A two-hitter by Joe Niekro carried the Astros to their seventh straight victory, a 4-1 triumph over the Giants. The Astros broke the scoreless tie in the fifth on singles by Bob Watson and Julio Gonzalez, a double steal and a two-run single by Dave Bergman. Jose Cruz had an RBI single in the sixth and Gonzalez a run-scoring single in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Francisco Giants 1
Game Played on Monday, July      31, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  2  0
Astros       0  0  0    0  2  1    0  1  x  -   4  8  0


Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Madlock 2b            3   0   0   1     0   0   .303      Landestoy ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .286
Whitfield lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .307      Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .292
  Dwyer pr,lf         3   0   0   0     0   0   .218      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .294
Clark rf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .308      Cruz rf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .291
Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .257      Watson 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .290
Ivie 1b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .311        Walling lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .226
Herndon cf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .290      Howe 2b               0   0   0   0     0   0   .283
Metzger ss            3   1   1   0     0   0   .269        Gonzalez 2b         4   1   2   1     0   0   .246
Hill c                1   0   0   0     2   0   .240      Bergman lf,1b         3   0   1   2     1   0   .240
Halicki p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .086      Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   2   .143
  McCovey ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .225      Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Minton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               27   1   2   1     2   1             Totals               32   4   8   4     2   2

Time of Game: 2:08   Attendance: 12,900
Left on Base: Giants 4, Astros 6
DP: Giants 0, Astros 0
Doubles: Cabell (20), Cruz (19)
Stolen Bases: Watson (3), Gonzalez 2 (2), Cruz (18)
Sacrifice Hits: Halicki (7)
Sacrifice Flies: Madlock (2)
Hit by Pitch: Whitfield (2,by Niekro)


Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Halicki L(5-5)          7     6   3   3   2   2   0  29   3.03
Minton                  1     2   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.86
Totals                  8     8   4   4   2   2   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(8-8)           9     2   1   1   2   1   0  32   4.55
Totals                  9     2   1   1   2   1   0  32

Passed Balls: Pujols (6)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro (6)
Balks: Halicki (3)

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


GIANTS 1ST: Madlock grounded out (third to first); Whitfield was
hit by a pitch; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Whitfield to
second]; Terry Whitfield and Art Howe colide at 2B with both
suffering lacerations to forehead & Howe with loose teeth and
fractured jaw; GONZALEZ REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); DWYER
RAN FOR WHITFIELD; Clark flied out to left; Evans flied out to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: DWYER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Landestoy made an
out to shortstop; Puhl flied out to right; Cabell flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Ivie flied out to center; Herndon grounded out
(third to first); Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz made an out to shortstop; Watson flied out to
center; Gonzalez grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Hill walked; Halicki out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to second) [Hill to second]; Madlock flied out to left;
Dwyer popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
 Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Bergman flied out to center; Pujols flied to left in
foul territory; Niekro flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Clark struck out; Evans singled to center; Ivie made
an out to first; Herndon forced Evans (shortstop to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy singled to center; Puhl grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Landestoy to second]; Cabell flied out to
right; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0,
Astros 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Metzger grounded out (first to pitcher); Hill
grounded out (third to first); Halicki grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Watson singled to right; Gonzalez singled to right
[Watson to second]; Watson stole third and Gonzalez stole
second; Bergman singled [Watson scored, Gonzalez scored, Bergman
to second (on throw to home)]; Pujols struck out; Niekro flied
out to left; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

GIANTS 6TH: Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); Dwyer
grounded out (second to first); Clark grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl flied out to center; Cabell doubled to center;
Cruz singled [Cabell scored]; Cruz stole second; Watson was
walked intentionally; Gonzalez flied out to center; Halicki
balked [Cruz to third, Watson to second]; Bergman was walked
intentionally; Pujols struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Giants
0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 7TH: Evans grounded out (first to pitcher); Ivie flied
out to right; Herndon flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Giants 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Niekro grounded out (third to first); Landestoy
flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 0, Astros 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Metzger singled; Hill walked [Metzger to second];
MCCOVEY BATTED FOR HALICKI; McCovey flied out to center [Metzger
to third]; Madlock hit a sacrifice fly to center [Metzger
scored]; Dwyer flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Giants 1, Astros 3.

ASTROS 8TH: MINTON REPLACED MCCOVEY (PITCHING); Cabell grounded
out (third to first); Cruz doubled to left; Watson grounded out
(second to first) [Cruz to third]; Gonzalez singled to center
[Cruz scored]; Gonzalez stole second; Bergman flied out to
center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 4.

GIANTS 9TH: WALLING REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Clark flied out to center; Evans
flied out to right; Ivie grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Giants 1, Astros 4.