Jesus Alou drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Astros outlasted the Dodgers, 11-10, in a wild slugfest. The decisive tally resulted when Art Howe opened the frame with a double. Jimmy Sexton ran for Howe and moved to third on Wilbur Howard's infield out. Alou then rapped a bouncer to second baseman Davey Lopes, but Sexton beat the throw to the plate.

The Dodgers had tied the game in the seventh with four runs after two were out and nobody on. Dusty Baker's single and two walks loaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Lee Lacy, Lopes and Bill Russell then followed with consecutive singles. The Astros had scored five runs in the fourth despite having two outs and no runners aboard. Bob Watson slammed a double after two walks and Howe blasted a three-run homer after another walk. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, Los Angeles Dodgers 10
Game Played on Wednesday, April     12, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      2  1  0    0  3  0    4  0  0  -  10 14  0
Astros       0  0  3    5  2  0    0  0  1  -  11 15  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              4   1   2   1     2   0   .208      Puhl lf               4   1   1   0     1   1   .259
Russell ss            6   0   1   1     0   0   .214      Cabell 3b             5   1   3   1     0   1   .290
Smith rf              4   2   1   0     1   1   .320      Cedeno cf             4   3   3   1     1   0   .345
Cey 3b                5   1   2   2     0   0   .360      Cruz rf               4   1   1   1     1   1   .321
Garvey 1b             5   1   2   1     0   0   .385      Watson 1b             5   2   2   3     0   1   .296
Baker lf              4   1   2   1     0   0   .375      Ferguson c            4   1   1   1     1   2   .231
Monday cf             4   2   2   2     1   0   .364      Howe 2b               5   1   3   3     0   0   .240
Grote c               3   1   0   0     2   1   .000        Sexton pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Sutton p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .111
  Hough p             1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000        Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Davalillo ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Pentz p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lacy ph             1   1   1   2     0   0   .500        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Castillo p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Alou ph             1   0   0   1     0   0   .667

Totals               40  10  14  10     6   2             Totals               39  11  15  11     5   6

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 11,824
Left on Base: Dodgers 10, Astros 9
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Smith (3), Garvey (2), Monday (3), Lopes (1), Cedeno 2 (2), Ferguson (1), Watson (2), Howe (3)
Home Runs: Monday (2), Cabell (1), Howe (1)
Stolen Bases: Garvey (1), Cedeno 2 (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Baker (1)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton                  2.1   8   3   3   0   4   1  15   6.75
Hough                   1.2   2   5   5   4   0   1  11  12.27
Garman                  2     4   2   2   0   0   0   9   9.00
Castillo L(0-1)         2.1   1   1   1   1   2   0  10   2.08
Totals                  8.1  15  11  11   5   6   2  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro                  4     7   6   6   4   0   1  23  11.00
Pentz                   2.2   2   3   3   2   0   0  12   9.00
Forsch                  0.1   3   1   1   0   1   0   4  11.57
Sambito W(1-0)          2     2   0   0   0   1   0   8   0.00
Totals                  9    14  10  10   6   2   1  47

Balks: Garman (1)

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Ed Montague, 3B - Lee Weyer


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes walked; Russell flied out to left; Smith
doubled to left [Lopes to third]; Cey singled to center [Lopes
scored, Smith scored, Cey to second (on throw to home)]; Garvey
flied out to center; Baker reached on a fielder's choice [Cey
out at third (third unassisted)]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (third to first); Cabell singled
to third; Cedeno doubled to left [Cabell to third]; Cruz struck
out; Watson was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Dodgers 2, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Monday homered; Grote walked; Sutton popped to
first in foul territory; Lopes flied out to right; Russell flied
out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson struck out; Howe singled to left; Metzger
singled to center [Howe to second]; Niekro out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to first) [Howe to third, Metzger to second]; Puhl
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

DODGERS 3RD: Smith flied out to center; Cey flied out to center;
Garvey singled to left; Garvey stole second; Baker flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell homered; Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno
stole second; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted) [Cedeno to
third]; Watson singled to left [Cedeno scored]; Ferguson doubled
to left [Watson scored]; HOUGH REPLACED SUTTON (PITCHING); Howe
flied out to center; Metzger walked; Niekro grounded out (third
to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

DODGERS 4TH: Monday grounded out (shortstop to first); Grote
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hough singled to left; Lopes
walked [Hough to second]; Russell grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Cabell flied
out to center; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Cruz walked;
Watson doubled to left [Cedeno scored, Cruz scored]; Ferguson
walked; Howe homered [Watson scored, Ferguson scored]; Metzger
lined to center; 5 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 3, Astros 8.

DODGERS 5TH: Smith walked; Cey singled to center [Smith to
second]; Garvey doubled to left [Smith scored, Cey to third];
PENTZ REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Baker hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Cey scored, Garvey to third]; Monday doubled to center
[Garvey scored]; Grote flied out to right [Monday to third];
DAVALILLO BATTED FOR HOUGH; Davalillo grounded out (first
unassisted); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 8.

ASTROS 5TH: GARMAN REPLACED DAVALILLO (PITCHING); Pentz grounded
out (first unassisted); Puhl singled to center; Cabell singled
to right [Puhl to third]; Cedeno doubled to left [Puhl scored,
Cabell out at home (left to shortstop to third to catcher),
Cedeno to third (on throw to home)]; Cruz singled to left
[Cedeno scored]; Garman balked [Cruz to second]; Watson grounded
out (third to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros
10.

DODGERS 6TH: Lopes lined to shortstop; Russell flied out to
left; Smith grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 10.

ASTROS 6TH: Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 6, Astros 10.

DODGERS 7TH: Cey flied out to left; Garvey grounded out (first
to pitcher); Baker singled to right; Monday walked [Baker to
second]; Grote walked [Baker to third, Monday to second]; LACY
BATTED FOR GARMAN; FORSCH REPLACED PENTZ (PITCHING); Lacy
singled to right [Baker scored, Monday scored, Grote to second];
Lopes singled to center [Grote scored, Lacy to second]; Russell
singled to center [Lacy scored, Lopes to second]; Smith struck
out; 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 10, Astros 10.

ASTROS 7TH: CASTILLO REPLACED LACY (PITCHING); WALLING BATTED
FOR FORSCH; Walling flied out to left; Puhl walked; Cabell
struck out; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 10, Astros 10.

DODGERS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Cey grounded
out (first to pitcher); Garvey flied out to center; Baker
singled to left; Monday flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Dodgers 10, Astros 10.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz flied out to center; Watson grounded out
(second to first); Ferguson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Dodgers 10, Astros 10.

DODGERS 9TH: Grote struck out; Castillo flied out to center;
Lopes doubled to left; Russell grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 10, Astros 10.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe doubled to left; SEXTON RAN FOR HOWE; HOWARD
BATTED FOR METZGER; Howard grounded out (second to first)
[Sexton to third]; ALOU BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Alou reached on a
fielder's choice [Sexton scored]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers
10, Astros 11.