled
to left; Griffey grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Rose out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out to center;
Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds
2.

REDS 6TH: Morgan walked; Morgan was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Foster struck out; Driessen flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz flied out to left; Ferguson walked; Howe
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Ferguson to second]; Metzger
was walked intentionally; Andujar struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: Bench walked; Concepcion out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Bench to second]; Geronimo grounded out
(shortstop to first); Norman grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell flied
out to center; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Reds 2.

REDS 8TH: Rose grounded out (pitcher to first); Griffey singled
to right; Griffey was picked off first but was safe on an error
by Andujar [Griffey to second]; Morgan walked; Foster flied out
to right; Driessen grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 1
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 9TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); Watson grounded
out (third to first); Cruz singled to right; BAIR REPLACED
NORMAN (PITCHING); Ferguson popped to third in foul territory;
Howe walked [Cruz to second]; SEXTON RAN FOR HOWE; HOWARD BATTED
FOR METZGER; Howard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Reds 2.