Ken Forsch, who recently came out of the bullpen to join the Astros' starting rotation, pitched a two-hitter and posted his first shutout since 1971, beating the Dodgers, 5-0. Forsch had only two previous shutouts in his major league career, both also against the Dodgers.

Enos Cabell led the Astros' attack, hitting three singles and scoring three runs. The defeat cut the Dodgers' lead over the Giants to three games in the West division. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Game Played on Friday, September 8, 1978 (Night game) at Astrodome
Dodgers      0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  2  2
Astros       0  2  0    1  0  2    0  0  x  -   5 11  0


Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Lopes 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .278      Landestoy ss          4   0   2   0     0   0   .277
Russell ss            4   0   0   0     0   0   .273      Drumright 2b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .156
Smith rf              3   0   0   0     0   1   .301      Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .298
Garvey 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .294      Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .310
Cey 3b                3   0   0   0     0   1   .271      Cabell 3b             4   3   3   1     0   0   .290
Baker lf              2   0   0   0     1   0   .275      Walling lf            4   0   2   1     0   1   .257
Monday cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .255      Bergman 1b            2   1   0   1     1   0   .234
Ferguson c            3   0   1   0     0   1   .232      Bochy c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .262
  Hough p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Forsch p              4   0   0   1     0   0   .182
Welch p               1   0   0   0     0   1   .211
  Oates ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .319
  Rautzhan p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Grote c             0   0   0   0     0   0   .295
  Lacy ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .266

Totals               28   0   2   0     1   5             Totals               34   5  11   4     1   1

Time of Game: 1:45   Attendance: 12,905
Left on Base: Dodgers 2, Astros 7
DP: Dodgers 0, Astros 1
Errors: Ferguson 2
Doubles: Walling (9)
Triples: Cruz (8)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (31), Cruz (29)
Sacrifice Flies: Bergman (2)
GIDP: Ferguson (12)


Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Welch L(5-3)            5     7   3   3   0   0   0  22   2.26
Rautzhan                2     4   2   2   1   1   0  11   1.73
Hough                   1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.97
Totals                  8    11   5   5   1   1   0  36

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch W(9-5)           9     2   0   0   1   5   0  29   2.68
Totals                  9     2   0   0   1   5   0  29

Wild Pitches: Rautzhan (1)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Joe West, 3B - Bill Williams


DODGERS 1ST: Lopes grounded out (third to first); Russell lined
to left; Smith grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first);
Drumright grounded out (second to first); Puhl made an out to
third; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

DODGERS 2ND: Garvey grounded out (shortstop to first); Cey flied
out to center; Baker grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz tripled to left; Cabell singled to center [Cruz
scored]; Walling doubled to right [Cabell scored]; Bergman flied
out to left; Bochy singled to left [Walling to third]; Forsch
reached on a fielder's choice [Walling out at home (pitcher to
catcher), Bochy to second]; Landestoy made an out to shortstop;
2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

DODGERS 3RD: Monday lined to center; Ferguson singled to left;
On a bunt Welch struck out; Lopes flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Drumright flied out to left; Puhl flied out to
center; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

DODGERS 4TH: Russell popped to catcher in foul territory; Smith
struck out; Garvey popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell singled to center; Walling singled to right
[Cabell to third]; Bergman hit a sacrifice fly to center [Cabell
scored, Walling to second (error by Ferguson)]; Bochy made an
out to shortstop; Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R,
2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 5TH: Cey made an out to third; Baker grounded out (third
to first); Monday grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 5TH: Landestoy singled to center; Drumright forced
Landestoy (pitcher to shortstop); Puhl made an out to shortstop;
Cruz popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

DODGERS 6TH: Ferguson struck out; OATES BATTED FOR WELCH; Oates
grounded out (first unassisted); Lopes singled to third; Russell
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Dodgers 0, Astros 3.

ASTROS 6TH: RAUTZHAN REPLACED OATES (PITCHING); Cabell singled
to left; Cabell stole second [Cabell to third (error by
Ferguson)]; Walling struck out; Bergman walked; Rautzhan threw a
wild pitch [Cabell scored, Bergman to second]; Bochy singled to
center [Bergman to third]; Forsch forced Bochy (shortstop to
second) [Bergman scored]; Landestoy singled to pitcher [Forsch
to second]; Drumright grounded out (catcher to first); 2 R, 3 H,
1 E, 2 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 5.

DODGERS 7TH: Smith lined to right; Garvey popped to pitcher; Cey
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: Puhl flied out to left; Cruz singled to second; Cruz
stole second; Cabell flied out to right; Walling grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 5.

DODGERS 8TH: Baker walked; Monday lined to center; Ferguson
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Baker out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros
5.

ASTROS 8TH: HOUGH REPLACED FERGUSON (PITCHING); GROTE REPLACED
RAUTZHAN (PLAYING C ); Bergman grounded out (first to pitcher);
Bochy flied out to center; Forsch made an out to second; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 5.

DODGERS 9TH: LACY BATTED FOR GROTE; Lacy struck out; Lopes flied
out to center; Russell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Dodgers 0, Astros 5.