While J.R. Richard tossed a four-hit shutout, the Astros reached their season highs in hits and runs during a 13-0 romp over the Braves. Jose Cruz smashed four of the Astros' 17 hits, including a homer, and drove in six runs. Denny Walling also connected for the circuit as the Astros went above the .500 mark (18-17) for the first time this season. Rod Gilbreath had two of the Braves' four hits. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 13, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Saturday, May       20, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  1
Astros       2  0  3    0  2  2    4  0  x  -  13 17  0


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster 2b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .288      Puhl cf               2   4   1   0     3   0   .319
  Rockett ss          1   0   0   0     1   0   .128      Cabell 3b             5   2   3   1     0   0   .276
Beall 1b              3   0   0   0     1   0   .129      Cruz rf               5   3   4   6     0   1   .289
Asselstine rf         3   0   1   0     1   1   .274      Watson 1b             3   1   2   2     0   0   .298
Burroughs lf          2   0   0   0     1   2   .374        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Bonnell pr,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Walling lf            5   1   2   3     0   0   .238
Pocoroba c            2   0   0   0     1   0   .236      Howe 2b               3   0   0   0     0   0   .268
  Murphy c            1   0   0   0     0   1   .211        Gonzalez 2b         2   1   2   0     0   0   .333
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .247      Ferguson c            4   0   1   0     1   0   .216
Chaney ss,2b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .325      Metzger ss            4   0   1   0     1   0   .247
Gilbreath 3b          3   0   2   0     1   1   .224      Richard p             4   1   1   1     0   0   .083
Boggs p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Solomon p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .217
  Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Paciorek ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Easterly p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Devine p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Matthews ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .308

Totals               30   0   4   0     7   8             Totals               37  13  17  13     6   1

Time of Game: 2:33   Attendance: 24,402
Left on Base: Braves 10, Astros 8
DP: Braves 2, Astros 1
Errors: Royster
Home Runs: Walling (1), Cruz (1)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (6), Cruz (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Richard (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (4)
GIDP: Matthews (3), Metzger 2 (7)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Boggs L(1-5)            2.1   6   5   5   1   0   0  14   6.97
Solomon                 1.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   6   2.36
Campbell                2     4   4   4   3   1   2  12   5.82
Easterly                1     5   4   4   2   0   0   9   5.19
Devine                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   6.56
Totals                  8    17  13  13   6   1   2  45

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(4-3)          9     4   0   0   7   8   0  37   3.48
Totals                  9     4   0   0   7   8   0  37

Wild Pitches: Boggs (2)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Andy Olsen


BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Beall flied out to
left; Asselstine struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled; Cabell grounded out (third to first)
[Puhl to second]; Cruz singled [Puhl scored, Cruz to second (on
throw to home)]; Boggs threw a wild pitch [Cruz to third];
Watson singled [Cruz scored]; Walling flied out to left; Howe
grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 2.

BRAVES 2ND: Burroughs struck out; Pocoroba flied out to right;
Office struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson reached on an error by Royster [Ferguson to
first]; Metzger grounded into a double play (second to shortstop
to first) [Ferguson out at second]; Richard flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

BRAVES 3RD: Chaney singled; Gilbreath struck out; Boggs forced
Chaney (second to shortstop); Royster struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; Cabell singled [Puhl
to third]; Cruz singled [Puhl scored, Cabell to third]; Cruz
stole second; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cabell
scored, Cruz to third]; Walling singled [Cruz scored]; SOLOMON
REPLACED BOGGS (PITCHING); Howe grounded out (third to first)
[Walling to second]; Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first);
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 5.

BRAVES 4TH: Beall grounded out (shortstop to first); Asselstine
walked; Burroughs struck out; Pocoroba flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Metzger singled; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Metzger to second]; Puhl grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Metzger to third]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 5.

BRAVES 5TH: Office grounded out (first to pitcher); Chaney flied
out to center; Gilbreath singled; NOLAN BATTED FOR SOLOMON;
Nolan struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 5.

ASTROS 5TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED NOLAN (PITCHING); Cruz struck out;
Watson singled; Walling homered [Watson scored]; Howe made an
out to shortstop; Ferguson walked; Metzger walked [Ferguson to
second]; Richard flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 7.

BRAVES 6TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); Royster
grounded out (pitcher to first); Beall walked; Asselstine flied
out to center; Burroughs walked [Beall to second]; BONNELL RAN
FOR BURROUGHS; Pocoroba walked [Beall to third, Bonnell to
second]; Office grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: BONNELL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); MURPHY REPLACED
POCOROBA (PLAYING C ); ROCKETT REPLACED ROYSTER (PLAYING SS);
CHANEY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Puhl walked; Cabell
singled [Puhl to third, Cabell out at second (left to third to
second)]; Cruz homered [Puhl scored]; Watson flied out to left;
Walling flied out to center; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 0,
Astros 9.

BRAVES 7TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Chaney
grounded out (first unassisted); Gilbreath walked; PACIOREK
BATTED FOR CAMPBELL; Paciorek flied out to left; Rockett walked
[Gilbreath to second]; Beall grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 9.

ASTROS 7TH: EASTERLY REPLACED PACIOREK (PITCHING); Gonzalez
singled; Ferguson singled [Gonzalez to second]; Metzger grounded
into a double play (second to shortstop to first) [Gonzalez to
third, Ferguson out at second]; Richard singled [Gonzalez
scored]; Puhl walked [Richard to second]; Cabell singled
[Richard scored, Puhl to third, Cabell to second (on throw)];
Cruz singled [Puhl scored, Cabell scored]; Bergman walked [Cruz
to second]; Walling grounded out (second to first); 4 R, 5 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 13.

BRAVES 8TH: Asselstine singled; Bonnell grounded out (third to
first) [Asselstine to second]; Murphy struck out; Office flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 13.

ASTROS 8TH: DEVINE REPLACED EASTERLY (PITCHING); Gonzalez
singled; Ferguson flied out to center; Metzger grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Gonzalez to second]; Richard grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 0, Astros 13.

BRAVES 9TH: Chaney walked; Gilbreath singled [Chaney to second];
MATTHEWS BATTED FOR DEVINE; Matthews grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Chaney to third, Gilbreath out at
second]; Rockett flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 0, Astros 13.