An injury to Bob Watson's right hand forced manager Bill Virdon to make two lineup changes and both paid off when Jesus Alou and Jose Cruz smashed homers to account for all of the Astros' runs in a 5-4 victory over the Mets. Virdon put Cruz at first base in Watson's place and inserted Alou in left field, batting cleanup.

Alou hit his first homer in the majors since 1974, connecting in the third inning after Terry Puhl, batting safely in his 17th straight game, beat out a bunt and Julio Gonzalez singled. After Willie Montanez drove in three runs with a homer and single to tie the score, Enos Cabell singled in the sixth and Cruz hit for the circuit. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 5, New York Mets 4

Game Played on Friday, May 26, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Mets         0  0  0    2  0  1    0  0  1  -   4 12  1
Astros       0  0  3    0  0  2    0  0  x  -   5  9  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           5   0   2   1     0   0   .324      Puhl rf,lf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .333
Maddox 3b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .227      Gonzalez 2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Boisclair rf          3   2   1   0     1   0   .203      Cedeno cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .275
S. Henderson lf       4   0   2   0     0   1   .262      Alou lf               2   1   1   3     1   0   .333
Montanez 1b           3   1   3   3     1   0   .257        Bergman 1b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Hodges c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Cabell 3b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .277
Foli ss               4   0   1   0     0   0   .171      Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .225
Flynn 2b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .228      Cruz 1b,rf            3   1   1   2     1   0   .293
Koosman p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .087      Metzger ss            3   0   1   0     1   0   .231
  Kranepool ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .194      Lemongello p          3   0   0   0     0   2   .133
  Metzger p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
  Youngblood ph       1   1   1   0     0   0   .280

Totals               36   4  12   4     2   3             Totals               31   5   9   5     3   3

Time of Game: 2:20   Attendance: 11,158
Left on Base: Mets 7, Astros 6
DP: Mets 1, Astros 1
Errors: Flynn
Triples: Youngblood (2)
Home Runs: Montanez (5), Alou (1), Cruz (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (18)
Caught Stealing: Mazzilli (4), Maddox (3), Cabell (4)
Sacrifice Hits: Ferguson (1)
GIDP: Maddox (2), Metzger (8)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Koosman L(2-5)          6     7   5   4   2   3   2  27   3.52
Metzger                 2     2   0   0   1   0   0   8   6.26
Totals                  8     9   5   4   3   3   2  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello W(4-5)       6.1   8   3   3   2   3   1  27   4.10
Forsch SV(1)            2.2   4   1   1   0   0   0  11   3.00
Totals                  9    12   4   4   2   3   1  38

Passed Balls: Hodges (2)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Nick Colosi, 2B - Satch Davidson, 3B - Joe West


METS 1ST: Mazzilli singled to left; Mazzilli was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Maddox lined to center; Boisclair
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (third to first); Cedeno singled to shortstop; Alou
walked [Cedeno to second]; Cabell forced Alou (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 2ND: S. Henderson was called out on strikes; Montanez
walked; Hodges flied out to center; Foli grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Ferguson was called out on strikes; Cruz flied out
to center; Metzger singled to center; Lemongello grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 3RD: Flynn struck out; Koosman struck out; Mazzilli
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: On a bunt Puhl singled to third; Gonzalez singled to
left [Puhl to second]; Cedeno forced Gonzalez (shortstop to
second) [Puhl to third]; Cedeno stole second; Alou homered [Puhl
scored, Cedeno scored]; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to
first); Ferguson grounded out (shortstop to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 3.

METS 4TH: Maddox popped to first in foul territory; Boisclair
singled to left; S. Henderson flied out to right; Montanez
homered [Boisclair scored]; Hodges grounded out (first
unassisted); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); Metzger
walked; On a bunt Lemongello struck out; Puhl forced Metzger
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

METS 5TH: Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); Flynn grounded
out (pitcher to first); Koosman flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez flied out to right; Cedeno flied out to
right; Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 3.

METS 6TH: Mazzilli flied out to right; Maddox singled to right;
Maddox was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Boisclair walked; S. Henderson singled to left [Boisclair to
second]; Montanez singled to right [Boisclair scored, S.
Henderson to third]; Hodges grounded out (second to first); 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell singled to center; Cabell was caught stealing
second but was safe at second (error by Flynn; assist by
Hodges); Ferguson flied out to right [Cabell to third]; Cruz
homered [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Metzger flied out to center;
Lemongello was called out on strikes; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 5.

METS 7TH: BERGMAN REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING 1B); CRUZ CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF);
Foli singled to right; Flynn forced Foli (shortstop to second);
KRANEPOOL BATTED FOR KOOSMAN; Kranepool singled to center [Flynn
to second]; FORSCH REPLACED LEMONGELLO (PITCHING); Mazzilli
forced Kranepool (second to shortstop) [Flynn to third]; Maddox
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets
3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: METZGER REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Puhl flied
out to left; Gonzalez popped to first in foul territory; Cedeno
singled to left; Hodges allowed a passed ball [Cedeno to
second]; Bergman flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 3, Astros 5.

METS 8TH: Boisclair flied out to center; S. Henderson singled to
right; Montanez singled to center [S. Henderson to third];
Hodges flied out to center; Foli forced Montanez (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell singled to left; Ferguson out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to first) [Cabell to second]; Cruz was walked
intentionally; Metzger grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Mets 3, Astros 5.

METS 9TH: Flynn lined to right; YOUNGBLOOD BATTED FOR METZGER;
Youngblood tripled to right; Mazzilli singled to right
[Youngblood scored]; Maddox grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Mazzilli out at second]; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 4, Astros 5.

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