With Tom Dixon and Joe Sambito combining on a four-hitter and Art Howe driving in two runs, the Astros gained a 3-1 verdict over the Cubs. Dixon ran into trouble in the eighth inning when the Cubs put first two runners on base. Sambito came on and yielded a sacrifice fly to Bobby Murcer before retiring the side.

The Astros scored in the first on a sacrifice fly by Enos Cabell after singles by Denny Walling and Dave Bergman. A single by Bob Watson and double by Howe made it 2-0 in the fourth and an eighth-inning tally resulted from a double by Cabell, an infield out and a fielder's choice grounder by Howe. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 3, Chicago Cubs 1

Game Played on Sunday, June 18, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  4  1
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  6  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           2   1   1   0     2   1   .271      Walling cf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .261
Gross cf              4   0   2   0     0   0   .303      Bergman lf,1b         4   0   1   0     0   0   .121
Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .299      Cabell 3b             3   1   1   1     0   0   .296
Murcer rf             3   0   0   1     0   0   .233      Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .281
Biittner lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .303      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .268
Ontiveros 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .197        Howard pr,lf        0   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .261      Howe 2b               4   0   2   2     0   0   .283
Rader c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .217
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Fischlin ss           2   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Lamp p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .207      Dixon p               2   0   0   0     1   1   .083
  Kingman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .227        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Holtzman p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McGlothen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               31   1   4   1     3   3             Totals               29   3   6   3     3   1

Time of Game: 2:16   Attendance: 14,770
Left on Base: Cubs 7, Astros 6
DP: Cubs 0, Astros 0
Errors: Ontiveros, Cruz
Doubles: Howe (18), Cabell (7)
Stolen Bases: Gross (1), Fischlin (1)
Caught Stealing: Howe (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Murcer (2), Cabell (2)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lamp L(2-7)             6     5   2   2   0   1   0  24   3.11
Holtzman                1.1   1   1   1   2   0   0   7   4.76
McGlothen               0.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   4.11
Totals                  8     6   3   3   3   1   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Dixon W(3-2)            7     4   1   1   3   2   0  29   2.26
Sambito SV(5)           2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.38
Totals                  9     4   1   1   3   3   0  35

Umpires: HP - Bill Williams, 1B - Dick Stello, 2B - Bruce Froemming, 3B - Eric Gregg


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus struck out; Gross singled; Gross stole
second; Buckner flied out to right; Murcer flied out to center;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Walling singled; Bergman singled [Walling to third];
Cabell hit a sacrifice fly to right [Walling scored]; Cruz flied
out to right; Watson forced Bergman (shortstop to second); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 2ND: Biittner grounded out (second to first); Ontiveros
flied out to center; Trillo reached on an error by Cruz [Trillo
to first]; Rader grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe singled; Ferguson forced Howe (third to
second); Fischlin forced Ferguson (third to second); Dixon
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 3RD: Lamp struck out; De Jesus walked; Gross made an out to
third; Buckner flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs
0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Walling flied out to center; Bergman grounded out
(pitcher to first); Cabell reached on an error by Ontiveros
[Cabell to first]; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 4TH: Murcer flied out to left; Biittner singled; Ontiveros
flied out to left; Trillo flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson singled; Howe doubled [Watson scored];
Ferguson grounded out (second to first) [Howe to third];
Fischlin reached on a fielder's choice [Howe out at home (first
to catcher)]; Dixon flied out to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 5TH: Rader flied out to right; Lamp made an out to second;
De Jesus singled; Gross flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Walling grounded out (pitcher to first); Bergman
grounded out (second to first); Cabell made an out to third; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 6TH: Buckner grounded out (first unassisted); Murcer flied
out to right; Biittner flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz flied out to right; Watson flied out to center;
Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 7TH: Ontiveros flied out to center; Trillo walked; Rader
flied out to center; KINGMAN BATTED FOR LAMP; Kingman forced
Trillo (third to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros
2.

ASTROS 7TH: HOLTZMAN REPLACED KINGMAN (PITCHING); Ferguson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Fischlin walked; Fischlin
stole second; Dixon walked; Walling flied out to center; Bergman
made an out to third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 8TH: De Jesus walked; Gross singled [De Jesus to second];
SAMBITO REPLACED DIXON (PITCHING); Buckner forced Gross (second
to shortstop) [De Jesus to third]; Murcer hit a sacrifice fly to
right [De Jesus scored]; Biittner made an out to second; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell doubled; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted)
[Cabell to third]; MCGLOTHEN REPLACED HOLTZMAN (PITCHING);
Watson walked; HOWARD RAN FOR WATSON; Howe forced Howard (first
to shortstop) [Cabell scored]; Howe was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1, Astros 3.

CUBS 9TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Ontiveros grounded out (pitcher to
first); Trillo struck out; CLINES BATTED FOR RADER; Clines
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 1,
Astros 3.

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