Continuing his hitting rampage, Rick Monday belted his eighth home run of the season and drove in three runs as the Dodgers beat the Astros, 7-3. Monday increased his RBI total to 19 by homering with one on in the third inning and adding a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Steve Garvey extended his hitting streak to 15 games. The Dodgers scored three runs in the first on singles by Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey and Dusty Baker, an error and Reggie Smith's sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Sunday, April     23, 1978 (Day game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  1  1    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   3  8  3
Dodgers      3  1  2    0  1  0    0  0  x  -   7 12  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               4   2   2   0     0   0   .254      Lopes 2b              5   2   2   0     0   0   .293
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .306      Russell ss            5   1   2   1     0   0   .219
Cedeno cf             3   0   1   1     1   0   .305      Smith rf              3   0   1   1     1   0   .315
Cruz rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .328        Burke cf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Watson 1b             3   1   1   1     1   0   .310      Cey 3b                4   1   1   1     1   0   .375
Ferguson c            4   0   0   0     0   0   .189      Garvey 1b             5   2   2   0     0   0   .328
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Baker lf              4   0   2   1     0   1   .316
Howe 2b               3   0   1   0     1   0   .293      Monday cf,rf          3   1   1   3     0   0   .380
Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     0   0   .240      Yeager c              3   0   1   0     1   0   .279
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .286      Sutton p              2   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Herrmann c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .167

Totals               33   3   8   3     3   0             Totals               34   7  12   7     4   1

Time of Game: 2:26   Attendance: 51,500
Left on Base: Astros 6, Dodgers 10
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 2
Errors: Cabell, Cedeno, Metzger
Doubles: Metzger (2), Puhl 2 (3), Russell (2)
Home Runs: Watson (1), Monday (8)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (8), Lopes (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Sutton (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Smith (2), Monday (1)
GIDP: Metzger 2 (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(1-2)           3     8   6   4   0   0   1  18   6.86
Forsch                  4     4   1   1   4   1   0  20   3.97
Sambito                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.08
Totals                  8    12   7   5   4   1   1  41

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Sutton W(2-1)           9     8   3   3   3   0   1  36   6.85
Totals                  9     8   3   3   3   0   1  36

Passed Balls: Ferguson (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to right; Cabell popped to first in
foul territory; Cedeno walked; Cruz popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes singled to left; Lopes stole second; On a
bunt Russell singled to pitcher [Lopes to third]; Smith hit a
sacrifice fly to right [Lopes scored, Russell to second]; Cey
singled to center [Russell scored, Cey to second (error by
Cedeno)]; Garvey flied out to center; Baker singled to left [Cey
scored (unearned)]; Monday flied out to left; 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson homered; Ferguson grounded out (first
unassisted); Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger
doubled to right; Niekro flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 3.

DODGERS 2ND: Yeager flied out to center; Sutton flied out to
right; Lopes reached on an error by Metzger [Lopes to first];
Russell doubled to left [Lopes scored (unearned)]; Smith
grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Dodgers 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl doubled to right; Cabell singled to right [Puhl
scored]; Cedeno flied out to left; Cruz grounded out (second to
first) [Cabell to second]; Watson walked; Ferguson flied out to
left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 4.

DODGERS 3RD: Cey grounded out (third to first); Garvey singled
to third [Garvey to second (error by Cabell)]; Ferguson allowed
a passed ball [Garvey to third]; Baker grounded out (shortstop
to first); Monday homered [Garvey scored]; Yeager singled to
shortstop; Sutton grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe flied out to center; Metzger flied out to left;
WALLING BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Walling flied out to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 4TH: FORSCH REPLACED WALLING (PITCHING); Lopes popped to
shortstop; Russell flied out to left; Smith singled to center;
Cey forced Smith (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Dodgers 6.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl doubled to right; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled to right [Puhl scored];
Cedeno stole second; Cruz singled to shortstop [Cedeno stayed at
second]; Watson flied out to right; Ferguson made an out to
third; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 6.

DODGERS 5TH: Garvey singled to left; Baker singled to center
[Garvey to third]; Monday hit a sacrifice fly to center [Garvey
scored]; Yeager flied out to center; Sutton walked [Baker to
second]; Lopes singled to shortstop [Baker to third, Sutton to
second]; Russell flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe singled to center; Metzger grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Howe out at second];
Forsch popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 6TH: Smith walked; Cey walked [Smith to second]; Garvey
popped to second; Baker struck out; Monday forced Smith (third
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl popped to first; Cabell flied out to left;
Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 7TH: Yeager walked; Sutton out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher unassisted) [Yeager to second]; Lopes popped to
shortstop; Russell popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Cruz lined to shortstop; Watson popped to first;
Ferguson popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

DODGERS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED FERGUSON (PITCHING); HERRMANN
REPLACED FORSCH (PLAYING C ); Smith grounded out (shortstop to
first); Cey flied out to center; Garvey flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Dodgers 7.

ASTROS 9TH: BURKE REPLACED SMITH (PLAYING CF); MONDAY CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Howe walked; Metzger grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Howe out at second];
Herrmann grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Dodgers 7.