J.R. Richard struck out 13 batters for his season high and raised his major league-leading total to 229 while pitching the Astros to a 5-2 victory over the Braves. Richard, who yielded four hits, got off to a shaky start, giving up two runs on a double by Jerry Royster, single by Gary Matthews and triple by Jeff Burroughs in the first inning. The Astros came back to decide the game with four runs in the third on singles by Terry Puhl, Julio Gonzalez and Enos Cabell, a triple by Bob Watson and single by Art Howe. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Atlanta Braves 2
Game Played on Saturday, August    12, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Braves       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  4  1
Astros       0  0  4    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   5 12  1


Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Royster ss            4   1   1   0     0   2   .272      Puhl cf               3   1   1   1     0   0   .294
Office cf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .252      Gonzalez ss,2b        4   1   1   0     0   0   .235
Matthews rf           2   1   1   1     2   1   .285      Cabell 3b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .288
Burroughs lf          4   0   1   1     0   1   .316      Cruz rf               4   0   2   0     0   2   .303
Horner 3b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .266      Watson 1b             4   1   1   2     0   1   .294
Nolan c               3   0   1   0     1   0   .221        Walling lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .227
Murphy 1b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .241      Howe 2b               3   0   1   1     0   1   .283
Gilbreath 2b          4   0   0   0     0   3   .250        Fischlin ss         1   0   0   0     0   0   .123
Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Bergman lf,1b         3   1   2   0     1   1   .254
  Beall ph            0   0   0   0     1   0   .231      Bochy c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .256
  Easterly p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Richard p             4   0   1   0     0   0   .158

Totals               31   2   4   2     4  13             Totals               34   5  12   5     1   5

Time of Game: 2:00   Attendance: 25,023
Left on Base: Braves 6, Astros 7
DP: Braves 1, Astros 0
Errors: Niekro, Bochy
Doubles: Royster (14), Bochy (2)
Triples: Burroughs (5), Cruz (6), Watson (4)
Stolen Bases: Matthews (6), Cruz (20)
Sacrifice Flies: Puhl (5)
GIDP: Bochy (4)


Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(14-12)         7    11   5   5   1   5   0  33   3.00
Easterly                1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   6.31
Totals                  8    12   5   5   1   5   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(12-10)        9     4   2   2   4  13   0  35   2.94
Totals                  9     4   2   2   4  13   0  35

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


BRAVES 1ST: Royster doubled; Office grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Royster to third]; Matthews singled [Royster scored];
Matthews stole second [Matthews to third (error by Bochy)];
Burroughs tripled [Matthews scored]; Horner made an out to
shortstop; Nolan flied out to right; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); Cabell grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy grounded out (pitcher to first); Gilbreath
struck out; Niekro grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz tripled; Watson struck out; Howe struck out;
Bergman walked; Bochy flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Braves 2, Astros 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Royster made an out to shortstop; Office struck out;
Matthews struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Richard flied out to center; Puhl singled; Puhl was
picked off first but was safe on an error by Niekro [Puhl to
second]; Gonzalez singled [Puhl to third]; Cabell singled [Puhl
scored, Gonzalez to second]; Cruz struck out; Watson tripled
[Gonzalez scored, Cabell scored]; Howe singled [Watson scored];
Bergman struck out; 4 R, 5 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 4.

BRAVES 4TH: Burroughs flied out to right; Horner struck out;
Nolan grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Bochy doubled; Richard flied out to left; Puhl flied
out to left; Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 4.

BRAVES 5TH: Murphy flied out to left; Gilbreath struck out;
Niekro grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell flied out to center; Cruz struck out; Watson
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 4.

BRAVES 6TH: Royster struck out; Office struck out; Matthews
walked; Burroughs flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Braves 2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe grounded out (third to first); Bergman singled;
Bochy singled [Bergman to second]; Richard singled [Bergman to
third, Bochy to second]; Puhl hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Bergman scored]; Gonzalez flied out to left; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 5.

BRAVES 7TH: FISCHLIN REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING SS); GONZALEZ
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Horner flied out to center;
Nolan walked; Murphy struck out; Gilbreath struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled; Cruz stole second; Watson flied out to center [Cruz to
third]; Fischlin grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 5.

BRAVES 8TH: WALLING REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); BEALL BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Beall
walked; Royster struck out; Office made an out to shortstop;
Matthews walked [Beall to second]; Burroughs struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: EASTERLY REPLACED BEALL (PITCHING); Bergman singled;
Bochy grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Bergman out at second]; Richard grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Braves 2, Astros 5.

BRAVES 9TH: Horner struck out; Nolan singled; Murphy struck out;
Gilbreath made an out to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Braves 2,
Astros 5.