Jumping on Bill Bonham for six runs and seven hits in the first four innings, the Astros snapped a five-game losing streak by outlasting the Reds, 7-4. A single by Enos Cabell drove in the first Astro run in the opening frame and Bob Watson made the score 2-0 with another single. After a single by Joe Niekro and walk to Denny Walling in the second inning, a double by Cabell plated two more tallies. The Astros added another pair in the fourth on a single by Niekro, triple by Terry Puhl and single by Walling.

The Reds made it close by hitting five singles in the seventh, but reliever Joe Sambito came on to slam the door. The Reds' Johnny Bench, sidelined with a back strain, made his first appearance since June 11 and rapped a pinch-hit single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 7, Cincinnati Reds 4
Game Played on Tuesday, June      27, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  0  1    0  0  0    3  0  0  -   4  8  0
Astros       2  2  0    2  0  0    0  1  x  -   7 10  0


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   1   1   1     0   0   .289      Puhl cf               4   2   2   1     1   1   .332
  Knight pr,3b        1   1   0   0     0   1   .158      Walling lf            3   1   1   1     1   0   .253
Griffey rf            5   0   1   1     0   0   .315      Cabell 3b             4   1   2   3     0   0   .295
Morgan 2b             3   0   2   2     1   0   .257      Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   2   .262
Foster lf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .305      Watson 1b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .281
Driessen 1b           4   0   0   0     0   2   .297        Bergman pr,1b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .154
Concepcion ss         3   0   2   0     1   0   .307      Ferguson c            3   0   0   0     1   1   .211
Geronimo cf           3   0   0   0     0   1   .244      Gonzalez 2b           4   1   1   0     0   1   .273
  Bench ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .235      Fischlin ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .120
  Lum pr,cf           0   0   0   0     0   0   .288      Niekro p              3   2   2   0     0   0   .263
Werner c              3   1   0   0     0   1   .157        Sambito p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Correll ph,c        1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Bonham p              0   0   0   0     1   0   .143
  Auerbach ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Henderson ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .188
  Hume pr             0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Collins ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .228
  Sarmiento p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               35   4   8   4     3   8             Totals               33   7  10   6     3   5

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 16,848
Left on Base: Reds 8, Astros 6
DP: Reds 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Cabell (11)
Triples: Puhl (3)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (11), Cabell (14), Walling (5)
Sacrifice Hits: Fischlin (2)
Hit by Pitch: Morgan (2,by Niekro)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham L(8-2)           4     7   6   6   3   3   0  22   3.06
Borbon                  2     1   0   0   0   1   0   7   4.81
Tomlin                  1     1   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.60
Sarmiento               1     1   1   1   0   1   0   4   2.00
Totals                  8    10   7   7   3   5   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(5-4)           7     6   4   4   3   4   0  31   5.98
Sambito SV(6)           2     2   0   0   0   4   0   8   3.06
Totals                  9     8   4   4   3   8   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (2)
Balks: Sarmiento (1)

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


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey popped to
shortstop; Morgan walked; Foster flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl walked; Puhl stole second; Walling grounded out
(second to first) [Puhl to third]; Cabell singled to center
[Puhl scored]; Cabell stole second; Cruz struck out; Watson
singled to right [Cabell scored]; Ferguson walked [Watson to
second]; Gonzalez grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

REDS 2ND: Driessen struck out; Concepcion walked; Geronimo
forced Concepcion (second to shortstop); Werner popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Fischlin grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
singled to right; Puhl popped to shortstop; Walling walked
[Niekro to second]; Cabell doubled to right [Niekro scored,
Walling scored]; Cruz struck out; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 0,
Astros 4.

REDS 3RD: Bonham walked; Rose forced Bonham (second to
shortstop); Griffey grounded out (first unassisted) [Rose to
second]; Morgan singled to center [Rose scored]; Foster forced
Morgan (shortstop to second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); Ferguson
lined to shortstop; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Reds 1, Astros 4.

REDS 4TH: Driessen grounded out (first to pitcher); Concepcion
flied out to center; Geronimo popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Fischlin grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
singled to center; Puhl tripled [Niekro scored]; Walling singled
to right [Puhl scored]; Walling stole second; Cabell lined to
left; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Reds 1, Astros 6.

REDS 5TH: Werner struck out; AUERBACH BATTED FOR BONHAM;
Auerbach popped to catcher in foul territory; Rose grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 5TH: BORBON REPLACED AUERBACH (PITCHING); Watson flied
out to center; Ferguson struck out; Gonzalez grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

REDS 6TH: Griffey flied out to left; Morgan was hit by a pitch;
Foster struck out; Driessen flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: Fischlin grounded out (third to first); Niekro
grounded out (third to first); Puhl singled to left; Walling
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 1, Astros 6.

REDS 7TH: Concepcion singled to right; Geronimo struck out;
Werner forced Concepcion (shortstop unassisted); HENDERSON
BATTED FOR BORBON; Henderson singled to center [Werner to
third]; HUME RAN FOR HENDERSON; Rose singled to center [Werner
scored, Hume to third]; KNIGHT RAN FOR ROSE; Griffey singled to
center [Hume scored, Knight to third]; Morgan singled to right
[Knight scored, Griffey to third]; Foster popped to first in
foul territory; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 6.

ASTROS 7TH: KNIGHT STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); TOMLIN REPLACED
HUME (PITCHING); Cabell popped to second; Cruz grounded out
(second to first); Watson singled to center; BERGMAN RAN FOR
WATSON; Ferguson flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds
4, Astros 6.

REDS 8TH: BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); SAMBITO REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Driessen struck out; Concepcion singled to
left; BENCH BATTED FOR GERONIMO; Bench singled to left
[Concepcion to second]; LUM RAN FOR BENCH; CORRELL BATTED FOR
WERNER; Correll struck out; COLLINS BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Collins
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 6.

ASTROS 8TH: LUM STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); CORRELL STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING C ); SARMIENTO REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING);
Gonzalez singled to center; Fischlin out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Gonzalez to second]; Sambito grounded out
(first unassisted) [Gonzalez to third]; Sarmiento balked
[Gonzalez scored]; Puhl struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds
4, Astros 7.

REDS 9TH: Knight struck out; Griffey grounded out (pitcher to
first); Morgan popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 7.