The Cardinals celebrated the 25th anniversary of Anheuser-Busch's ownership of the club with a gala pre-game program but then disappointed the crowd of 45,487 with a sad-sack performance in an 11-7 loss to the Astros. Jose Cruz led the Astros' 14-hit attack with two triples and two singles, driving in five runs.

After the Cards tied the score at 4-4 in the fourth inning, the Astros broke away with four runs in the fifth, counting one run on a single by Cesar Cedeno, another on an error by Ken Reitz and two on a pinch-single by Denny Walling. Cruz hit his second triple of the game with the bases loaded in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 11, St. Louis Cardinals 7
Game Played on Friday, June      9, 1978 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       1  0  0    3  4  0    0  3  0  -  11 14  0
Cardinals    0  2  0    2  0  1    0  2  0  -   7  9  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl lf               5   0   2   0     0   1   .320      Brock lf              3   0   0   0     0   2   .220
Cabell 3b             5   2   1   0     0   0   .291        Coluccio ph,lf      1   0   0   0     1   1   .000
Cedeno cf             5   3   3   0     0   0   .280      Templeton ss          5   0   1   0     0   1   .229
Cruz rf               4   2   4   5     1   0   .283      Hendrick cf           4   0   1   1     0   3   .217
Watson 1b             2   2   0   0     2   0   .257      Simmons c             4   2   1   0     1   0   .321
  Bergman 1b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .087      Hernandez 1b          4   2   1   1     1   1   .276
Howe 2b               5   1   2   2     0   1   .290      Morales rf            3   1   2   1     1   0   .227
Baldwin c             5   0   1   1     0   0   .207        Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Sexton ss             2   0   0   0     0   0   .154        Scott ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .225
  Walling ph          1   0   1   2     0   0   .227      Reitz 3b              4   1   1   1     1   2   .251
  Metzger ss          1   0   0   0     1   0   .227      Tyson 2b              2   0   0   0     0   2   .265
Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Phillips ph,2b      1   0   0   0     1   1   .235
  Sambito p           0   1   0   0     1   0   .000      Martinez p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .143        Dwyer ph            1   0   1   2     0   0   .220
                                                            Frazier p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Freed ph            0   0   0   1     1   0   .231
                                                            Urrea p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .067
                                                            Mumphrey rf         1   1   1   0     0   0   .170

Totals               40  11  14  10     5   3             Totals               35   7   9   7     7  14

Time of Game: 3:10   Attendance: 40,764
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cardinals 9
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 0
Errors: Morales, Reitz
Doubles: Simmons (21)
Triples: Cruz 2 (3), Hernandez (1)
Home Runs: Reitz (5)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (20), Cruz (9)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (5), Cruz (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Hendrick (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(5-6)          5.1   5   5   5   6  12   0  27   3.35
Sambito                 2     4   2   2   1   2   1  11   3.71
Forsch SV(3)            1.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   5   3.08
Totals                  9     9   7   7   7  14   1  43

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Martinez                4     5   4   3   1   1   0  18   3.20
Frazier L(0-1)          2     5   4   2   1   0   0  12   2.70
Urrea                   1.2   3   3   3   2   1   0   9   5.08
Schultz                 1.1   1   0   0   1   1   0   6   2.62
Totals                  9    14  11   8   5   3   0  45

Passed Balls: Simmons (3)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cedeno singled to center; Cedeno stole
second; Simmons allowed a passed ball [Cedeno to third]; Cruz
singled to left [Cedeno scored]; Watson flied out to center; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (second to first); Templeton
flied out to right; Hendrick struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe struck out; Baldwin grounded out (shortstop to
first); Sexton popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons walked; Hernandez tripled to right
[Simmons scored]; Morales singled to right [Hernandez scored];
Reitz struck out; Tyson was called out on strikes; Martinez
struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard popped to shortstop; Puhl popped to third in
foul territory; Cabell popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Brock struck out; Templeton grounded out (second
to first); Hendrick struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
tripled to right; Watson walked; Howe singled to right [Cruz
scored, Watson to third]; Baldwin singled to right [Watson
scored (unearned), Howe scored (error by Morales) (no RBI),
Baldwin to third]; Sexton grounded out (third to first); Richard
flied out to right; 3 R (2 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons doubled to right; Hernandez walked;
Morales walked [Simmons to third, Hernandez to second]; Reitz
struck out; Tyson struck out; DWYER BATTED FOR MARTINEZ; Dwyer
singled to right [Simmons scored, Hernandez scored, Morales to
third]; Brock struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 4.

ASTROS 5TH: FRAZIER REPLACED DWYER (PITCHING); Puhl singled to
right; Cabell forced Puhl (second to shortstop); Cedeno singled
to right [Cabell to third]; Cruz singled to right [Cabell
scored, Cedeno to third]; Cruz stole second; Watson was walked
intentionally; Howe reached on an error by Reitz [Cedeno scored
(RBI), Cruz to third, Watson to second, Howe to first]; Baldwin
popped to catcher in foul territory; WALLING BATTED FOR SEXTON;
Walling singled to center [Cruz scored (unearned), Watson scored
(unearned), Howe to second]; Richard flied out to center; 4 R (2
ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 5TH: METZGER REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING SS); Templeton
struck out; Hendrick struck out; Simmons popped to first; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl singled to right; Puhl was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Cabell flied out to right; Cedeno
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals
4.

CARDINALS 6TH: Hernandez struck out; Morales singled to center;
Reitz walked [Morales to second]; PHILLIPS BATTED FOR TYSON;
Phillips walked [Morales to third, Reitz to second]; FREED
BATTED FOR FRAZIER; Freed walked [Morales scored, Reitz to
third, Phillips to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING);
COLUCCIO BATTED FOR BROCK; Coluccio struck out; Templeton
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 7TH: COLUCCIO STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); PHILLIPS
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); URREA REPLACED FREED (PITCHING);
Cruz walked; Watson popped to second; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Howe singled to center; Baldwin
forced Howe (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8,
Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 7TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); Hendrick
singled to center; Simmons grounded out (pitcher to first)
[Hendrick to second]; Hernandez flied out to right; Morales
flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Metzger grounded out (first unassisted); Sambito
walked; Puhl was called out on strikes; Cabell singled to
shortstop [Sambito to second]; Cedeno singled to shortstop
[Sambito to third, Cabell to second]; SCHULTZ REPLACED MORALES
(PITCHING); MUMPHREY REPLACED URREA (PLAYING RF); Cruz tripled
to center [Sambito scored, Cabell scored, Cedeno scored];
Bergman popped to catcher in foul territory; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 11, Cardinals 5.

CARDINALS 8TH: Reitz homered; Phillips was called out on
strikes; Mumphrey singled to shortstop; Coluccio walked
[Mumphrey to second]; Templeton singled to right [Mumphrey to
third, Coluccio to second]; FORSCH REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING);
Hendrick hit a sacrifice fly to center [Mumphrey scored];
Simmons popped to second; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 11,
Cardinals 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe grounded out (pitcher to first); Baldwin
grounded out (shortstop to first); Metzger walked; Forsch struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 11, Cardinals 7.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hernandez flied out to center; SCOTT BATTED FOR
SCHULTZ; Scott grounded out (pitcher to first); Reitz grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 11,
Cardinals 7.