Scot Thompson, rookie first baseman from Wichita (American Association), delivered run-scoring singles as a pinch-hitter in his first two times at bat in the major leagues, winning one game and clinching another, as the Cubs beat the Astros in a doubleheader, 3-2 and 4-2. In the opener, the score was tied, 1-1, when Dave Rader walked to open the Cubs' seventh inning. Ivan DeJesus beat out an infield hit and Larry Biittner was safe on an error by Keith Drumright to load the bases. Greg Gross singled to drive in one run and Thompson then beat out an infield hit to put the Cubs ahead, 3-1. The rookie's RBI proved decisive when the Astros picked up a run on a single by Terry Puhl in the eighth.

In the nightcap, Bobby Murcer singled with one out in the Cubs' sixth and stopped at second on a single by Manny Trillo. After Rader forced Trillo, Murcer taking third, DeJesus singled to break the 2-2 tie. Thompson then came up as a pinch-hitter and delivered his second single of the day to plate an insurance run. [The Sporting News]



Chicago Cubs 3, Houston Astros 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, September 3, 1978 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   2 10  1
Cubs         1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  x  -   3 10  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          4   0   1   0     0   0   .259      Gross cf,lf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .274
Drumright 2b          3   0   1   0     0   0   .417      Scott 3b              2   0   0   0     0   0   .275
  Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Thompson ph         1   0   1   1     0   0  1.000
  Gonzalez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .228        Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Puhl cf               4   0   4   1     0   0   .296      Buckner 1b            4   0   1   0     0   0   .315
Cruz rf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .306      Kingman lf            2   0   0   1     0   1   .242
Cabell 3b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .286        Kelleher 3b         1   0   0   0     0   1   .241
Walling lf            3   0   2   1     0   0   .249      Murcer rf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .278
  Baldwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Trillo 2b             4   0   2   0     0   0   .261
Bergman 1b            2   0   0   0     1   0   .245      Rader c               2   0   0   0     1   0   .205
  Watson ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .296        Meoli pr            0   1   0   0     0   0   .115
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .115        Cox c               1   0   0   0     0   0   .267
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      De Jesus ss           3   1   1   0     0   0   .264
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   1   .222      Lamp p                2   0   2   0     0   0   .217
  Bochy c             1   1   1   0     0   0   .273        Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .268
                                                            White pr,cf         0   0   0   0     0   0   .243

Totals               32   2  10   2     2   1             Totals               31   3  10   3     1   2

Time of Game: 2:20
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cubs 7
DP: Astros 1, Cubs 3
Errors: Drumright
Doubles: Puhl (22), Bochy (5)
Triples: Cabell (8)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (26)
Caught Stealing: Drumright (1), Walling (2), Trillo (7)
Sacrifice Hits: Scott (7), Kingman (2)
GIDP: Pujols (6), Bergman (5), Buckner (10)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(8-5)           6.1   9   3   2   1   1   0  29   2.91
Sambito                 1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   2.78
Totals                  8    10   3   2   1   2   0  34

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Lamp W(6-13)            7     8   1   1   2   1   0  26   3.13
Hernandez SV(2)         2     2   1   1   0   0   0   8   3.98
Totals                  9    10   2   2   2   1   0  34

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (third to first); Drumright
singled to center; Drumright was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); Puhl singled to center; Puhl stole second; Cruz
walked; Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: Gross singled to left; Scott out on a sacrifice bunt
(catcher to first) [Gross to second]; Buckner singled to pitcher
[Gross to third]; Kingman out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
first) [Gross scored, Buckner to second]; Murcer grounded out
(second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

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

CUBS 2ND: Trillo lined to center; Rader popped to shortstop; De
Jesus grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Forsch flied out to left; Landestoy grounded out
(second to first); Drumright grounded out (shortstop to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: Lamp singled to center; Gross lined to left; Scott
flied out to left; Buckner popped to catcher in foul territory;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl doubled to left; Cruz grounded out (second to
first) [Puhl to third]; Cabell lined into a double play (first
to third) [Puhl out at third]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Kingman struck out; Murcer singled to right; Trillo
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Murcer to second]; Rader
reached on a fielder's choice [Murcer out at third (third
unassisted)]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Walling singled to center; Walling was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Bergman walked; Pujols
grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Bergman
out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: De Jesus grounded out (third to first); Lamp singled
to shortstop; Gross popped to third; On a bunt Scott grounded
out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Forsch struck out; Landestoy singled to first;
Drumright flied out to right; Puhl singled to center [Landestoy
to third]; Cruz lined to left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0,
Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: Buckner lined to right; Kingman flied out to right;
Murcer flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cubs
1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell tripled to right; Walling singled to right
[Cabell scored]; Bergman grounded into a double play (second to
first) [Walling out at second]; Pujols grounded out (second to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 1.

CUBS 7TH: Trillo singled to left; Trillo was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop to first); Rader walked; MEOLI RAN
FOR RADER; De Jesus singled to shortstop [Meoli to second];
BIITTNER BATTED FOR LAMP; Biittner reached on an error by
Drumright [Meoli to third, De Jesus to second, Biittner to
first]; WHITE RAN FOR BIITTNER; Gross singled to left [Meoli
scored, De Jesus to third, White to second]; THOMPSON BATTED FOR
SCOTT; Thompson singled to first [De Jesus scored (unearned),
White to third, Gross to second]; Debut game for Scot
Thompson; SAMBITO REPLACED PUJOLS (PITCHING); BOCHY REPLACED
FORSCH (PLAYING C ); Buckner grounded into a double play
(pitcher to catcher to first) [White out at home]; 2 R (1 ER), 4
H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Cubs 3.

ASTROS 8TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED THOMPSON (PITCHING); COX REPLACED
MEOLI (PLAYING C ); WHITE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); GROSS
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); KELLEHER REPLACED KINGMAN
(PLAYING 3B); Bochy doubled to right; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Bochy to third]; ALOU BATTED FOR
DRUMRIGHT; Alou flied out to right; Puhl singled to center
[Bochy scored]; Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 3.

CUBS 8TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED ALOU (PLAYING 2B); Kelleher struck
out; Murcer lined to right; Trillo singled to left; Cox forced
Trillo (shortstop unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cubs 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell flied out to left; BALDWIN BATTED FOR
WALLING; Baldwin grounded out (third to first); WATSON BATTED
FOR BERGMAN; Watson lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cubs 3.