Making his first N. L. start, Pete Vuckovich pitched a five-hitter and posted a 2-1 victory to give the Cardinals a split of a twi-night doubleheader with the Astros, who won the first game, 5-2. Three unearned runs in the first inning enabled the Astros to gain their decision in the opener. With one out, Jimmy Sexton and Enos Cabell singled. Roger Freed, playing first base, dropped a foul by Bob Watson for an error. Getting new life at the plate, Watson walked. Sexton scored on a passed ball by Steve Swisher. After Jesus Alou flied out, Art Howe singled, driving in Cabell and Watson.

In the nightcap, Ted Simmons homered for the Cards in the fourth and their other run followed in the fifth on a double by Jerry Morales, single by Ken Reitz and sacrifice fly by Mike Phillips. Ed Herrmann doubled for the Astros in the sixth and scored their run on an infield out and a sacrifice by Terry Puhl. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, St. Louis Cardinals 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, June      3, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   2  6  1
Astros       3  0  0    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   5 10  0


Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Mumphrey lf           4   1   0   0     1   0   .162      Puhl cf               3   0   1   0     1   0   .321
Templeton ss          5   1   2   0     0   1   .225      Sexton ss             4   1   2   0     1   1   .206
Hendrick cf           4   0   0   0     1   1   .237      Cabell 3b             5   1   1   0     0   1   .289
Freed 1b              2   0   1   0     2   1   .243      Watson 1b             2   1   1   1     1   1   .263
Morales rf            2   0   1   2     1   0   .225        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .253      Alou lf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Tyson 2b              3   0   0   0     0   2   .265        Walling pr,lf       0   0   0   0     0   0   .206
  Phillips ph,2b      1   0   0   0     0   1   .281      Howe 2b               4   0   1   2     0   3   .281
Swisher c             3   0   2   0     0   0   .278      Cruz rf               2   1   0   0     2   2   .279
  Hernandez ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .291      Baldwin c             4   0   2   1     0   0   .167
  Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bannister p           2   1   1   0     0   0   .182
Falcone p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .300        Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .167
  Dwyer ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .214
  Urrea p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .067
  Scott ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .228
  Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Simmons ph,c        1   0   0   0     0   0   .335

Totals               32   2   6   2     6   7             Totals               30   5  10   4     5   9

Time of Game: 2:51
Left on Base: Cardinals 10, Astros 10
DP: Cardinals 0, Astros 0
Errors: Freed
Doubles: Morales (9), Puhl (7), Baldwin (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Bannister (2), Alou (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Morales (3), Watson (5)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (1,by Falcone)


Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Falcone L(0-4)          2     5   3   0   1   1   0  12   5.40
Urrea                   3     4   2   2   4   2   0  17   5.31
Littell                 2     1   0   0   0   5   0   7   3.07
Schultz                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.93
Totals                  8    10   5   2   5   9   0  39

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister W(2-3)        6.1   6   2   2   6   5   0  31   2.70
Forsch SV(2)            2.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   8   3.22
Totals                  9     6   2   2   6   7   0  39

Passed Balls: Swisher (1)
Hit by Pitch: Falcone (2)
Wild Pitches: Urrea 2 (5), Littell (4)

Umpires: HP - Ed Montague, 1B - Lee Weyer, 2B - Harry Wendelstedt, 3B - Dutch Rennert


CARDINALS 1ST: Mumphrey grounded out (third to first); Templeton
struck out; Hendrick walked; Freed walked [Hendrick to second];
Morales forced Hendrick (third unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Sexton singled
to right; Cabell singled to right [Sexton to third]; Freed
dropped a foul fly hit by Watson for an error; Watson walked
[Cabell to second]; Swisher allowed a passed ball [Sexton scored
(unearned), Cabell to third, Watson to second]; Alou flied out
to center; Howe singled to left [Cabell scored (unearned),
Watson scored (unearned)]; Cruz struck out; 3 R (0 ER), 3 H, 1
E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 2ND: Reitz grounded out (shortstop to first); Tyson
grounded out (third to first); Swisher flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Baldwin singled to center; Bannister out on a
sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Baldwin to second]; Puhl was
hit by a pitch; Sexton singled to left [Baldwin out at home
(left to catcher), Puhl to second]; Cabell flied out to center;
0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 3RD: DWYER BATTED FOR FALCONE; Dwyer walked; Mumphrey
forced Dwyer (shortstop to second); Templeton singled to left
[Mumphrey to second]; Hendrick struck out; Freed struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 3RD: URREA REPLACED DWYER (PITCHING); Watson singled to
left; Urrea threw a wild pitch [Watson to second]; Alou out on a
sacrifice bunt (first unassisted) [Watson to third]; Howe struck
out; Cruz was walked intentionally; Baldwin grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

CARDINALS 4TH: Morales walked; Reitz popped to third in foul
territory; Tyson struck out; Swisher singled to left [Morales to
second]; Urrea grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cardinals 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 4TH: Bannister singled to left; Puhl doubled to left
[Bannister to third]; Sexton walked; Cabell made an out to
shortstop; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to center [Bannister
scored]; Alou flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 0, Astros 4.

CARDINALS 5TH: Mumphrey walked; Templeton popped to first in
foul territory; Hendrick popped to first in foul territory;
Freed walked [Mumphrey to second]; Morales doubled to right
[Mumphrey scored, Freed to third]; Reitz flied out to left; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe struck out; Cruz walked; Urrea threw a wild
pitch [Cruz to second]; Baldwin doubled to right [Cruz scored];
Bannister grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl was walked
intentionally; Sexton flied out to right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Cardinals 1, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 6TH: Tyson struck out; Swisher singled to left; SCOTT
BATTED FOR URREA; Scott made an out to second; Mumphrey flied
out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 5.

ASTROS 6TH: LITTELL REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); Cabell struck
out; Watson struck out; Alou singled to right; WALLING RAN FOR
ALOU; Littell threw a wild pitch [Walling to second]; Howe
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 1, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: WALLING STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN
REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Templeton singled to right;
Hendrick made an out to second; Freed singled to center
[Templeton to third]; FORSCH REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING);
Morales hit a sacrifice fly to center [Templeton scored]; Reitz
flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros
5.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz struck out; Baldwin made an out to first;
Forsch struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 8TH: PHILLIPS BATTED FOR TYSON; Phillips struck out;
HERNANDEZ BATTED FOR SWISHER; Hernandez struck out; SIMMONS
BATTED FOR LITTELL; Simmons grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: SIMMONS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); SCHULTZ
REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); PHILLIPS STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING
2B); Puhl grounded out (second to first); Sexton struck out;
Cabell grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cardinals 2, Astros 5.

CARDINALS 9TH: Mumphrey flied out to left; Templeton grounded
out (third to first); Hendrick flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Cardinals 2, Astros 5.