A homer by Johnny Bench and three hits by Joe Morgan sparked the Reds to a 6-3 victory over the Astros. The Reds scored twice in the second inning on a single by Dan Driessen, a pair of walks, single by Bill Bonham and bases-loaded walk to Pete Rose.

They added a run in the third when Morgan singled and scored on an error by first baseman Dave Bergman. A double by Ken Griffey and single by Morgan produced another tally in the fifth and the Reds got two more in the seventh on a double by Cesar Geronimo. Bonham gained his 10th victory, but the Reds also used three relievers. Doug Bair finished for his 24th save. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 6, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Monday, September 4, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Reds         0  2  1    0  1  0    2  0  0  -   6 10  0
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    1  1  0  -   3 11  2


Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Rose 3b               4   0   0   1     1   0   .300      Landestoy ss          5   1   4   0     0   0   .278
Concepcion ss         5   0   1   0     0   0   .295      Drumright 2b          4   1   0   0     1   0   .250
Griffey rf            5   1   1   0     0   0   .287      Puhl cf               1   0   1   1     3   0   .298
Morgan 2b             5   1   3   1     0   1   .250      Cruz rf               4   0   3   1     0   1   .309
Bench c               5   1   1   1     0   1   .248      Walling lf            4   1   1   1     0   0   .247
Driessen 1b           3   2   1   0     2   0   .264      Bergman 1b            3   0   0   0     0   2   .240
Lum lf                2   1   1   0     2   0   .291        Watson ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .296
Geronimo cf           3   0   1   1     1   0   .226        Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .181
Bonham p              4   0   1   1     0   0   .200        Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130
  Sarmiento p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gonzalez 3b           4   0   1   0     0   2   .227
  Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200      Pujols c              2   0   1   0     0   0   .121
  Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .182        Alou ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .328
                                                            Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .111
                                                            Cabell 1b           1   0   0   0     0   0   .287
                                                          Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .173
                                                            Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .240
                                                            Warthen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Bochy ph,c          2   0   0   0     0   1   .269

Totals               36   6  10   5     6   2             Totals               33   3  11   3     5   6

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 11,090
Left on Base: Reds 9, Astros 8
DP: Reds 4, Astros 2
Errors: Drumright, Bergman
Doubles: Griffey (30), Geronimo (14), Cruz (26), Landestoy (4)
Home Runs: Bench (20), Walling (2)
Stolen Bases: Driessen (26)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (13)
GIDP: Bench (7), Drumright (1), Walling (2)


Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham W(10-4)          6     8   2   2   2   3   1  23   3.52
Sarmiento               1.1   1   1   1   2   1   0   7   3.87
Tomlin                  0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   5.52
Bair SV(24)             1.1   1   0   0   1   2   0   6   1.98
Totals                  9    11   3   3   5   6   1  38

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(11-12)         6     8   4   4   5   0   0  30   4.34
Warthen                 1     2   2   2   1   1   1   6  18.00
Dixon                   1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.88
Andujar                 1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   3.14
Totals                  9    10   6   6   6   2   1  42

Wild Pitches: Niekro (6)
Balks: Bonham (2), Warthen (1)

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - John Kibler, 3B - Nick Colosi


REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (shortstop to first); Concepcion
flied out to left; Griffey reached on an error by Drumright
[Griffey to first]; Morgan singled [Griffey to second]; Bench
popped to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to second; Drumright grounded into
a double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Landestoy out at
second]; Puhl walked; Puhl was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 0, Astros 0.

REDS 2ND: Driessen singled; Driessen stole second; Lum walked;
Geronimo walked [Driessen to third, Lum to second]; Bonham
singled to center [Driessen scored, Lum to third, Geronimo to
second]; Rose walked [Lum scored, Geronimo to third, Bonham to
second]; Concepcion lined into a double play (second unassisted)
[Bonham out at second]; Griffey grounded out (second to first);
2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz doubled to left; Walling grounded out (second
to first) [Cruz to third]; Bergman hit into a double play (left
to catcher) [Cruz out at home]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 2,
Astros 0.

REDS 3RD: Morgan singled; Bench grounded out (first unassisted)
[Morgan scored (error by Bergman) (no RBI)]; Driessen grounded
out (third to first); Lum singled; Geronimo flied out to left; 1
R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Gonzalez flied out to center; Pujols singled to
second; Niekro lined into a double play (pitcher to first)
[Pujols out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

REDS 4TH: Bonham grounded out (third to first); Rose grounded
out (second to first); Concepcion grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Landestoy singled to right; Bonham balked [Landestoy
to second]; Drumright grounded out (shortstop to first)
[Landestoy to third]; Puhl singled to center [Landestoy scored];
Cruz singled to left [Puhl to second]; Walling grounded into a
double play (shortstop to first) [Cruz out at second]; 1 R, 3 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 3, Astros 1.

REDS 5TH: Griffey doubled to center; Morgan singled to right
[Griffey scored]; Bench grounded into a double play (pitcher to
second to first) [Morgan out at second]; Driessen walked; Niekro
threw a wild pitch [Driessen to second]; Lum walked; Geronimo
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4,
Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Bergman struck out; Gonzalez struck out; Pujols
flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 6TH: Bonham grounded out (shortstop to first); Rose flied
out to center; Concepcion singled to center; Griffey lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: HOWARD BATTED FOR NIEKRO; Howard grounded out
(shortstop to first); Landestoy doubled to left; Drumright
grounded out (first unassisted) [Landestoy to third]; Puhl
walked; Cruz struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Reds 4, Astros 1.

REDS 7TH: WARTHEN REPLACED HOWARD (PITCHING); Morgan struck out;
Bench homered; Driessen walked; Warthen balked [Driessen to
second]; Lum flied out to center; Geronimo doubled to right
[Driessen scored]; Bonham lined to pitcher; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling homered; SARMIENTO REPLACED BONHAM
(PITCHING); Bergman struck out; Gonzalez singled to right; ALOU
BATTED FOR PUJOLS; Alou forced Gonzalez (third to second); BOCHY
BATTED FOR WARTHEN; Bochy popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 2.

REDS 8TH: BOCHY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); DIXON REPLACED ALOU
(PITCHING); Rose grounded out (first unassisted); Concepcion
flied out to right; Griffey flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Landestoy flied out to right; Drumright walked; Puhl
walked [Drumright to second]; TOMLIN REPLACED SARMIENTO
(PITCHING); Cruz singled to center [Drumright scored, Puhl to
second]; Walling forced Cruz (shortstop to second) [Puhl to
third]; WATSON BATTED FOR BERGMAN; BAIR REPLACED TOMLIN
(PITCHING); Watson walked [Walling to second]; SEXTON RAN FOR
WATSON; Gonzalez struck out; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Reds 6,
Astros 3.

REDS 9TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); CABELL REPLACED
DIXON (PLAYING 1B); Morgan flied out to center; Bench struck
out; Driessen grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 3.

ASTROS 9TH: Cabell flied out to right; Bochy struck out;
Landestoy singled to right; Drumright grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Reds 6, Astros 3.