The Pirates' 10-game winning streak, longest in N.L. this season, came to an end with a 7-5 loss to the Astros. The Pirates held a 3-2 lead before Jimmy Sexton, batting only .183, tied the score with his second career homer in the fourth inning.

The Astros broke the deadlock in the next inning when Enos Cabell drove in two runs with a triple and scored himself on a sacrifice fly by Art Howe. Joaquin Andujar, who normally starts for the Astros, came out of the bullpen in the ninth and saved the game after the Pirates had scored on a triple by Phil Garner and single by Dale Berra. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 5

Game Played on Friday, August 25, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome

Pirates      0  0  3    0  0  1    0  0  1  -   5 11  2
Astros       2  0  0    1  3  1    0  0  x  -   7 10  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   1   1   0     0   1   .280      Puhl cf               2   1   1   0     3   0   .291
Moreno cf             3   1   1   0     2   1   .229      Gonzalez 2b           4   1   1   1     0   0   .233
Parker rf             5   1   2   2     0   2   .309      Cabell 1b             4   2   2   2     0   0   .289
Stargell 1b           5   0   0   0     0   2   .279      Howe 3b               2   1   1   1     1   0   .290
Ott c                 4   1   2   0     0   1   .262      Alou lf               3   0   1   1     0   0   .339
Milner lf             4   0   2   1     0   1   .293        Walling lf          1   0   0   0     0   0   .229
Garner 2b             4   1   2   0     0   0   .265      Cruz rf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .302
Berra 3b              4   0   1   1     0   2   .155      Sexton ss             4   1   1   1     0   2   .185
Rooker p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .184      Pujols c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .120
  Sanguillen ph       1   0   0   0     0   1   .248      Niekro p              2   0   0   0     0   2   .184
  Whitson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .222        Howard ph           0   1   0   0     0   0   .252
  B. Robinson ph      0   0   0   0     1   0   .242        Sambito p           1   0   1   0     0   0   .167
                                                            Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130

Totals               36   5  11   4     3  13             Totals               31   7  10   7     4   5

Time of Game: 2:51   Attendance: 11,641
Left on Base: Pirates 8, Astros 7
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 0
Errors: Moreno, Garner
Doubles: Parker (22), Milner (15)
Triples: Ott (3), Garner (8), Cabell (5)
Home Runs: Sexton (2)
Stolen Bases: Howard (6), Cruz (26)
Caught Stealing: Moreno (15), Puhl (12)
Sacrifice Hits: Taveras (8), Gonzalez (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Howe (5)
Hit by Pitch: Howard (3,by Whitson)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rooker L(8-9)           5     7   6   4   2   2   1  24   4.49
Whitson                 3     3   1   1   2   3   0  14   2.88
Totals                  8    10   7   5   4   5   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(11-10)         6     9   4   4   1   7   0  27   4.27
Sambito                 2     2   1   1   1   5   0   9   2.59
Andujar SV(1)           1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   2.96
Totals                  9    11   5   5   3  13   0  40

Passed Balls: Pujols (10)
Hit by Pitch: Whitson (2)
Wild Pitches: Whitson (1)

Umpires: HP - Murray Strey, 1B - Jim Rains, 2B - Howard Hansen, 3B - Bob Schroeder


PIRATES 1ST: ump1b,rainj901 ump2b,hansh901 ump3b,schrb901
timeofgame,171 attendance,11641 substitute umpires worked due to
a one-day strike by the staff umpires; Debut for umpires Murray
Strey, Bob Schroeder, Jim Rains and Howard Hansen; Taveras
struck out; Moreno singled to center; Parker singled to pitcher
[Moreno to second]; Moreno was caught stealing third (catcher to
third) [Parker to second]; Stargell struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to center; Gonzalez flied out to
left; Cabell singled to center; Howe walked [Cabell to second];
Alou singled to center [Cabell scored, Howe to third (error by
Moreno)]; Cruz singled to second [Howe scored (unearned), Alou
to second]; Sexton popped to shortstop; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 1 E, 2
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 2.

PIRATES 2ND: Ott grounded out (second to first); Milner singled
to right; Garner singled to left [Milner to second]; Berra
struck out; Rooker struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 2ND: Pujols grounded out (shortstop to first); Niekro
struck out; Puhl singled to center; Puhl was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Astros 2.

PIRATES 3RD: Taveras singled to shortstop; Moreno walked
[Taveras to second]; Parker doubled to right [Taveras scored,
Moreno scored]; Stargell flied out to center; Ott singled to
right [Parker to third]; Pujols allowed a passed ball [Parker
scored, Ott to second]; Milner flied out to center [Ott to
third]; Garner grounded out (third to first); 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez flied out to right; Cabell flied out to
left; Howe singled to left; Alou flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 2.

PIRATES 4TH: Berra made an out to catcher; Rooker struck out;
Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Pirates 3, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); Sexton
homered; Pujols flied out to left; Niekro struck out; 1 R, 1 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 3.

PIRATES 5TH: Moreno flied out to right; Parker lined to
shortstop; Stargell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl walked; Gonzalez reached on an error by Garner
on a sacrifice bunt [Puhl to second, Gonzalez to first]; Cabell
tripled to left [Puhl scored, Gonzalez scored (unearned)]; Howe
hit a sacrifice fly to right [Cabell scored]; Alou grounded out
(pitcher unassisted); Cruz grounded out (first unassisted); 3 R
(2 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros 6.

PIRATES 6TH: WALLING REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING LF); Ott tripled to
center; Milner doubled to right [Ott scored]; Garner grounded
out (second to first) [Milner to third]; Berra struck out
(catcher to first); SANGUILLEN BATTED FOR ROOKER; Sanguillen
struck out (catcher to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4,
Astros 6.

ASTROS 6TH: WHITSON REPLACED SANGUILLEN (PITCHING); Sexton
struck out; Pujols flied out to right; HOWARD BATTED FOR NIEKRO;
Howard was hit by a pitch; Howard stole second; Puhl was walked
intentionally; Gonzalez singled to right [Howard scored, Puhl to
second]; Cabell popped to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
4, Astros 7.

PIRATES 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Taveras popped
to second; Moreno struck out; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Walling
flied out to right; Cruz singled to left; Cruz stole second;
Sexton struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 7.

PIRATES 8TH: Stargell struck out; Ott was called out on strikes;
Milner struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: Pujols struck out; Sambito singled to center;
Whitson threw a wild pitch [Sambito to second]; Puhl was walked
intentionally; Gonzalez lined into a double play (shortstop to
second) [Sambito out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates
4, Astros 7.

PIRATES 9TH: Garner tripled to right; Berra singled to center
[Garner scored]; B. ROBINSON BATTED FOR WHITSON; B. Robinson
walked [Berra to second]; ANDUJAR REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING);
Taveras out on a sacrifice bunt (third to second) [Berra to
third, B. Robinson to second]; Moreno walked; Parker was called
out on strikes; Stargell popped to first in foul territory; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 7.

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