A triple play in the ninth inning cut off a potential Dodger rally and enabled the Astros to post an 8-6 victory. After Bill Russell and Reggie Smith singled to open the frame, Ron Cey lined to Bob Watson, who stepped on first base to double Smith and then threw to Roger Metzger at second to catch Russell off the bag for the third out.

Joe Ferguson provided the winning blow for the Astros, hitting a homer with two men on base in the eighth inning. The Dodgers had homers by Rick Monday and Davey Lopes. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 6
Game Played on Friday, April     21, 1978 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  4  0    1  3  0  -   8 10  1
Dodgers      1  3  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   6 11  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf,cf            4   0   1   0     1   0   .254      Lopes 2b              4   2   2   2     0   2   .286
Cabell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .297      Martinez ss           2   0   0   0     1   2   .000
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .304        Mota ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Russell pr,ss       1   1   1   0     0   0   .200
  Pentz p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Smith rf              4   0   1   0     1   1   .306
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Cey 3b                3   0   2   2     1   0   .380
Cruz rf               4   2   2   0     1   1   .315      Garvey 1b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .327
Watson 1b             3   2   1   1     1   0   .314      Baker lf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .300
Ferguson c            3   1   1   3     1   0   .222        Castillo p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Howe 2b               4   2   1   0     0   0   .302      Monday cf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .409
Metzger ss            3   1   1   1     0   0   .233      Grote c               3   0   1   0     1   0   .167
Richard p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Rhoden p              0   1   0   0     1   0   .167
  Walling ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .286        Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Davalillo ph,lf     2   1   0   0     0   0   .286
  Howard ph,lf        2   0   1   1     0   0   .444

Totals               35   8  10   7     4   2             Totals               31   6  11   6     6   6

Time of Game: 2:59   Attendance: 44,867
Left on Base: Astros 5, Dodgers 7
DP: Astros 2, Dodgers 1
Errors: Howe, Lopes
Doubles: Watson (6), Cabell (2)
Home Runs: Ferguson (4), Monday (7), Lopes (2)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (2)
Caught Stealing: Martinez (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Metzger (1), Rhoden (1), Lopes (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Cey (1)
GIDP: Cabell (2), Garvey (2), Monday (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                 4     5   4   4   4   5   2  20   4.91
Dixon                   2     2   0   0   0   0   0   6   4.50
Pentz                   0.1   0   2   0   2   0   0   4   5.56
Forsch W(1-0)           2.2   4   0   0   0   1   0  10   4.91
Totals                  9    11   6   4   6   6   2  40

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rhoden                  6.1   7   5   4   1   1   0  27   2.82
Garman                  0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   4.05
Castillo L(0-2)         2     2   3   3   3   1   1  10   4.32
Totals                  9    10   8   7   4   2   1  40

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (third to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes singled to left; Martinez walked [Lopes to
second]; Smith struck out; Cey singled to left [Lopes scored,
Martinez to second]; Martinez was picked off and caught stealing
third (pitcher to second to third) [Cey to second]; Garvey
grounded out (third to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz struck out; Watson grounded out (pitcher to
first); Ferguson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Baker grounded out (pitcher to second to first);
Monday homered; Grote grounded out (pitcher to first); Rhoden
walked; Lopes homered [Rhoden scored]; Martinez struck out; 3 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
lined to shortstop; Richard popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 3RD: Smith popped to third in foul territory; Cey
walked; Garvey singled to left [Cey to third]; Baker struck out;
Monday grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 0, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Cabell
grounded out (third to first); Cedeno lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 4TH: Grote walked; Rhoden out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Grote to second]; Lopes was called out on
strikes; Martinez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0,
Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz singled to center; Watson doubled to right
[Cruz scored]; Ferguson walked; Howe forced Ferguson (shortstop
to second) [Watson to third]; Metzger singled to right [Watson
scored, Howe to second]; WALLING BATTED FOR RICHARD; Walling
singled to right [Howe scored, Metzger to third]; Puhl reached
on an error by Lopes [Metzger scored (unearned) (no RBI),
Walling to second, Puhl to first]; Cabell grounded into a double
play (third to second to first) [Puhl out at second]; 4 R (3
ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 5TH: DIXON REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Smith flied out
to left; Cey singled to left; Garvey grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Cey out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno popped to third in foul territory; Cruz
singled to left; Watson flied out to right; Ferguson popped to
first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 6TH: Baker singled to second; Monday grounded into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Baker out at second]; Grote
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe singled to left; Metzger out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Howe to second]; HOWARD BATTED FOR
DIXON; Howard singled to right [Howe scored]; GARMAN REPLACED
RHODEN (PITCHING); Puhl singled to third [Howard to second];
Cabell forced Puhl (third to second) [Howard to third]; BERGMAN
BATTED FOR CEDENO; Bergman flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 7TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); PENTZ REPLACED BERGMAN (PITCHING);
DAVALILLO BATTED FOR GARMAN; Davalillo reached on an error by
Howe [Davalillo to first]; Lopes out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Davalillo to second]; MOTA BATTED FOR
MARTINEZ; Mota walked; RUSSELL RAN FOR MOTA; Smith walked
[Davalillo to third, Russell to second]; FORSCH REPLACED PENTZ
(PITCHING); Cey hit a sacrifice fly to center [Davalillo scored
(unearned), Russell to third]; Garvey singled to right [Russell
scored (unearned), Smith to second]; Baker flied out to left; 2
R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 8TH: DAVALILLO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); RUSSELL
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); CASTILLO REPLACED BAKER (PITCHING);
Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Watson walked; Ferguson homered
[Cruz scored, Watson scored]; Howe flied out to center; Metzger
grounded out (catcher to first); Howard flied out to left; 3 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 8TH: Monday grounded out (second to first); Grote
singled to left; Davalillo flied out to center; Lopes struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl walked; Puhl was picked off first (catcher to
first); Cabell doubled to right; Forsch was called out on
strikes; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 9TH: Russell singled to left; Smith singled to right
[Russell to second]; Cey hit into a triple play (first to first
to shortstop) [Russell out at third, Smith out at second]; 0 R,
2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Dodgers 6.