The five-hit pitching of Nino Espinosa enabled the Mets to defeat the Astros, 4-1. Doug Flynn drove in the Mets' first run and their last with a pair of singles. In between, the Mets counted twice in the fifth inning.

Espinosa doubled, stopped at third on a single by Lee Mazzilli and scored on a single by Elliott Maddox. Mazzilli took third and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Bruce Boisclair. Cesar Cedeno homered for the Astros' run. Terry Puhl, who had hit safely in 18 games, was stopped in four trips. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 4, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Sunday, May       28, 1978 (Day game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  1  0    0  2  0    0  0  1  -   4 11  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  1


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mazzilli cf           5   1   1   0     0   0   .317      Puhl lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .327
Maddox 3b             5   0   2   1     0   0   .237      Bergman 1b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .111
Boisclair rf          2   0   1   1     1   0   .233      Cedeno cf             4   1   1   1     0   1   .272
S. Henderson lf       4   0   1   0     0   1   .263      Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .297
Montanez 1b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .253      Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     0   1   .282
Stearns c             4   1   1   0     0   0   .256      Howe 2b               3   0   1   0     0   0   .287
Foli ss               4   1   2   0     0   0   .189      Herrmann c            2   0   0   0     0   0   .103
Flynn 2b              4   0   2   2     0   1   .241        Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .233
Espinosa p            4   1   1   0     0   2   .231        Sexton ss           0   0   0   0     0   0   .190
                                                          Metzger ss            2   0   0   0     0   1   .228
                                                            Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .279
                                                            Baldwin c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Dixon p               2   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .313
                                                            Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   4  11   4     1   4             Totals               31   1   5   1     0   5

Time of Game: 2:03   Attendance: 12,133
Left on Base: Mets 7, Astros 3
DP: Mets 1, Astros 1
Errors: Metzger
Doubles: Espinosa (2), Maddox (5), Foli (6)
Triples: Howe (1)
Home Runs: Cedeno (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Boisclair (3)
GIDP: S. Henderson (9), Howe (3)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Espinosa W(5-2)         9     5   1   1   0   5   1  31   3.33
Totals                  9     5   1   1   0   5   1  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dixon L(2-1)            8     9   3   3   1   3   0  33   2.27
Sambito                 1     2   1   1   0   1   0   5   3.86
Totals                  9    11   4   4   1   4   0  38

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


METS 1ST: Mazzilli grounded out (first to pitcher); Maddox
grounded out (shortstop to first); Boisclair singled to
shortstop [Boisclair to second (error by Metzger)]; S. Henderson
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl popped to third in foul territory; Bergman
flied out to left; Cedeno grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 0.

METS 2ND: Montanez popped to first in foul territory; Stearns
singled to right; Foli singled to center [Stearns to third];
Flynn singled to left [Stearns scored, Foli to second]; Espinosa
struck out; Mazzilli flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Mets 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz flied out to left; Cabell struck out; Howe
tripled to center; Herrmann flied to left in foul territory; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 0.

METS 3RD: Maddox flied out to center; Boisclair walked; S.
Henderson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Boisclair out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Metzger was called out on strikes; Dixon grounded
out (shortstop to first); Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 0.

METS 4TH: Montanez flied out to right; Stearns lined to left;
Foli grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Bergman grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to
first); Cedeno homered; Cruz struck out; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 1, Astros 1.

METS 5TH: Flynn struck out; Espinosa doubled; Mazzilli singled
to center [Espinosa to third]; Maddox singled to right [Espinosa
scored, Mazzilli to third]; Boisclair hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Mazzilli scored]; S. Henderson singled to shortstop
[Maddox to second]; Montanez made an out to second; 2 R, 4 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe flied out to left; Herrmann made an out to
shortstop; Metzger grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 6TH: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Foli flied
out to right; Flynn grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Dixon grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl flied
out to center; Bergman singled to left; Cedeno grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 7TH: On a bunt Espinosa made an out to catcher; Mazzilli
made an out to pitcher; Maddox doubled to left; Boisclair flied
out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz flied out to left; Cabell singled to shortstop;
Howe grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 8TH: S. Henderson flied out to right; Montanez grounded out
(pitcher to first); Stearns popped to catcher in foul territory;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: WALLING BATTED FOR HERRMANN; Walling grounded out
(second to first); WATSON BATTED FOR METZGER; Watson struck out;
ALOU BATTED FOR DIXON; Alou popped to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 1.

METS 9TH: SEXTON REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING SS); BALDWIN REPLACED
WATSON (PLAYING C ); SAMBITO REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Foli
doubled to left; Flynn singled to center [Foli scored]; Espinosa
struck out; Mazzilli flied to right in foul territory; Maddox
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl made an out to third; Bergman singled to
center; Cedeno struck out; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 4, Astros 1.