Handed a seven-run lead in the first two innings, J.R. Richard had no trouble pitching the Astros to a 7-2 victory over the Pirates. The complete game was the 12th of the season for Richard, who struck out eight to bring his major league-leading total to 244.

The Pirates brought about their downfall in the first inning with three errors that resulted in five unearned runs. Bruce Bochy knocked in a pair with a double. When the Astros completed their scoring in the second, one run crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Bruce Kison. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

Game Played on Saturday, August 26, 1978 (Day game) at Astrodome

Pirates      0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  6  4
Astros       5  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  x  -   7  8  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Taveras ss            4   0   0   0     0   1   .278      Puhl cf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .291
Moreno cf             4   1   2   0     0   0   .232      Bergman 1b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .250
Parker rf             4   0   1   1     0   2   .309      Cabell 3b             4   2   1   1     0   0   .289
Milner 1b             3   1   0   0     1   0   .289      Cruz rf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .301
Ott c                 4   0   2   0     0   1   .266      Howe 2b               3   1   2   1     1   0   .293
B. Robinson lf        3   0   1   1     0   1   .243      Walling lf            4   1   1   1     0   1   .230
Garner 2b             3   0   0   0     0   2   .263      Gonzalez ss           0   1   0   0     0   0   .233
Berra 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .149        Sexton ss           3   0   0   0     0   0   .181
Kison p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .059      Bochy c               3   0   1   2     0   0   .268
  Hamilton p          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Richard p             3   0   0   0     0   2   .157
  Candelaria ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .136
  Bibby p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Sanguillen ph       1   0   0   0     0   0   .246
  Reuss p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .176

Totals               31   2   6   2     1   8             Totals               32   7   8   5     1   4

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance:  9,985
Left on Base: Pirates 3, Astros 3
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 2
Errors: Taveras 2, Parker, Ott, Howe
Doubles: Bergman (5), Bochy (4)
Triples: Moreno (6)
Stolen Bases: Moreno (54), Puhl (24), Cruz (27)
Caught Stealing: Howe (3)
GIDP: B. Robinson (6), Milner (3)
Hit by Pitch: Gonzalez (1,by Kison)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kison L(4-5)            1.1   7   7   2   1   2   0  14   3.80
Hamilton                3.2   1   0   0   0   2   0  11   4.58
Bibby                   2     0   0   0   0   0   0   6   3.94
Reuss                   1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   5.74
Totals                  8     8   7   2   1   4   0  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(14-11)        9     6   2   2   1   8   0  32   2.99
Totals                  9     6   2   2   1   8   0  32

Hit by Pitch: Kison (5)
Wild Pitches: Kison 2 (3)

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Ed Vargo, 2B - Paul Pryor, 3B - Terry Tata


PIRATES 1ST: Taveras struck out (catcher to first); Moreno
grounded out (second to first); Parker flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Bergman doubled
to left; Cabell reached on an error by Taveras [Bergman stayed
at second, Cabell to first]; Cruz struck out; Howe singled to
right [Bergman scored (unearned), Cabell scored (error by
Parker) (unearned) (no RBI), Howe to second]; Walling singled to
left [Howe scored (unearned), Walling to third (error by Ott)];
Gonzalez was hit by a pitch; Kison threw a wild pitch [Gonzalez
to second]; Bochy doubled to right [Walling scored (unearned),
Gonzalez scored (unearned)]; Richard struck out; 5 R (0 ER), 4
H, 3 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 5.

PIRATES 2ND: Milner flied out to right; Ott singled to center;
B. Robinson grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to
first) [Ott out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Astros 5.

ASTROS 2ND: Puhl singled to right; Puhl stole second; Bergman
grounded out (first unassisted) [Puhl to third]; Cabell singled
to center [Puhl scored]; Cruz singled to center [Cabell to third
(error by Taveras)]; Frank Taveras called for
obstructiuon; Kison threw a wild pitch [Cabell scored]; Cruz
stole second; Howe walked; HAMILTON REPLACED KISON (PITCHING);
Walling struck out while Howe was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros
7.

PIRATES 3RD: SEXTON REPLACED GONZALEZ (PLAYING SS); Garner
struck out; Berra flied out to center; Hamilton struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 7.

ASTROS 3RD: Sexton grounded out (third to first); Bochy flied
out to right; Richard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 7.

PIRATES 4TH: Taveras grounded out (shortstop to first); Moreno
singled to center; Moreno stole second; Parker struck out;
Milner grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 7.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl flied out to center; Bergman lined to
shortstop; Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 7.

PIRATES 5TH: Ott struck out; B. Robinson struck out (catcher to
first); Garner grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 7.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz flied out to center; Howe singled to left;
Walling flied out to center; Sexton flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 7.

PIRATES 6TH: Berra flied out to left; CANDELARIA BATTED FOR
HAMILTON; Candelaria grounded out (third to first); Taveras
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
0, Astros 7.

ASTROS 6TH: BIBBY REPLACED CANDELARIA (PITCHING); Bochy grounded
out (third to first); Richard grounded out (second to first);
Puhl popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Astros 7.

PIRATES 7TH: Moreno grounded out (second to first); Parker
struck out; Milner walked; Ott singled to right [Milner to
third]; B. Robinson singled to second [Milner scored, Ott to
third (error by Howe)]; Garner struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.
 Pirates 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 7TH: Bergman grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 7.

PIRATES 8TH: Berra flied out to left; SANGUILLEN BATTED FOR
BIBBY; Sanguillen popped to second; Taveras made an out to
pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 7.

ASTROS 8TH: REUSS REPLACED SANGUILLEN (PITCHING); Howe flied out
to left; Walling grounded out (second to first); Sexton grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 7.

PIRATES 9TH: Moreno tripled to center; Parker singled to right
[Moreno scored]; Milner grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Parker out at second]; Ott grounded out
(first to pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 2, Astros 7.

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