With all runs being unearned, the Astros blanked the Cubs, 3-0, behind the combined pitching of Ken Forsch and Joe Sambito. Forsch made his first start in more than a year. In the opening frame, leadoff batter Terry Puhl reached first on an error by second baseman Manny Trillo, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored when shortstop Ivan DeJesus' throw home on an infield grounder was dropped by catcher Tim Blackwell.

In the seventh, first baseman Bill Buckner failed to touch first on a routine grounder by Denny Walling leading to another run, and in the eighth a throwing error by DeJesus resulted in the final Astro run. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Chicago Cubs 0
Game Played on Wednesday, August    23, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Cubs         0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  6  4
Astros       1  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  x  -   3  6  1


Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
De Jesus ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Puhl cf               4   1   0   0     0   0   .290
Gross cf              2   0   0   0     1   0   .261      Gonzalez 2b           4   0   0   0     0   0   .232
  Vail ph,rf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .299      Cabell 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .287
Buckner 1b            4   0   2   0     0   1   .303      Cruz rf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .300
Murcer rf,cf          4   0   0   0     0   2   .273      Howe 3b               4   0   0   1     0   0   .289
Kingman lf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .237      Walling lf            4   1   0   0     0   0   .231
Trillo 2b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .259      Sexton ss             2   0   0   0     0   0   .183
Scott 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .286      Bochy c               3   0   2   1     0   0   .265
Blackwell c           3   0   1   0     0   0   .237      Forsch p              1   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Lamp p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .196        Howard ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .252
  Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Moore p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .263
  McGlothen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .083

Totals               30   0   6   0     2   6             Totals               31   3   6   2     0   0

Time of Game: 2:06   Attendance:  9,217
Left on Base: Cubs 6, Astros 6
DP: Cubs 2, Astros 1
Errors: De Jesus, Buckner, Trillo, Blackwell, Walling
Doubles: Blackwell (3)
Stolen Bases: Scott (19), Puhl (23), Cabell 2 (28)
Sacrifice Hits: Lamp (2), Forsch (1), Sexton (1)
GIDP: Vail (5), Puhl (10)


Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lamp L(5-13)            6.1   6   2   0   0   0   0  27   3.19
Hernandez               0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4.05
Moore                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.72
McGlothen               1     0   1   0   0   0   0   4   3.57
Totals                  8     6   3   0   0   0   0  33

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(7-4)           7     4   0   0   2   5   0  26   2.91
Sambito SV(9)           2     2   0   0   0   1   0   7   2.54
Totals                  9     6   0   0   2   6   0  33

Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Dutch Rennert, 2B - Lee Weyer, 3B - Ed Montague


CUBS 1ST: De Jesus flied out to right; Gross grounded out (third
to first); Buckner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl reached on an error by Trillo [Puhl to first];
Gonzalez grounded out (third to first) [Puhl to second]; Puhl
stole third; Cabell reached on a fielder's choice [Puhl scored
(error by Blackwell; assist by De Jesus) (unearned)]; Cruz
popped to first; Howe grounded out (second to first); 1 R (0
ER), 0 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 2ND: Murcer flied out to center; Kingman singled to left
[Kingman out at third (error by Walling) (left to third)];
Trillo walked; Scott grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling grounded out (second to first); Sexton
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bochy flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 3RD: Blackwell doubled to left; Lamp out on a sacrifice
bunt (catcher to second) [Blackwell to third]; De Jesus struck
out; Gross walked; Buckner flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch singled to center; Puhl grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Forsch out at
second]; Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 4TH: Murcer struck out; Kingman struck out; Trillo grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to center; Cabell stole second; Cruz
singled to right [Cabell to third]; Howe popped to second;
Walling reached on a fielder's choice [Cabell out at home (first
to catcher), Cruz to second]; Sexton forced Walling (shortstop
to second); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 5TH: Scott popped to third in foul territory; Blackwell
grounded out (first to pitcher); Lamp grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Bochy singled to right; Forsch reached on a
fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt [Bochy to second]; Puhl
lined into a double play (second to shortstop) [Bochy out at
second]; Gonzalez forced Forsch (shortstop to second); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 6TH: De Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross
lined to center; Buckner singled to first; Murcer popped to
third in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded
out (first unassisted); Howe grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

CUBS 7TH: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Trillo was
called out on strikes; Scott singled to center; Scott stole
second; Blackwell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling reached on an error by Buckner [Walling to
first]; Sexton out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to second)
[Walling to second]; Bochy singled to center [Walling scored
(unearned)]; HOWARD BATTED FOR FORSCH; Howard singled to center
[Bochy to third]; HERNANDEZ REPLACED LAMP (PITCHING); Puhl
popped to first in foul territory; MOORE REPLACED HERNANDEZ
(PITCHING); Gonzalez forced Howard (shortstop to second); 1 R (0
ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 2.

CUBS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); CLINES BATTED FOR
MOORE; Clines flied out to right; De Jesus singled to left; VAIL
BATTED FOR GROSS; Vail grounded into a double play (shortstop to
second to first) [De Jesus out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Cubs 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: VAIL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); MURCER CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); MCGLOTHEN REPLACED CLINES (PITCHING);
Cabell reached on an error by De Jesus [Cabell to first]; Cabell
stole second; Cruz flied out to left; Howe grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Walling lined
to right; 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 3.

CUBS 9TH: Buckner singled to center; Murcer struck out; Kingman
popped to third in foul territory; Trillo lined to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Cubs 0, Astros 3.