Relieving in both games, Ken Forsch gained two victories when the Astros won a pair of extra-inning contests from the Expos in a twi-night doubleheader, 4-3 and 5-4. Forsch turned in a masterful performance in the opener, taking over in the 12th inning with the bases loaded and pitching out of a jam by striking out Stan Papi and Del Unser and getting Andre Dawson on a pop fly. The Astros then won the game in the 13th when Terry Puhl walked, Enos Cabell sacrificed and Jose Cruz singled.

In the nightcap, Luis Pujols hit his first major league homer for the Astros, connecting with a man on base, while the Expos had round-trippers by Ellis Valentine and Andre Dawson. Forsch pitched the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Mark Lemongello and gained his second victory of the night when the Astros scored in the 10th on a pass with the bases loaded. Denny Walling walked to open the overtime frame, Art Howe singled and Dave Bergman drew a pass before Jesus Alou batted for Forsch and walked. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Montreal Expos 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, July      14, 1978 (Night game) at Stade Olympique
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0    1  -   4 15  2
Expos        1  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  -   3  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss,lf       6   1   3   0     0   1   .357      Cash 2b               3   0   0   0     1   0   .268
Puhl cf               6   1   3   0     0   0   .306        Unser 1b            2   0   1   0     0   1   .230
Cabell 3b             5   1   2   0     0   0   .300      Dawson cf             5   1   0   0     0   0   .232
Cruz rf               6   0   1   1     0   1   .280      Valentine rf          5   1   1   0     1   1   .305
Watson 1b             6   0   1   0     0   1   .286      Perez 1b              4   0   2   1     0   2   .278
Howe 2b               4   0   2   0     0   0   .280        Frias 2b            1   0   0   0     0   1   .375
  Sexton pr,2b        1   1   0   0     0   0   .162        Herrmann ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .127
Bergman lf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .154      Parrish 3b            6   0   0   0     0   3   .261
  Alou ph             0   0   0   0     0   0   .304      Cromartie lf          4   0   0   0     1   0   .269
  Howard ph,c         2   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Carter c              4   0   1   0     1   1   .237
Pujols c              2   0   0   0     1   2   .174      Speier ss             3   0   0   0     2   1   .257
  Walling ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .234      Rogers p              2   1   0   0     0   1   .111
  Baldwin ph          1   0   1   1     0   0   .250        May p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .176
  Fischlin ss         0   0   0   0     0   0   .130        Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Richard p             4   0   0   0     0   1   .123        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Niekro ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Garrett ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .185
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Pirtle p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .143        Papi ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .276
                                                            Bahnsen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               47   4  15   2     1   6             Totals               43   3   5   1     6  13

Time of Game: 3:59
Left on Base: Astros 7, Expos 8
DP: Astros 0, Expos 3
Errors: Cabell 2, Parrish
Stolen Bases: Landestoy (1), Cabell 2 (20), Sexton (7), Valentine (8), Perez (1), Cromartie (5)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (9), Valentine (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Fischlin (3), Cabell (3), Dawson (3)
GIDP: Puhl (5), Howe (11)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard                11     5   3   1   3  10   0  41   3.29
Sambito                 0     0   0   0   3   0   0   3   3.35
Forsch W(3-3)           2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   3.07
Totals                 13     5   3   1   6  13   0  50

Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rogers                  5     7   2   1   1   2   0  21   2.12
May                     3.1   3   1   1   0   4   0  12   4.50
Garman                  0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   5.45
Knowles                 1.1   2   0   0   0   0   0   5   2.38
Pirtle                  2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   0.00
Bahnsen L(0-3)          1     2   1   1   0   0   0   4   4.28
Totals                 13    15   4   3   1   6   0  50

Passed Balls: Howard (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled; Landestoy stole second; Puhl
flied out to center [Landestoy to third]; Cabell reached on a
fielder's choice [Landestoy scored (error by Parrish)
(unearned)]; Cabell was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 0.

EXPOS 1ST: Cash grounded out (third to first); Dawson made an
out to second; Valentine singled; Perez singled [Valentine to
third]; Valentine stole home and Perez stole second; Parrish
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson made an out to first; Howe grounded out
(second to first); Bergman lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 1.

EXPOS 2ND: Cromartie lined to center; Carter singled; Speier
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Carter to second]; Rogers
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Expos 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Pujols walked; On a bunt Richard forced Pujols
(first to shortstop); Landestoy singled [Richard to second];
Puhl grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Landestoy out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Expos 1.

EXPOS 3RD: Cash walked; Dawson out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
first) [Cash to second]; Valentine grounded out (second to
first) [Cash to third]; Perez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Expos 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled; Cabell stole second; Cruz grounded
out (first unassisted) [Cabell to third]; Cabell stole home;
Watson struck out; Howe singled; Bergman singled to right [Howe
out at third (right to third)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Expos 1.

EXPOS 4TH: Parrish struck out; Cromartie grounded out (first
unassisted); Carter struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Expos 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Pujols struck out; Richard grounded out (second to
first); Landestoy singled; Puhl singled [Landestoy to second];
Cabell lined to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 1.

EXPOS 5TH: Speier walked; On a bunt Rogers forced Speier
(pitcher to shortstop); Cash reached on an error by Cabell
[Rogers to second]; Dawson forced Cash (shortstop to second)
[Rogers to third]; Valentine reached on an error by Cabell
[Rogers scored (unearned) (no RBI), Dawson to second]; Perez
singled to center [Dawson scored (unearned), Valentine out at
third (center to third)]; 2 R (0 ER), 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Expos 3.

ASTROS 6TH: MAY REPLACED ROGERS (PITCHING); Cruz struck out;
Watson singled; Howe grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [Watson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Expos 3.

EXPOS 6TH: Parrish flied out to right; Cromartie flied out to
center; Carter grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Bergman lined to right; Pujols struck out; Richard
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 3.

EXPOS 7TH: Speier struck out; May struck out; Cash lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Landestoy struck out; Puhl flied out to right;
Cabell singled; Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 3.

EXPOS 8TH: Dawson flied out to left; Valentine walked; Valentine
was caught stealing second (pitcher to second); Perez struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Expos 3.

ASTROS 9TH: UNSER REPLACED CASH (PLAYING 1B); FRIAS REPLACED
PEREZ (PLAYING 2B); Watson flied out to left; Howe singled;
SEXTON RAN FOR HOWE; ALOU BATTED FOR BERGMAN; GARMAN REPLACED
MAY (PITCHING); HOWARD BATTED FOR ALOU; Sexton stole second;
Howard made an out to third; WALLING BATTED FOR PUJOLS; KNOWLES
REPLACED GARMAN (PITCHING); BALDWIN BATTED FOR WALLING; Baldwin
singled [Sexton scored, Baldwin to second]; Richard grounded out
(shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

EXPOS 9TH: FISCHLIN REPLACED BALDWIN (PLAYING SS); SEXTON STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C );
LANDESTOY CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Parrish out on an
unknown play; Cromartie out on an unknown play; Carter grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

ASTROS 10TH: Landestoy out on an unknown play; Puhl singled;
Cabell lined into a double play (pitcher to first) [Puhl out at
first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

EXPOS 10TH: Speier grounded out (pitcher to first); GARRETT
BATTED FOR KNOWLES; Garrett grounded out (second to first);
Unser singled; Dawson forced Unser (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

ASTROS 11TH: PIRTLE REPLACED GARRETT (PITCHING); Cruz out on an
unknown play; Watson flied out to center; Sexton grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

EXPOS 11TH: Valentine struck out; Frias struck out; Parrish
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Expos 3.

ASTROS 12TH: Howard singled; Fischlin out on a sacrifice bunt
(third to second) [Howard to second]; NIEKRO BATTED FOR RICHARD;
Niekro reached on a fielder's choice [Howard out at third
(shortstop to third)]; Landestoy made an out to second; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

EXPOS 12TH: SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Cromartie
walked; Cromartie stole second; Carter was walked intentionally;
Howard allowed a passed ball [Cromartie to third, Carter to
second]; Speier was walked intentionally; FORSCH REPLACED
SAMBITO (PITCHING); PAPI BATTED FOR PIRTLE; Papi struck out; On
a bunt Unser struck out; Dawson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 3 LOB.  Astros 3, Expos 3.

ASTROS 13TH: BAHNSEN REPLACED PAPI (PITCHING); On a bunt Puhl
singled; Cabell out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Puhl
to second]; Cruz singled to right [Puhl scored, Cruz out at
second (right to shortstop)]; Watson flied out to right; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 3.

EXPOS 13TH: Valentine grounded out (third to first); HERRMANN
BATTED FOR FRIAS; Herrmann grounded out (second to first);
Parrish struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Expos 3.