A two-out error by Ivan DeJesus enabled the Astros to finish off a seven-run rally in the ninth inning and defeat the Cubs, 8-5. The Astros started their outburst against Rick Reuschel with singles by Bob Watson and Denny Walling. Bruce Sutter relieved and got Wilbur Howard to force Watson. After Jesus Alou singled, Sutter retired Rafael Landestoy, but a wild pitch and single by Keith Drumright produced two runs.

Sutter gave up another single to Terry Puhl and left the mound in favor of Lynn McGlothen, who walked Jose Cruz to load the bases. Enos Cabell followed with a smash to DeJesus, and when the ball ricocheted off the shortstop's leg, two runs scored to put the Astros ahead. Watson and Walling continued the rally with their second singles of the inning to add the final two tallies. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 8, Chicago Cubs 5
Game Played on Saturday, September 2, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  7  -   8 16  5
Cubs         0  1  1    0  0  0    0  3  0  -   5  7  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          5   0   0   0     0   0   .259      Gross cf,lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .271
Drumright 2b          5   1   2   1     0   0   .444        Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Puhl cf               5   1   2   0     0   1   .290      Scott 3b              2   1   0   0     1   1   .278
Cruz rf               4   1   3   0     1   0   .308        Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .215
Cabell 3b             5   1   0   0     0   1   .286      Buckner 1b            4   1   2   2     0   0   .315
Watson 1b             5   2   3   1     0   1   .296      Kingman lf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .244
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .248        White cf            0   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Walling lf            5   0   3   1     0   0   .242      Murcer rf             2   1   1   0     2   0   .278
Bochy c               3   0   1   0     0   1   .264      Trillo 2b             3   0   0   1     0   0   .258
  Howard ph           2   1   0   1     0   0   .244      Rader c               3   0   1   1     0   0   .206
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Lemongello p          3   0   1   0     0   0   .158        McGlothen p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .083
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130      De Jesus ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .264
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .336      R. Reuschel p         3   1   1   0     0   0   .148
  Sexton pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .181        Sutter p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .077
  Pujols c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .118        Cox c               0   0   0   0     0   0   .269
                                                            Clines ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .262

Totals               43   8  16   4     1   4             Totals               31   5   7   5     3   4

Time of Game: 3:02   Attendance: 24,064
Left on Base: Astros 9, Cubs 6
DP: Astros 1, Cubs 0
Errors: Landestoy, Drumright, Puhl, Cruz, Bochy, De Jesus 2
Doubles: Walling (7), R. Reuschel (2), Gross (11)
Triples: Gross (7), Buckner (1)
Stolen Bases: Sexton (13), Cabell (29), Murcer (13)
Caught Stealing: Cruz 2 (8), Trillo (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Scott (6)
Sacrifice Flies: Rader (4), Trillo (6)
Hit by Pitch: De Jesus (2,by Lemongello)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lemongello              7     7   5   4   2   3   0  30   4.13
Andujar W(5-4)          1     0   0   0   1   0   0   4   3.23
Sambito SV(10)          1     0   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.84
Totals                  9     7   5   4   3   4   0  38

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
R. Reuschel             8    11   3   3   0   4   0  34   3.04
Sutter L(7-5)           0.2   3   3   1   0   0   0   5   2.74
Hernandez               0     0   1   0   1   0   0   1   3.96
McGlothen               0.1   2   1   0   0   0   0   4   3.50
Totals                  9    16   8   4   1   4   0  44

Hit by Pitch: Lemongello (8)
Wild Pitches: R. Reuschel (8), Sutter (6)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy flied out to center; Drumright grounded
out (second to first); Puhl grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Gross flied out to center; Scott struck out; Buckner
singled to center [Buckner to second (error by Puhl)]; Kingman
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to shortstop; Cruz was caught stealing
second but was safe at second (error by De Jesus; assist by
Rader); Cabell flied out to left; Watson grounded out (third to
first); Walling grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 1 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Murcer singled to center; Murcer stole second [Murcer
to third (error by Bochy)]; Trillo popped to second; Rader hit a
sacrifice fly to left [Murcer scored (unearned)]; De Jesus
popped to left; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Bochy singled to left; On a bunt Lemongello forced
Bochy (first to shortstop); Landestoy grounded out (first
unassisted) [Lemongello to second]; Drumright singled to left
[Lemongello to third]; Puhl was called out on strikes; 0 R, 2 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: R. Reuschel doubled to left; Gross tripled to center
[R. Reuschel scored]; Scott grounded out (second to first);
Buckner hit into a double play (left to catcher) [Gross out at
home]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz singled to third; Cruz was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); Cabell was called out on strikes;
Watson singled to third; Walling doubled to right [Watson to
third]; R. Reuschel threw a wild pitch [Watson scored, Walling
to third]; Bochy struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cubs 2.

CUBS 4TH: Kingman struck out; Murcer walked; Trillo forced
Murcer (second to shortstop); Trillo was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Lemongello singled to right; Landestoy forced
Lemongello (second to shortstop); Drumright flied out to left;
On a bunt Puhl singled to catcher [Landestoy to second]; Cruz
singled to third [Landestoy to third, Puhl to second]; Cabell
forced Cruz (third to second); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cubs 2.

CUBS 5TH: Rader singled to right [Rader to third (error by Cruz)
(error by Drumright)]; De Jesus was hit by a pitch; R. Reuschel
lined to shortstop; Gross popped to shortstop; Scott walked [De
Jesus to second]; Buckner flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 2 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson was called out on strikes; On a bunt Walling
grounded out (catcher to first); Bochy grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 6TH: Kingman grounded out (third to first); Murcer grounded
out (second to first); Trillo lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Lemongello grounded out (second to first); Landestoy
flied out to center; Drumright grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 7TH: Rader flied out to right; De Jesus struck out; R.
Reuschel grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz lined to
shortstop; Cabell lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Cubs 2.

CUBS 8TH: Gross doubled to center; Scott reached on a fielder's
choice on a sacrifice bunt [Gross to third]; Buckner tripled to
right [Gross scored, Scott scored]; ANDUJAR REPLACED LEMONGELLO
(PITCHING); Kingman popped to third; Murcer was walked
intentionally; Trillo hit a sacrifice fly to right [Buckner
scored, Murcer to second]; Rader lined to right; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 5.

ASTROS 9TH: WHITE REPLACED KINGMAN (PLAYING CF); GROSS CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Watson singled to center; Walling
singled to right [Watson to third]; HOWARD BATTED FOR BOCHY;
SUTTER REPLACED R. REUSCHEL (PITCHING); Howard forced Walling
(second unassisted) [Watson scored]; ALOU BATTED FOR ANDUJAR;
Alou singled to center [Howard to third]; SEXTON RAN FOR ALOU;
Sexton stole second; Sutter threw a wild pitch [Howard scored,
Sexton to third]; Landestoy popped to left; Drumright singled to
center [Sexton scored]; Puhl singled to right [Drumright to
third]; COX REPLACED SUTTER (PLAYING C ); HERNANDEZ REPLACED
RADER (PITCHING); Cruz walked [Puhl to second]; MCGLOTHEN
REPLACED HERNANDEZ (PITCHING); Cabell reached on an error by De
Jesus [Drumright scored (unearned) (no RBI), Puhl scored
(unearned) (no RBI), Cruz to third, Cabell to first]; Cabell
stole second; Watson singled to second [Cruz scored (unearned),
Cabell to third]; Walling singled to left [Cabell scored
(unearned), Watson to third]; Howard forced Walling (shortstop
to second); 7 R (3 ER), 7 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 8, Cubs 5.

CUBS 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); PUJOLS REPLACED
SEXTON (PLAYING C ); SAMBITO REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); De
Jesus lined to left; CLINES BATTED FOR COX; Clines flied out to
center; VAIL BATTED FOR GROSS; Vail reached on an error by
Landestoy [Vail to first]; JOHNSON BATTED FOR SCOTT; Johnson was
called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Cubs 5.