Vern Ruhle pitched a four-hit shutout for his first N. L. victory as the Astros swept a twi-night doubleheader with the Braves, 5-3 and 7-0. The opening-game decision went to Joe Niekro, who came out a winner when the Astros broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run double by Denny Walling in the sixth inning. Bob Watson and Dave Bergman singled and Luis Pujols walked before Walling delivered his decisive double as a pinch-hitter for Mike Fischlin.

In the nightcap, Ruhle singled for his first major league hit to deliver one of the Astros' three runs in the fifth inning. Jose Cruz belted a two-run homer in the sixth and Jimmy Sexton added a solo swat in the ninth. Ruhle formerly was with the Tigers in the A. L. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Saturday, August    5, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  3    1  0  0  -   5  6  0
Braves       1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   3  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   1   0   0     0   1   .290      Royster ss            3   0   0   1     1   0   .277
Gonzalez 2b           3   1   0   0     1   0   .257      Office cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .258
Cabell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   1   .288        Gaston ph           1   0   1   1     0   0   .216
Cruz rf               3   0   0   1     1   0   .293        Ruiz pr             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Watson 1b             3   1   2   1     1   0   .293        Easterly p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Bergman lf            4   1   2   0     0   1   .250        Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .235
Pujols c              3   1   0   0     1   3   .139      Matthews rf           3   1   0   0     1   1   .289
Fischlin ss           2   0   0   0     0   0   .128      Burroughs lf          3   0   1   1     1   0   .322
  Walling ph          1   0   1   3     0   0   .230      Horner 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .279
  Sexton ss           1   0   0   0     0   0   .160      Pocoroba c            4   1   1   0     0   0   .239
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .231      Murphy 1b             4   1   1   0     0   1   .243
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gilbreath 2b          3   0   2   0     1   0   .251
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .182      Hanna p               2   0   1   0     0   0   .190
                                                            Campbell p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Skok p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
                                                            Beall ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .236
                                                            Bonnell cf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .234

Totals               33   5   6   5     4   8             Totals               32   3   7   3     5   4

Time of Game: 2:48
Left on Base: Astros 7, Braves 8
DP: Astros 1, Braves 0
Errors: Murphy
Doubles: Walling (4), Burroughs (25)
Sacrifice Hits: Gonzalez (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Royster (2)
GIDP: Pocoroba (15)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (3,by Campbell)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(9-8)           6     5   3   3   4   0   0  26   4.55
Sambito                 0.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.03
Forsch SV(4)            2.1   1   0   0   1   3   0   9   2.93
Totals                  9     7   3   3   5   4   0  38

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hanna L(7-10)           5.2   5   4   4   3   6   0  26   4.88
Campbell                1     1   1   1   1   0   0   6   4.69
Skok                    0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   4.26
Easterly                2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   6.00
Totals                  9     6   5   5   4   8   0  39

Passed Balls: Pujols (7)
Hit by Pitch: Campbell (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
walked; Cabell singled [Gonzalez to third]; Cruz reached on an
error by Murphy [Gonzalez scored (RBI), Cabell to second, Cruz
to first]; Watson walked [Cabell to third, Cruz to second];
Bergman flied out to left; Pujols struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster flied out to center; Office grounded out
(second to first); Matthews walked; Burroughs doubled [Matthews
scored]; Horner grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Fischlin flied out to center; Niekro was called out
on strikes; Puhl was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 2ND: Pocoroba flied out to center; Murphy flied out to
center; Gilbreath singled; Hanna singled [Gilbreath to second];
Royster flied out to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1,
Braves 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); Cabell flied
out to right; Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 3RD: Office grounded out (second to first); Matthews
grounded out (shortstop to first); Burroughs flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson flied out to right; Bergman singled; Pujols
struck out; Fischlin grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 4TH: Horner walked; Pocoroba grounded into a double play
(pitcher to shortstop to first) [Horner out at second]; Murphy
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro struck out; Puhl grounded out (first to
pitcher); Gonzalez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 1.

BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath grounded out (third to first); Hanna flied
out to right; Royster walked; Office grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell struck out; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to
first); Watson singled; Bergman singled [Watson to second];
Pujols walked [Watson to third, Bergman to second]; WALLING
BATTED FOR FISCHLIN; Walling doubled [Watson scored, Bergman
scored, Pujols scored]; CAMPBELL REPLACED HANNA (PITCHING);
Niekro flied out to right; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 6TH: SEXTON REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING SS); Matthews flied
out to right; Burroughs grounded out (shortstop to first);
Horner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl was hit by a pitch; Gonzalez out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Puhl to second]; Cabell grounded out
(pitcher to first); Cruz was walked intentionally; Watson
singled [Puhl scored, Cruz to third]; SKOK REPLACED CAMPBELL
(PITCHING); Bergman struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: Pocoroba singled; Murphy singled [Pocoroba to
second]; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Pocoroba to third, Murphy
to second]; Gilbreath walked; BEALL BATTED FOR SKOK; SAMBITO
REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Beall was called out on strikes;
Royster hit a sacrifice fly to right [Pocoroba scored]; GASTON
BATTED FOR OFFICE; Gaston singled [Murphy scored, Gilbreath to
second]; RUIZ RAN FOR GASTON; FORSCH REPLACED SAMBITO
(PITCHING); Matthews struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
5, Braves 3.

ASTROS 8TH: EASTERLY REPLACED RUIZ (PITCHING); BONNELL REPLACED
BEALL (PLAYING CF); Pujols struck out (catcher to first); Sexton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Forsch grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 8TH: Burroughs walked; Horner flied out to center;
Pocoroba grounded out (second to shortstop to first) [Burroughs
to second]; Murphy struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Braves 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell grounded out (second
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Gilbreath singled; Bonnell made an out to third;
Royster made an out to first; NOLAN BATTED FOR EASTERLY; Nolan
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Braves 3.