A two-hitter by J.R. Richard was backed by a 13-hit attack as the Astros thumped the Mets, 8-3. The Astros got three runs in their first turn at bat on back-to-back triples by Terry Puhl and Dave Bergman, singles by Enos Cabell and Bob Watson and a sacrifice fly by Art Howe. The Astros got an unearned run in the second and chased Met starter Tom Hausman with another pair in the third. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, New York Mets 3
Game Played on Thursday, July      27, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Mets         0  0  0    2  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  2  1
Astros       3  1  2    1  0  0    1  0  x  -   8 13  0


Mets                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Maddox rf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .268      Puhl cf               3   1   1   1     1   0   .292
Foli ss               4   0   1   0     0   0   .248      Bergman lf            4   3   3   1     0   0   .232
S. Henderson lf       4   1   0   0     0   1   .266      Cabell 3b             4   2   3   2     0   0   .296
Montanez 1b           4   1   1   2     0   0   .271      Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .287
Stearns c             2   0   0   0     2   1   .271      Watson 1b             3   0   2   2     0   1   .288
Mazzilli cf           2   1   0   0     2   1   .267      Howe 2b               3   0   0   1     0   0   .286
Randle 3b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .228        Gonzalez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .236
Flynn 2b              2   0   0   0     1   1   .248      Pujols c              4   0   1   0     0   1   .149
Hausman p             1   0   0   0     0   1   .400      Fischlin ss           3   1   1   0     0   0   .143
  Bruhert p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .095      Richard p             4   0   0   0     0   2   .147
  Boisclair ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .239
  Bernard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kranepool ph        1   0   0   0     0   1   .233
  Murray p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               28   3   2   2     5   9             Totals               32   8  13   7     1   4

Time of Game: 2:21   Attendance:  9,730
Left on Base: Mets 3, Astros 5
DP: Mets 0, Astros 1
Errors: Hausman
Doubles: Bergman (2)
Triples: Puhl (6), Bergman (1)
Home Runs: Montanez (14)
Stolen Bases: Stearns (14)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (10)
Sacrifice Hits: Fischlin (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Howe (4), Puhl (4), Watson (10)
GIDP: Randle (4)


Mets                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hausman L(2-1)          2     8   6   5   0   0   0  14   6.41
Bruhert                 2     2   1   1   0   0   0   8   5.06
Bernard                 2     0   0   0   1   3   0   6   2.51
Murray                  2     3   1   1   0   1   0   9   4.35
Totals                  8    13   8   7   1   4   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(10-9)         9     2   3   3   5   9   1  33   3.05
Totals                  9     2   3   3   5   9   1  33

Wild Pitches: Richard 3 (13)
Balks: Hausman (1)

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


METS 1ST: Maddox was called out on strikes; Foli lined to
shortstop; S. Henderson struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl tripled to right; Bergman tripled to left [Puhl
scored]; Cabell singled to center [Bergman scored]; Cruz
grounded out (second to first) [Cabell to second]; Watson
singled to right [Cabell to third]; Howe hit a sacrifice fly to
right [Cabell scored]; Pujols forced Watson (shortstop to
second); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 3.

METS 2ND: Montanez grounded out (shortstop to first); Stearns
walked; Stearns stole second; Mazzilli struck out; Randle flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 2ND: On a bunt Fischlin singled to pitcher [Fischlin to
third (error by Hausman)]; Richard popped to second; Puhl hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Fischlin scored (unearned)]; Bergman
flied out to right; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0, Astros
4.

METS 3RD: Flynn grounded out (shortstop to first); Hausman
struck out; Maddox struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 0,
Astros 4.

ASTROS 3RD: Cabell singled to left; Cruz singled to right
[Cabell to third]; Hausman balked [Cabell scored, Cruz to
second]; Watson singled to right [Cruz scored, Watson to second
(on throw to home)]; BRUHERT REPLACED HAUSMAN (PITCHING); Howe
lined to third; Pujols grounded out (second to first) [Watson to
third]; Fischlin grounded out (third to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Mets 0, Astros 6.

METS 4TH: Foli singled to left; S. Henderson forced Foli
(shortstop to second); Montanez homered [S. Henderson scored];
Stearns walked; Mazzilli walked [Stearns to second]; Randle
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Mazzilli out at second]; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros
6.

ASTROS 4TH: Richard grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
grounded out (second to first); Bergman doubled to right; Cabell
singled to right [Bergman scored]; Cruz made an out to third; 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 7.

METS 5TH: Flynn struck out; BOISCLAIR BATTED FOR BRUHERT;
Boisclair struck out; Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 7.

ASTROS 5TH: BERNARD REPLACED BOISCLAIR (PITCHING); Watson struck
out; Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Pujols struck out;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 7.

METS 6TH: Foli grounded out (shortstop to first); S. Henderson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Montanez popped to shortstop;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Fischlin made an out to shortstop; Richard struck
out; Puhl walked; Puhl was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets 2, Astros 7.

METS 7TH: Stearns struck out; Mazzilli walked; Randle flied out
to right; Flynn walked [Mazzilli to second]; KRANEPOOL BATTED
FOR BERNARD; Richard threw a wild pitch [Mazzilli to third];
Richard threw a wild pitch [Mazzilli scored]; Richard threw a
wild pitch [Flynn to second]; Kranepool struck out; 1 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 7.

ASTROS 7TH: MURRAY REPLACED KRANEPOOL (PITCHING); Bergman
singled to center; Cabell grounded out (shortstop to second to
first) [Bergman to second]; 2B umpire Joe West ruled that
Doug Flynn was off the bag when he caught the throw at 2B; Mets
Manager Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine ejected by West; Cruz
singled to left [Bergman to third]; Watson hit a sacrifice fly
to right [Bergman scored]; Howe forced Cruz (second to
shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 8.

METS 8TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); Maddox flied out
to left; Foli grounded out (third to first); S. Henderson
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Mets
3, Astros 8.

ASTROS 8TH: Pujols singled to left; Fischlin out on a sacrifice
bunt (third to first) [Pujols to second]; Richard was called out
on strikes; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 8.

METS 9TH: Montanez flied out to center; Stearns flied out to
center; Mazzilli grounded out (second to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Mets 3, Astros 8.