Scoring three runs in the third inning, the Astros downed the Cardinals, 4-2. Terry Puhl led off the third with a single, took second on an errant pickoff attempt, stole third and counted on a ground out by Enos Cabell. Jose Cruz singled, stole second and tallied on a double by Bob Watson. A single by Art Howe plated Watson.

Watson pulled a hamstring rounding third, limped toward the plate and collapsed as he scored. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and was expected to be lost to the team for at least three weeks. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Game Played on Wednesday, August    16, 1978 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  0  3    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   4  9  0
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  2  0  -   2  6  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   1   2   0     1   0   .299      Brock lf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .218
Gonzalez ss           5   0   1   0     0   1   .241      Templeton ss          4   0   1   0     0   2   .282
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   1     1   0   .285      Hendrick cf           3   1   1   2     1   1   .274
Cruz rf               4   2   2   0     0   1   .300      Simmons c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Watson 1b             2   1   1   1     0   0   .296        Swisher c           1   0   0   0     0   1   .296
  Walling lf          1   0   1   0     1   0   .231      Hernandez 1b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .255
Howe 2b               4   0   2   2     0   0   .288      Mumphrey rf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .240
Bergman lf,1b         2   0   0   0     2   0   .245      Reitz 3b              4   0   1   0     0   1   .233
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     1   0   .130      Phillips 2b           3   0   1   0     0   0   .272
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   1   .200        Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
                                                          Martinez p            1   0   0   0     0   0   .152
                                                            Scott ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .236
                                                            Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Tyson 2b            1   0   0   0     0   0   .244

Totals               33   4   9   4     6   3             Totals               33   2   6   2     1   5

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 10,829
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cardinals 5
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 2
Errors: Martinez
Doubles: Puhl (21), Watson (25), Walling (5)
Home Runs: Hendrick (14)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (22), Cruz 3 (24), Mumphrey (11)
GIDP: Watson (14), Niekro (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(10-9)          9     6   2   2   1   5   1  34   4.18
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   5   1  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Martinez L(6-6)         5     6   3   3   3   3   0  21   3.07
Bruno                   2.1   3   1   1   2   0   0  12   1.20
Schultz                 1.2   0   0   0   1   0   0   6   3.59
Totals                  9     9   4   4   6   3   0  39

Passed Balls: Pujols (8)

Umpires: HP - Jim Quick, 1B - Jerry Crawford, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Andy Olsen


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl doubled to center; Gonzalez singled to right
[Puhl to third]; Cabell walked [Gonzalez to second]; Cruz struck
out; Watson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Brock grounded out (first to pitcher); Templeton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Hendrick popped to third; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe popped to shortstop; Bergman walked; Pujols
walked [Bergman to second]; On a bunt Niekro grounded into a
double play (first to shortstop to second) [Pujols out at
second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons flied out to center; Hernandez grounded
out (first to pitcher); On a bunt Mumphrey singled to third;
Mumphrey stole second; Reitz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl singled to left; Puhl was picked off first but
was safe on an error by Martinez [Puhl to second]; Puhl stole
third; Gonzalez grounded out (third to first); Cabell grounded
out (shortstop to first) [Puhl scored]; Cruz singled to right;
Cruz stole second; Watson doubled to left [Cruz scored]; Howe
singled to left [Watson scored, Howe out at second (left to
third to second)]; Bob Watson pulled hamstring, limped from
3B, collapsed on the plate and removed on a stretcher; 3 R,
4 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: WALLING REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING LF); BERGMAN
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Phillips flied out to right;
Martinez lined to third; Brock grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Bergman flied out to left; Pujols popped to first in
foul territory; Niekro struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 4TH: Templeton struck out; Hendrick struck out
(catcher to first); Simmons flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez struck
out; Cabell flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Hernandez grounded out (second to first);
Mumphrey grounded out (second to first); Reitz singled to left;
Phillips singled to center [Reitz to second]; SCOTT BATTED FOR
MARTINEZ; Scott grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 6TH: BRUNO REPLACED SCOTT (PITCHING); Cruz popped to
third; Walling doubled to right; Howe grounded out (shortstop to
first); Bergman was walked intentionally; Pujols forced Walling
(third unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Brock flied out to center; Templeton singled to
center; Hendrick walked [Templeton to second]; Simmons grounded
out (first to second to pitcher) [Templeton to third, Hendrick
to second]; Hernandez grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

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

CARDINALS 7TH: Mumphrey lined to second; Reitz popped to first
in foul territory; Phillips grounded out (second to first);
Ted Simmons ejected by HP umpire Jim Quick; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 3, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 8TH: SWISHER REPLACED SIMMONS (PLAYING C ); Cabell popped
to second; Cruz singled to first; Cruz stole second; Cruz stole
third; Walling walked; Howe singled to shortstop [Cruz scored,
Walling to second]; TYSON REPLACED BRUNO (PLAYING 2B); SCHULTZ
REPLACED PHILLIPS (PITCHING); Bergman forced Howe (second to
shortstop) [Walling to third]; Pujols popped to third in foul
territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 8TH: Tyson popped to third; Brock singled to left;
Pujols allowed a passed ball [Brock to second]; Templeton struck
out; Hendrick homered [Brock scored]; Swisher struck out; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Niekro flied out to right; Puhl walked; Gonzalez
forced Puhl (shortstop to second); Cabell forced Gonzalez
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 9TH: Hernandez popped to catcher in foul territory;
Mumphrey flied out to left; Reitz struck out (catcher to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 2.