Pinch-hitter Denny Walling's two-out single in the bottom of the 10th scored pinch-runner Julio Gonzalez with the winning tally as the Astros downed the Padres, 4-3. Art Howe opened the 10th with a single and was replaced by Gonzalez, who went to second on Ed Herrmann's sacrifice bunt. Roger Metzger walked and both runners moved up on Wilbur Howard's groundout. Walling then drove the ball over left fielder Jerry Turner's head.

Padre starter Dave Freisleben retired 10 of the first 11 batters but Cesar Cedeno's one-out single in the fourth inning was followed by a walk to Jose Cruz and Bob Watson's three-run homer. RBI singles by Oscar Gamble and Bill Almon lifted the Padres to a 3-3 tie in the sixth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Diego Padres 3
Game Played on Monday, April     24, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       1  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  -   3 11  0
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  0    0  0  0    1  -   4  6  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Richards cf           3   1   1   0     2   0   .184      Puhl lf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .239
Thomas 2b             4   0   0   0     1   1   .269        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Turner lf             5   1   1   0     0   1   .222        Walling ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .333
Gamble rf             3   1   2   2     0   0   .250      Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   1   .289
  Spillner p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .302
  Champion ph,3b      1   0   1   0     1   0   .400      Cruz rf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .313
Tenace 1b             4   0   0   0     1   0   .167      Watson 1b             4   1   1   3     0   2   .306
Sweet c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .182      Howe 2b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .306
  Davis pr,c          1   0   1   0     0   0   .176        Gonzalez pr         0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Almon 3b,ss           5   0   4   1     0   1   .377      Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Smith ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .214      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     1   1   .226
  Hendrick ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .239      Andujar p             1   0   0   0     1   1   .167
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Howard ph,lf        2   0   1   0     0   0   .333
Freisleben p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Winfield ph,rf      2   0   0   0     0   0   .304

Totals               37   3  11   3     5   4             Totals               33   4   6   4     3   7

Time of Game: 2:48   Attendance:  7,300
Left on Base: Padres 10, Astros 4
DP: Padres 1, Astros 3
Doubles: Turner (3)
Home Runs: Watson (2)
Stolen Bases: Richards (5), Cedeno (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Freisleben (1), Herrmann (1)
GIDP: Sweet (1), Tenace (1), Herrmann (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Freisleben              5     2   3   3   2   4   1  19   4.50
Spillner                2     1   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.86
Fingers L(1-3)          2.2   3   1   1   1   2   0  12   3.07
Totals                  9.2   6   4   4   3   7   1  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar                 8     8   3   3   5   2   0  35   3.51
Sambito W(2-0)          2     3   0   0   0   2   0   8   1.80
Totals                 10    11   3   3   5   4   0  43

Wild Pitches: Fingers (1)
Balks: Andujar (1)

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


PADRES 1ST: Richards walked; Andujar balked [Richards to
second]; Thomas flied out to center; Turner grounded out (second
to first) [Richards to third]; Gamble singled [Richards scored];
Tenace forced Gamble (second to shortstop); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

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

PADRES 2ND: Sweet struck out; Almon singled; Smith made an out
to shortstop; Freisleben forced Almon (second to shortstop); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz made an out to shortstop; Watson struck out;
Howe made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Richards flied out to center; Thomas flied out to
right; Turner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Herrmann grounded out (second to first); Metzger
made an out to shortstop; Andujar walked; Puhl grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Gamble grounded out (first unassisted); Tenace
walked; Sweet grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Tenace out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (second to first); Cedeno
singled; Cedeno stole second; Cruz walked; Watson homered
[Cedeno scored, Cruz scored]; Howe made an out to second;
Herrmann flied out to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 3.

PADRES 5TH: Almon singled; Smith flied out to left; Freisleben
out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Almon to second];
Richards walked; Thomas grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Metzger struck out; Andujar struck out; Puhl struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 3.

PADRES 6TH: Turner doubled; Gamble singled [Turner scored];
Tenace flied out to center; Sweet singled [Gamble to third];
Almon singled [Gamble scored, Sweet to second]; Smith grounded
out (third to first) [Sweet to third, Almon to second]; WINFIELD
BATTED FOR FREISLEBEN; Winfield flied out to center; 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: WINFIELD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); SPILLNER
REPLACED GAMBLE (PITCHING); Cabell struck out; Cedeno flied out
to right; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 7TH: Richards grounded out (shortstop to first); Thomas
walked; Turner lined into a double play (shortstop to first)
[Thomas out at first]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (first to pitcher); Howe
singled; Herrmann grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 8TH: CHAMPION BATTED FOR SPILLNER; Champion walked;
Tenace made an out to catcher; Sweet forced Champion (second to
shortstop); DAVIS RAN FOR SWEET; Almon singled [Davis to
second]; HENDRICK BATTED FOR SMITH; Hendrick forced Davis
(shortstop to third); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: CHAMPION STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); DAVIS STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING C ); FINGERS REPLACED HENDRICK (PITCHING);
ALMON CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Metzger flied out to left;
HOWARD BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Howard singled; Fingers threw a wild
pitch [Howard to second]; Puhl struck out; Cabell flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 9TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); SAMBITO REPLACED
PUHL (PITCHING); Winfield flied out to right; Richards singled;
Richards stole second; Thomas struck out; Turner grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno made an out to second; Cruz grounded out
(second to first); Watson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 3, Astros 3.

PADRES 10TH: Champion singled; Tenace grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Champion out at second];
Davis singled; Almon struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres
3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 10TH: Howe singled; GONZALEZ RAN FOR HOWE; Herrmann out
on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Gonzalez to second];
Metzger walked; Howard grounded out (first to pitcher) [Gonzalez
to third, Metzger to second]; WALLING BATTED FOR SAMBITO;
Walling singled [Gonzalez scored, Metzger to third]; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Padres 3, Astros 4.