Dan Driessen slammed a three-run homer and Cesar Geronimo and Joe Morgan added two-run shots as the Reds posted their fourth straight victory with a 9-3 thumping of the Astros. Driessen's homer came in the opening frame and followed a single by Pete Rose and walk to George Foster.

Geronimo's clout came in the fourth and scored Dave Concepcion, who had driven in Foster with a single. Morgan's blow came in the seventh after Ken Griffey singled. Two of the Astros' runs resulted from bases-loaded walks. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Sunday, April     9, 1978 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  3  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3 11  0
Reds         3  0  0    3  0  1    2  0  x  -   9 10  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               4   0   0   1     0   0   .188      Rose 3b               4   1   1   0     0   1   .294
Cabell 3b             5   0   2   0     0   2   .316        Sarmiento p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cedeno cf             5   0   2   0     0   0   .333        Kennedy 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     0   1   .412      Griffey rf            3   1   1   0     0   0   .267
Watson 1b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .200      Morgan 2b             4   1   1   2     0   0   .417
  Herrmann c          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Ferguson c            4   1   2   0     0   1   .267      Foster lf             2   2   1   0     1   1   .500
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Driessen 1b           4   2   2   3     0   0   .308
Howe 2b               3   1   1   0     1   0   .214      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   2   .250
Metzger ss            3   0   0   1     1   0   .100      Concepcion ss         4   1   2   2     0   0   .357
Lemongello p          1   0   1   1     1   0  1.000      Geronimo cf           3   1   2   2     1   0   .429
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Hume p                3   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Knight 3b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bergman 1b          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               34   3  11   3     3   6             Totals               32   9  10   9     2   5

Time of Game: 2:10   Attendance: 42,667
Left on Base: Astros 9, Reds 3
DP: Astros 1, Reds 1
Doubles: Cruz (2), Lemongello (1), Driessen (1), Concepcion (1)
Home Runs: Driessen (1), Geronimo (1), Morgan (2)
Stolen Bases: Foster (1), Concepcion (1)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Griffey (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Puhl (1)
GIDP: Cedeno (1), Knight (1)
Hit by Pitch: Watson (1,by Hume), Foster (1,by Pentz)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello L(0-1)       5     5   6   6   1   2   2  21  10.80
Pentz                   2     4   3   3   1   3   1  12  10.80
Forsch                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8    10   9   9   2   5   3  36

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hume W(1-0)             7     9   3   3   3   4   0  31   3.86
Sarmiento               1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Tomlin                  1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9    11   3   3   3   6   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Pentz (1), Hume (1)
Wild Pitches: Pentz (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to right; Cabell singled; Cedeno
grounded into a double play (shortstop to first) [Cabell out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose singled to center; Griffey out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Rose to second]; Morgan popped to
catcher in foul territory; Foster walked; Driessen homered [Rose
scored, Foster scored]; Bench struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to pitcher; Watson flied out to right;
Ferguson singled to left [Cruz to second]; Howe singled to
catcher [Cruz to third, Ferguson to second]; Metzger walked
[Cruz scored, Ferguson to third, Howe to second]; Lemongello
walked [Ferguson scored, Howe to third, Metzger to second]; Puhl
hit a sacrifice fly to center [Howe scored, Metzger to third];
Cabell struck out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo
grounded out (second to first); Hume grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Cedeno singled to left [Cedeno out at second (left
to second)]; Cruz doubled to center; Watson was hit by a pitch;
Ferguson flied out to right [Cruz to third]; Howe walked [Watson
to second]; Metzger forced Howe (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey flied out
to left; Morgan grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Lemongello doubled to right; Puhl grounded out
(first unassisted) [Lemongello to third]; Cabell struck out;
Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 3.

REDS 4TH: Foster singled to shortstop; Foster stole second;
Driessen popped to second; Bench struck out; Concepcion singled
to right [Foster scored]; Concepcion stole second; Geronimo
homered [Concepcion scored]; Hume grounded out (third to first);
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Watson struck
out; Ferguson singled to third; Howe grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 6.

REDS 5TH: Rose flied out to right; Griffey grounded out (second
to first); Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); WALLING
BATTED FOR LEMONGELLO; Walling grounded out (pitcher to first);
Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 6.

REDS 6TH: PENTZ REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Foster struck out;
Driessen doubled; Bench grounded out (second to first) [Driessen
to third]; Concepcion doubled [Driessen scored]; Geronimo was
walked intentionally; Hume struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cedeno singled
to center; Cedeno was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Reds 7.

REDS 7TH: Rose struck out; Griffey singled to center; Pentz
threw a wild pitch [Griffey to second]; Morgan homered [Griffey
scored]; Foster was hit by a pitch; Driessen flied out to left;
Bench flied out to left; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 9.

ASTROS 8TH: KNIGHT REPLACED HUME (PLAYING 3B); SARMIENTO
REPLACED ROSE (PITCHING); Watson singled; Ferguson struck out;
Howe flied out to right; Metzger flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 9.

REDS 8TH: FORSCH REPLACED FERGUSON (PITCHING); HERRMANN REPLACED
WATSON (PLAYING C ); BERGMAN REPLACED PENTZ (PLAYING 1B);
Concepcion grounded out (shortstop to first); Geronimo singled
to center; Knight grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Geronimo out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 9.

ASTROS 9TH: TOMLIN REPLACED MORGAN (PITCHING); KENNEDY REPLACED
SARMIENTO (PLAYING 2B); Bergman struck out; Puhl grounded out
(first to pitcher); Cabell singled; Cedeno forced Cabell
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 9.