Airtight pitching by Joe Niekro carried the Astros to a 5-0 blanking of the Expos. The Astros began their scoring with a solo homer by Bob Watson in the fourth inning. In the fifth frame, a single by Jose Cruz, a sacrifice and a double by Niekro accounted for another tally. Niekro also had an RBI single in the seventh and Enos Cabell led off the eighth with a solo round-tripper. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Montreal Expos 0
Game Played on Wednesday, July      26, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Expos        0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  4  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  1  1    1  1  x  -   5 13  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Papi 2b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .262      Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .291
Unser cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .209      Fischlin ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .134
Valentine rf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .305      Cabell 3b             4   2   2   1     0   1   .291
Perez 1b              2   0   1   0     1   0   .296      Watson 1b             3   1   2   2     0   0   .284
Parrish 3b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .277        Gonzalez pr,2b      0   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Cromartie lf          3   0   0   0     0   1   .275      Howe 2b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .288
Speier ss             3   0   1   0     0   0   .249        Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .209
Herrmann c            3   0   0   0     0   0   .136      Howard lf             4   0   2   0     0   0   .247
Grimsley p            2   0   0   0     0   0   .161      Cruz rf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .284
  Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250      Pujols c              3   1   1   0     0   0   .144
  Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .247      Niekro p              3   0   2   2     0   0   .273
  Garman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               29   0   4   0     1   3             Totals               32   5  13   5     1   2

Time of Game: 2:05   Attendance:  8,465
Left on Base: Expos 3, Astros 6
DP: Expos 1, Astros 1
Errors: Fischlin
Doubles: Howard (3), Niekro (2), Pujols (6), Watson (20)
Triples: Cabell (4)
Home Runs: Watson (11), Cabell (6)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (16)
Sacrifice Hits: Pujols (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Watson (9)
GIDP: Hutton (2), Pujols (5)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Grimsley L(12-8)        6    11   4   4   0   2   1  27   3.46
Knowles                 1     0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.61
Garman                  1     2   1   1   1   0   1   6   5.28
Totals                  8    13   5   5   1   2   2  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(7-8)           9     4   0   0   1   3   0  30   4.85
Totals                  9     4   0   0   1   3   0  30

Passed Balls: Pujols (5)
Wild Pitches: Grimsley (2)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Jerry Dale


EXPOS 1ST: Papi lined to second; Unser grounded out (third to
first); Valentine singled; Valentine was picked off first
(pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled; Puhl stole second; Fischlin struck
out; Cabell struck out; Watson grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Perez singled; Parrish forced Perez (second to
shortstop); Cromartie lined to center; Speier grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe flied out to right; Howard doubled; Cruz
singled [Howard to third]; Pujols grounded into a double play
(third to second to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Herrmann popped to shortstop; Grimsley grounded out
(first unassisted); Papi grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro lined to left; Puhl grounded out (first
unassisted); Fischlin grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 4TH: Unser grounded out (second to first); Valentine lined
to second; Perez grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Watson
homered; Howe grounded out (third to first); Howard flied out to
left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

EXPOS 5TH: Parrish singled; Pujols allowed a passed ball
[Parrish to second]; Parrish was picked off second (pitcher to
second); Cromartie struck out; Speier singled; Herrmann grounded
out (first unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz singled; Pujols out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to second) [Cruz to second]; Niekro doubled [Cruz
scored]; Puhl flied out to center; Fischlin singled to center
[Niekro out at home (center to catcher)]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Expos 0, Astros 2.

EXPOS 6TH: Grimsley grounded out (third to first); Papi made an
out to first; Unser flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell tripled; Watson hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Cabell scored]; Howe flied out to right; Howard singled; Cruz
grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0,
Astros 3.

EXPOS 7TH: Valentine grounded out (third to first); Perez
walked; Parrish popped to first; Cromartie flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Pujols doubled; Grimsley threw a wild pitch [Pujols
to third]; Niekro singled [Pujols scored]; KNOWLES REPLACED
GRIMSLEY (PITCHING); Puhl forced Niekro (first to shortstop);
Fischlin hit into a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first)
[Puhl out at third (first to second)]; Terry Puhl rounded 2B
too far, no DP; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 4.

EXPOS 8TH: Speier reached on an error by Fischlin [Speier to
first]; Herrmann flied out to right; HUTTON BATTED FOR KNOWLES;
Hutton grounded into a double play (first to shortstop to
pitcher) [Speier out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 8TH: GARMAN REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Cabell homered;
Watson doubled; GONZALEZ RAN FOR WATSON; Howe popped to first;
Howard popped to catcher; Cruz was walked intentionally; Pujols
forced Gonzalez (third unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Expos
0, Astros 5.

EXPOS 9TH: GONZALEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); BERGMAN
REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 1B); Papi struck out; Unser struck out;
Valentine flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0,
Astros 5.