The hitting and pitching of Don Robinson lifted the Pirates to a 5-3 victory over the Astros in the first game of a doubleheader and the Bucs completed the sweep by capturing the nightcap, 3-2. Robinson drove in a run with a single in the second inning of the opener and added another with a hit in the fourth frame after Phil Garner had tripled to score Ed Ott.

The Pirates trailed, 2-1, in the fourth inning of the second game when a rally began with Garner being hit by a pitch. Manny Sanguillen flied out, but second baseman Art Howe misplayed a grounder by Rennie Stennett. After a double steal, Garner and Stennett scored on a two-base hit by Steve Brye. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Houston Astros 1 (Game 1)
Game Played on Thursday, August    17, 1978 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  4  2
Pirates      1  1  0    2  0  0    0  1  x  -   5  7  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .297      Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Gonzalez ss           4   0   0   0     0   3   .233      Moreno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .230
Cabell 3b             4   1   2   0     0   1   .287      Parker rf             4   1   1   1     0   0   .305
Cruz rf               3   0   0   1     0   0   .298      Stargell 1b           3   0   0   0     1   0   .280
Howe 2b               4   0   0   0     0   2   .285      Ott lf                3   2   2   1     0   0   .248
Walling lf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Sanguillen c          4   0   0   0     0   1   .263
Bergman 1b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .246      Garner 3b             3   1   1   1     1   1   .258
Pujols c              2   0   1   0     1   0   .136      Stennett 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .249
Richard p             1   0   0   0     0   0   .156      D. Robinson p         3   0   2   2     0   0   .200
  Landestoy ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .244
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130

Totals               29   1   4   1     1   6             Totals               31   5   7   5     2   2

Time of Game: 2:12
Left on Base: Astros 4, Pirates 5
DP: Astros 0, Pirates 0
Errors: Gonzalez 2
Doubles: Cabell (23)
Triples: Moreno (4), Garner (6)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (26), Ott (3), Parker (13), Sanguillen (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Richard (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Cruz (3), Ott (3)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(12-11)        7     6   4   4   2   1   0  29   3.01
Andujar                 1     1   1   1   0   1   0   5   3.08
Totals                  8     7   5   5   2   2   0  34

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
D. Robinson W(9-5)      9     4   1   0   1   6   0  32   3.34
Totals                  9     4   1   0   1   6   0  32

Passed Balls: Pujols (9), Sanguillen (1)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez struck
out; Cabell doubled to right; Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Taveras flied out to center; Moreno tripled to
left; Parker grounded out (shortstop to first) [Moreno scored];
Stargell grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe popped to shortstop; Walling flied out to left;
Bergman grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Ott singled to left; Pujols allowed a passed ball
[Ott to second]; Sanguillen struck out; Garner walked; Stennett
popped to first in foul territory; D. Robinson singled to left
[Ott scored, Garner to third]; Taveras forced D. Robinson
(second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates
2.

ASTROS 3RD: Pujols walked; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Pujols to second]; Puhl grounded out (first
unassisted) [Pujols to third]; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Moreno flied out to left; Parker grounded out
(first unassisted); Stargell flied to left in foul territory; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to second; Cabell stole second;
Sanguillen allowed a passed ball [Cabell to third]; Cruz hit a
sacrifice fly to center [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Howe struck
out; Walling flied out to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Ott singled to left; Ott stole second; Sanguillen
made an out to shortstop; Garner tripled to center [Ott scored];
Stennett grounded out (pitcher to first); D. Robinson singled to
shortstop [Garner scored, D. Robinson to second (error by
Gonzalez)]; Taveras popped to right; 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 5TH: Bergman singled to left; Pujols singled to shortstop
[Bergman to second]; On a bunt Richard made an out to pitcher;
Puhl flied out to left; Gonzalez struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 5TH: Moreno flied out to center; Parker grounded out
(first to pitcher); Stargell walked; Ott grounded out (pitcher
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz flied out
to right; Howe was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 6TH: Sanguillen grounded out (pitcher to first); Garner
grounded out (shortstop to first); Stennett flied out to right;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling grounded out (first unassisted); Bergman
flied out to left; Pujols made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 7TH: D. Robinson grounded out (third to first); Taveras
grounded out (first to pitcher); Moreno flied out to center; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

ASTROS 8TH: LANDESTOY BATTED FOR RICHARD; Landestoy lined to
third; Puhl flied out to right; Gonzalez grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 4.

PIRATES 8TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Parker
singled to center; Parker stole second; Stargell flied out to
right [Parker to third]; Ott hit a sacrifice fly to left [Parker
scored]; Sanguillen reached on an error by Gonzalez [Sanguillen
to first]; Sanguillen stole second; Garner struck out; 1 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell struck out; Cruz grounded out (first to
pitcher); Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 5.