The Mets swept a doubleheader from the Astros, 7-4 and 5-4, as John Stearns drove in four runs in the first game and a pinch-double by Joel Youngblood plated the winning tally in the 11th inning of the nightcap. After the Astros picked up a run in their first turn at bat in the opener, the Mets retaliated with three on a triple by Steve Henderson, a bunt single by Stearns and a homer by Willie Montanez. New York got four more in the second on a triple by Doug Flynn, walk to Elliott Maddox, RBI double by Tim Foli, walk to Henderson and three-run double by Stearns.

In the second game, after rookie catcher Bruce Bochy put the Astros ahead, 4-3, with his first major league homer in the seventh inning, the Mets tied the contest in the eighth on singles by Foli, Lee Mazzilli and Montanez. In the bottom of the 11th, Montanez stroked a one-out single and Youngblood then doubled him home. [The Sporting News]



New York Mets 7, Houston Astros 4 (Game 1)
Game Played on Thursday, July      20, 1978 (Day game) at Shea Stadium
Astros       1  2  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   4 11  0
Mets         3  4  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   7 11  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          4   0   3   2     1   0   .295      Maddox cf,rf          3   1   1   0     2   0   .274
Puhl cf               5   1   1   0     0   1   .296      Foli ss               4   1   2   1     0   0   .237
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .287      S. Henderson lf       3   2   1   0     1   0   .260
Cruz rf               4   1   1   2     0   0   .277      Stearns c             4   1   2   4     0   0   .275
Watson 1b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .286      Montanez 1b           3   1   1   2     1   0   .265
Howe 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .292      Grieve rf             3   0   1   0     0   1   .236
Bergman lf            4   1   4   0     0   0   .254        Youngblood pr,cf    1   0   0   0     0   0   .245
Pujols c              2   1   0   0     0   0   .141      Randle 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .234
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Flynn 2b              4   1   1   0     0   0   .252
Bannister p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130      Bruhert p             2   0   0   0     0   0   .095
  Zamora p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Boisclair ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .241
  Sexton ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .165        Lockwood p          1   0   1   0     0   0   .222
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .228

Totals               35   4  11   4     1   3             Totals               32   7  11   7     5   1

Time of Game: 2:32
Left on Base: Astros 7, Mets 6
DP: Astros 2, Mets 1
Doubles: Bergman (1), Foli (13), Stearns (13), Maddox (10), Lockwood (1)
Triples: Cabell (3), S. Henderson (4), Flynn (3)
Home Runs: Cruz (6), Montanez (13)
Stolen Bases: Stearns (13)
Caught Stealing: Landestoy (2), Flynn (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Bannister (5)
GIDP: Puhl (8), S. Henderson (12)
Hit by Pitch: Pujols (1,by Bruhert)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bannister L(3-6)        1.2   6   7   7   3   0   1  14   4.34
Zamora                  4.1   4   0   0   1   1   0  16   7.43
McLaughlin              2     1   0   0   1   0   0   7   3.15
Totals                  8    11   7   7   5   1   1  37

Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bruhert W(2-5)          6     8   4   4   1   0   1  26   5.08
Lockwood SV(12)         3     3   0   0   0   3   0  12   3.33
Totals                  9    11   4   4   1   3   1  38

Hit by Pitch: Bruhert (1)
Wild Pitches: Bruhert (5)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center; Puhl singled to center
[Landestoy to second]; Cabell forced Landestoy (third
unassisted) [Puhl to second]; Bruhert threw a wild pitch [Puhl
to third, Cabell to second]; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted) [Puhl scored, Cabell to third]; Watson grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 0.

METS 1ST: Maddox flied out to left; Foli grounded out (shortstop
to first); S. Henderson tripled to right; Stearns singled to
center [S. Henderson scored]; Stearns stole second; Montanez
homered [Stearns scored]; Grieve grounded out (second to first);
3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Mets 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe flied out to left; Bergman singled to left;
Pujols was hit by a pitch [Bergman to second]; Bannister out on
a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second) [Bergman to third, Pujols
to second]; Landestoy singled to center [Bergman scored, Pujols
scored]; Landestoy was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 3.

METS 2ND: Randle flied out to right; Flynn tripled to right;
Bruhert grounded out (shortstop to first); Maddox walked; Foli
doubled to left [Flynn scored, Maddox to third]; S. Henderson
walked; Stearns doubled to left [Maddox scored, Foli scored, S.
Henderson scored]; Montanez walked; ZAMORA REPLACED BANNISTER
(PITCHING); Grieve struck out; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 7.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cabell tripled
to right; Cruz popped to third in foul territory; Watson lined
to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 7.

METS 3RD: Randle popped to shortstop; Flynn popped to second;
Bruhert flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets
7.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Bergman
singled to left; Pujols lined to right; Zamora grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 7.

METS 4TH: Maddox doubled; Foli lined into a double play
(shortstop to second) [Maddox out at second]; S. Henderson flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 7.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy walked; Puhl grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Landestoy out at second]; Cabell
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Mets 7.

METS 5TH: Stearns grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez
flied out to center; Grieve singled to left; YOUNGBLOOD RAN FOR
GRIEVE; Randle singled to center [Youngblood to third]; Flynn
flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Mets 7.

ASTROS 6TH: MADDOX CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); YOUNGBLOOD
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); Cruz homered; Watson grounded out
(shortstop to first); Howe grounded out (third to first);
Bergman singled to center; Pujols grounded out (third to first);
1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

METS 6TH: BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR BRUHERT; Boisclair lined to left;
Maddox walked; Foli singled to center [Maddox to second]; S.
Henderson grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Foli out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

ASTROS 7TH: LOCKWOOD REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PITCHING); SEXTON
BATTED FOR ZAMORA; Sexton struck out; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

METS 7TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); Stearns made an
out to shortstop; Montanez flied out to left; Youngblood flied
out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell flied out to right; Cruz flied out to center;
Watson singled to shortstop; Howe forced Watson (shortstop to
second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

METS 8TH: Randle walked; Flynn forced Randle (shortstop to
second); Flynn was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Lockwood doubled to center; Maddox grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.

ASTROS 9TH: Bergman doubled; HOWARD BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Howard
flied out to left; WALLING BATTED FOR MCLAUGHLIN; Walling struck
out; Landestoy singled to shortstop [Bergman stayed at second];
Puhl struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Mets 7.