A six-run explosion in the eighth inning carried the Astros to a 6-5 decision over the Pirates. Trailing, 5-0, the Astros began their comeback on a one-out double by Jesus Alou and two-out RBI single by Jose Cruz. Kent Tekulve replaced John Candelaria on the mound and walked Wilbur Howard.

Dave Hamilton then replaced Tekulve and walked pinch-hitter Joe Ferguson to load the bases. Ed Whitson then issued another pass to pinch-hitter Dave Bergman to score Cruz. Enos Cabell beat out an infield hit to score Howard and Cesar Cedeno followed by smacking a 3-2 pitch to left for a three-run single. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, Pittsburgh Pirates 5
Game Played on Monday, June      12, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      1  0  0    0  2  1    0  1  0  -   5 12  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  6  x  -   6 11  7


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            5   1   3   0     0   0   .272      Sexton ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .167
Moreno cf             3   1   0   1     1   0   .190        Bergman ph,lf       0   1   0   1     1   0   .083
Parker rf             3   1   2   1     2   0   .299      Cabell 3b,ss          5   1   3   1     0   0   .295
B. Robinson lf        5   0   0   0     0   3   .246      Cedeno cf             5   0   1   3     0   0   .278
Stargell 1b           4   0   3   0     0   1   .266      Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     1   0   .266
  Sanguillen pr,1b    1   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Alou lf               4   1   4   0     0   0   .353
Stennett 3b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .255        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Mendoza 3b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .258      Howe 2b,3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .285
  Brye ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .290      Cruz rf               4   1   1   1     0   0   .281
Ott c                 4   1   1   0     0   1   .256      Baldwin c             1   0   0   0     0   0   .205
Garner 2b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .238        Howard c,2b         2   1   0   0     1   1   .263
Candelaria p          3   0   1   0     0   2   .154      Dixon p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .100
  Tekulve p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Metzger ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .220
  Hamilton p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Niekro p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  Whitson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Gonzalez ph         0   0   0   0     1   0   .250
                                                            Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Walling ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .255
                                                            Ferguson ph,c       0   1   0   0     1   0   .224

Totals               37   5  12   2     3   9             Totals               35   6  11   6     5   3

Time of Game: 3:14   Attendance:  9,886
Left on Base: Pirates 10, Astros 10
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 0
Errors: Stennett, Sexton, Cabell, Alou, Howe 2, Cruz, Baldwin
Doubles: Taveras 2 (13), Stargell (6), Ott (6), Alou 2 (2)
Stolen Bases: Moreno (26), Garner 2 (8), Parker 2 (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Candelaria (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Moreno (1)
GIDP: Cruz (4)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Candelaria              7.2   9   2   2   2   3   0  34   3.33
Tekulve                 0     0   1   1   1   0   0   1   3.03
Hamilton                0     0   1   1   1   0   0   1   6.11
Whitson L(0-1)          0.1   2   2   2   1   0   0   4   3.86
Totals                  8    11   6   6   5   3   0  40

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dixon                   5     8   3   2   2   6   0  24   2.42
Niekro                  2     2   1   0   0   0   0   9   7.71
Williams W(1-0)         1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   9.00
Sambito SV(3)           1     0   0   0   1   3   0   4   3.60
Totals                  9    12   5   3   3   9   0  42

Umpires: HP - Ed Vargo, 1B - Charlie Williams, 3B - Terry Tata


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras lined to center; Moreno walked; Moreno
stole second; Parker singled to center [Moreno scored]; B.
Robinson struck out; Stargell struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Sexton flied out to center; Cabell flied out to
center; Cedeno lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stennett made an out to second; Ott struck out;
Garner singled to third; Garner stole second; Candelaria struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Alou singled to right [Watson to
second]; Howe flied out to right; Cruz made an out to third;
Baldwin grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras singled to left; Moreno flied out to
center; Parker singled to left [Taveras to third, Parker out at
second (left to second)]; B. Robinson lined to third; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Dixon grounded out (third to first); Sexton grounded
out (pitcher to first); Cabell singled to second; Cedeno
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 1, Astros 0.

PIRATES 4TH: Stargell singled to right; Stennett singled to
center [Stargell to third]; Ott reached on a fielder's choice
[Stargell out at home (first to catcher), Stennett to second];
Garner popped to shortstop; Candelaria struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to center; Alou doubled to left;
Howe reached on an error by Stennett [Alou stayed at second,
Howe to first]; Cruz grounded into a double play (second to
first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 5TH: Taveras doubled to left [Taveras to third (error by
Alou)]; Moreno hit a sacrifice fly to center [Taveras scored];
Parker walked; Parker stole second [Parker scored (error by
Baldwin) (error by Howe) (unearned)]; Reggie Baldwin left
after collision with Dave Parker; HOWARD REPLACED BALDWIN
(PLAYING C ); B. Robinson struck out; Stargell singled to
center; Stennett flied out to right; 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 3 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Howard grounded out (second to first); METZGER
BATTED FOR DIXON; Metzger struck out; Sexton singled to center;
Cabell singled to right [Sexton to third]; Cedeno flied out to
center; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 0.

PIRATES 6TH: NIEKRO REPLACED METZGER (PITCHING); Ott grounded
out (first unassisted); Garner reached on an error by Sexton
[Garner to first]; Garner stole second; Candelaria reached on an
error by Cabell on a sacrifice bunt [Garner scored (unearned)
(no RBI), Candelaria out at second (second to shortstop)];
Taveras doubled to left; Moreno flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER),
1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson singled to third; Alou singled to left
[Watson to second]; Howe struck out; Cruz popped to shortstop;
Howard struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 0.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker flied out to left; B. Robinson lined to
second; Stargell doubled to center; SANGUILLEN RAN FOR STARGELL;
Stennett flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: MENDOZA REPLACED STENNETT (PLAYING 3B); SANGUILLEN
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); GONZALEZ BATTED FOR NIEKRO;
Gonzalez walked; Sexton popped to first in foul territory;
Cabell forced Gonzalez (shortstop to second); Cedeno forced
Cabell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 8TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Ott doubled
to right [Ott scored (error by Cruz) (error by Howe)]; Debut
game for Rick Williams; Garner flied out to left; Candelaria
singled to center; Taveras forced Candelaria (shortstop to
second); Moreno flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 5, Astros 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Alou
doubled to center; Howe flied out to right; Cruz singled to
right [Alou scored]; TEKULVE REPLACED CANDELARIA (PITCHING);
Howard walked [Cruz to second]; WALLING BATTED FOR WILLIAMS;
HAMILTON REPLACED TEKULVE (PITCHING); FERGUSON BATTED FOR
WALLING; Ferguson walked [Cruz to third, Howard to second];
WHITSON REPLACED HAMILTON (PITCHING); BERGMAN BATTED FOR SEXTON;
Bergman walked [Cruz scored, Howard to third, Ferguson to
second]; Cabell singled to shortstop [Howard scored, Ferguson to
third, Bergman to second]; Cedeno singled to center [Ferguson
scored, Bergman scored, Cabell scored, Cedeno to second (on
throw to home)]; Watson flied out to right; 6 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 6.

PIRATES 9TH: FERGUSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); BERGMAN
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
SS); HOWE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); HOWARD CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); SAMBITO REPLACED ALOU (PITCHING); Parker
walked; Parker stole second; B. Robinson struck out; Sanguillen
struck out; BRYE BATTED FOR MENDOZA; Brye struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 6.