Catching in his second game after month-long troubles with a bad back, Johnny Bench doubled in the 11th inning to pave the way for the run that gave the Reds an 8-7 victory over the Astros. After Bench's two-bagger, Rick Auerbach took over as a pinch-runner and scored the winning marker on a single by Junior Kennedy.

The Astros had a leadoff homer by Terry Puhl in taking a 2-0 lead, but George Foster hit for the circuit with two men on base in the Reds' half of the first inning. The Astros regained the lead with three runs in the third, but Dan Driessen tied the score with a two-run smash in the Reds' half. After the Reds took a 7-5 lead in the sixth, the Astros rallied to knot the count in the ninth. Puhl was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in one run and Wilbur Howard sent the game into overtime with a sacrifice fly. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 8, Houston Astros 7
Game Played on Monday, July      3, 1978 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       2  0  3    0  0  0    0  0  2    0  0  -   7 10  1
Reds         3  0  2    0  0  2    0  0  0    0  1  -   8 15  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   1   1   2     0   0   .319      Rose 3b               5   1   3   1     1   0   .296
Howard rf             5   1   1   1     0   2   .254      Griffey rf            6   0   2   1     0   1   .312
Cabell 3b             3   2   0   0     2   1   .294      Concepcion ss         6   1   1   0     0   0   .299
Watson 1b             5   0   2   1     0   0   .300      Foster lf             4   2   2   3     1   0   .304
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bench c               5   0   1   0     1   2   .229
Howe 2b               3   1   1   1     2   0   .280        Auerbach pr         0   1   0   0     0   0   .172
Alou lf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .329      Driessen 1b           6   1   2   2     0   1   .292
Pujols c              4   0   2   1     0   0   .250      Kennedy 2b            6   1   3   1     0   0   .227
  Sexton pr,ss        1   1   0   0     0   0   .167      Geronimo cf           4   0   1   0     0   2   .238
Fischlin ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .119        Henderson ph,cf     1   0   0   0     0   1   .190
  Walling ph          1   1   1   0     0   0   .262      Norman p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .184
  Baldwin c           1   0   0   0     0   0   .226        Collins ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .220
Bannister p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .095        Sarmiento p         1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  McLaughlin p        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Bergman ph,1b       1   0   0   0     1   0   .130        Morgan ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .260
                                                            Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .167

Totals               39   7  10   7     5   5             Totals               47   8  15   8     4   8

Time of Game: 3:23   Attendance: 31,840
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 12
DP: Astros 0, Reds 0
Errors: Fischlin
Doubles: Howard (2), Watson (14), Rose (24), Foster (13), Bench (8)
Home Runs: Puhl (3), Foster (18), Driessen (10)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (11), Griffey 2 (13), Kennedy (3)
Caught Stealing: Griffey (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Alou (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Howard (1)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (2,by Tomlin), Foster (5,by McLaughlin)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister               4     6   5   5   1   5   2  19   3.08
McLaughlin              4     5   2   1   3   1   0  22   4.15
Sambito L(3-5)          2.2   4   1   1   0   2   0  11   3.14
Totals                 10.2  15   8   7   4   8   2  52

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman                  6     8   5   5   3   4   1  27   3.16
Sarmiento               2     2   2   2   1   1   0   9   2.47
Tomlin                  1     0   0   0   0   0   0   4   4.72
Bair W(3-3)             2     0   0   0   1   0   0   7   1.91
Totals                 11    10   7   7   5   5   1  47

Hit by Pitch: McLaughlin (1), Tomlin (2)
Balks: McLaughlin (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl homered; Howard struck out; Cabell walked;
Watson grounded out (third to first) [Cabell to second]; Howe
singled to left [Cabell scored, Howe to second (on throw to
home)]; Alou singled to second [Howe out at home (second to
first to catcher)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose doubled; Griffey struck out; Concepcion singled
to second [Rose to third]; Concepcion stole second; Foster
homered [Rose scored, Concepcion scored]; Bench struck out;
Driessen grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols flied out to center; Fischlin grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bannister struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

REDS 2ND: Kennedy singled to center; Geronimo struck out; On a
bunt Norman forced Kennedy (first to shortstop); Rose walked
[Norman to second]; Griffey flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 2, Reds 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Howard doubled
to left; Cabell walked; Watson doubled to left [Howard scored,
Cabell to third]; Howe was walked intentionally; Alou forced
Watson (shortstop to third) [Cabell scored, Howe to second];
Pujols singled to left [Howe scored, Alou to second]; Fischlin
flied out to center; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 3.

REDS 3RD: Concepcion flied out to left; Foster doubled to left;
Bench grounded out (third to first); Driessen homered [Foster
scored]; Kennedy grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Bannister flied out to center; Puhl flied out to
right; Howard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds
5.

REDS 4TH: Geronimo struck out; Norman struck out; Rose lined to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell lined to shortstop; Watson singled to center;
Howe flied out to right; Alou singled [Watson to second]; Watson
was picked off second (catcher to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Astros 5, Reds 5.

REDS 5TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED BANNISTER (PITCHING); Griffey
flied out to center; Concepcion grounded out (third to first);
Foster was hit by a pitch; Bench walked [Foster to second];
Driessen popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Pujols grounded out (third to first); Fischlin
grounded out (second to first); McLaughlin struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 5.

REDS 6TH: Kennedy reached on an error by Fischlin [Kennedy to
first]; Geronimo flied out to left; COLLINS BATTED FOR NORMAN;
McLaughlin balked [Kennedy to second]; Collins walked; Rose
singled to left [Kennedy scored (unearned), Collins to second];
Griffey singled to center [Collins scored, Rose to third];
Griffey stole second; Concepcion popped to shortstop; Foster
grounded out (third to first); 2 R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 5, Reds 7.

ASTROS 7TH: SARMIENTO REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); Puhl grounded
out (second to first); Howard grounded out (shortstop to first);
Cabell struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 7.

REDS 7TH: Bench flied out to center; Driessen flied out to
center; Kennedy singled to center; Geronimo singled to right
[Kennedy to third]; Sarmiento grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Watson flied out to left; Howe lined to left; Alou
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 7.

REDS 8TH: Rose singled to center; Griffey forced Rose (pitcher
to shortstop); Griffey stole second; Concepcion popped to
shortstop; Foster was walked intentionally; Bench struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Pujols singled to center; SEXTON RAN FOR PUJOLS;
WALLING BATTED FOR FISCHLIN; Walling singled to right [Sexton to
second]; BERGMAN BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Bergman walked [Sexton
to third, Walling to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED SARMIENTO
(PITCHING); Puhl was hit by a pitch [Sexton scored, Walling to
third, Bergman to second]; Howard hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Walling scored]; Cabell popped to right; Watson grounded out
(first to pitcher); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 7, Reds 7.

REDS 9TH: SAMBITO REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); SEXTON STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING SS); BALDWIN REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING C );
BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Driessen singled to right;
Kennedy forced Driessen (pitcher to shortstop); HENDERSON BATTED
FOR GERONIMO; Kennedy stole second; Henderson struck out; MORGAN
BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 7, Reds 7.

ASTROS 10TH: BAIR REPLACED MORGAN (PITCHING); HENDERSON STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Howe walked; Alou out on a sacrifice bunt
(first unassisted) [Howe to second]; Sexton reached on a
fielder's choice [Howe out at third (shortstop to third)];
Baldwin flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7,
Reds 7.

REDS 10TH: Rose grounded out (second to first); Griffey singled
to center; Griffey was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Concepcion flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 7, Reds 7.

ASTROS 11TH: Bergman grounded out (first to pitcher); Puhl
popped to shortstop; Howard grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 7, Reds 7.

REDS 11TH: Foster grounded out (third to first); Bench doubled
to left; AUERBACH RAN FOR BENCH; Driessen struck out; Kennedy
singled [Auerbach scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 7, Reds
8.