Pinch-hitter Wilbur Howard doubled home a run and then scored on pinch-hitter Jesus Alou's single to lift the Astros to a 3-2 triumph over the Padres. The Astros trailed, 2-1, going into the bottom of the seventh when Denny Walling smacked a leadoff triple. Howard drove him home with a two-bagger. After a sacrifice bunt, Howard scored on Alou's looping hit to right. J.R. Richard gave up two runs in the first frame and blanked the Padres the rest of the way in pitching his 15th complete game in 32 starts. [The Sporting News]

Houston Astros 3, San Diego Padres 2

Game Played on Sunday, September 10, 1978 (Day game) at Astrodome

Padres 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 8 0 Astros 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 x - 3 10 0 Padres AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Astros AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Richards lf 4 1 2 0 0 1 .299 Landestoy ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .278 Smith ss 4 1 2 0 0 0 .267 Alou ph 1 0 1 1 0 0 .331 Perkins 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .235 Sexton pr,ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .188 Almon pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255 Gonzalez 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .238 Tenace 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .221 Puhl cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .299 Winfield rf 3 0 1 1 1 1 .299 Cruz rf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .313 Turner cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .280 Cabell 3b 4 1 2 0 0 0 .293 Thomas 3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .229 Watson 1b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .297 Evans 3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .308 Bergman pr,1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Roberts c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .221 Walling lf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .263 Reynolds ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .256 Bochy c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .257 Baker 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .220 Howard ph 1 1 1 1 0 0 .252 Gamble ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .276 Pujols c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .125 Rasmussen p 3 0 1 0 0 0 .136 Richard p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .169 Shirley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .135 Totals 33 2 8 2 2 11 Totals 31 3 10 3 2 1 Time of Game: 2:23 Attendance: 5,720 Left on Base: Padres 6, Astros 7 DP: Padres 2, Astros 0 Doubles: Howard (4), Cruz (29) Triples: Walling (3) Stolen Bases: Turner (3), Gonzalez (5) Caught Stealing: Richards (17) Sacrifice Hits: Richard (5) GIDP: Bochy (8), Gonzalez (6) Padres IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Rasmussen L(14-12) 6.1 8 3 2 1 1 0 27 3.97 Shirley 1.2 2 0 0 1 0 0 7 3.90 Totals 8 10 3 2 2 1 0 34 Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Richard W(16-11) 9 8 2 2 2 11 0 35 3.17 Totals 9 8 2 2 2 11 0 35 Passed Balls: Roberts (3) Balks: Rasmussen (5) Umpires: HP - Joe West, 1B - Bill Williams, 2B - Dick Stello, 3B - Bruce Froemming PADRES 1ST: Richards singled; Smith singled [Richards to second]; Perkins singled [Richards scored, Smith to second]; Winfield singled to center [Smith scored, Perkins out at third (center to third), Winfield to second (on throw to 3b)]; Turner struck out; Thomas grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 0. ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez singled; Gonzalez stole second; Puhl reached on a fielder's choice [Gonzalez out at third (pitcher to third)]; Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 0. PADRES 2ND: Roberts struck out; Baker struck out; Rasmussen grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 0. ASTROS 2ND: Cabell singled; Roberts allowed a passed ball [Cabell to second]; Watson flied out to right [Cabell to third]; Walling grounded out (second to first) [Cabell scored (unearned)]; Bochy grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. PADRES 3RD: Richards singled; Richards was caught stealing second (catcher to second); Smith grounded out (first unassisted); Perkins grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 3RD: Richard struck out; Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Gonzalez grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. PADRES 4TH: Winfield walked; Turner flied to right in foul territory; Thomas popped to third in foul territory; Roberts struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 4TH: Puhl made an out to shortstop; Cruz grounded out (third to first); Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. PADRES 5TH: Baker struck out; Rasmussen singled; Richards made an out to shortstop; Smith singled [Rasmussen to second]; Perkins grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 5TH: EVANS REPLACED THOMAS (PLAYING 3B); Watson singled; Walling singled [Watson to second]; Bochy grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Watson to third, Walling out at second]; Richard made an out to third; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. PADRES 6TH: Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first); Turner walked; Turner stole second; Evans struck out; Roberts flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 6TH: Landestoy flied out to right; Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl singled; Rasmussen balked [Puhl to second]; Cruz walked; Cabell singled [Puhl to third, Cruz to second]; Watson popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. PADRES 7TH: Baker grounded out (second to first); Rasmussen flied out to left; Richards struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 1. ASTROS 7TH: Walling tripled; HOWARD BATTED FOR BOCHY; Howard doubled [Walling scored]; Richard out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Howard to third]; SHIRLEY REPLACED RASMUSSEN (PITCHING); ALOU BATTED FOR LANDESTOY; Alou singled [Howard scored]; SEXTON RAN FOR ALOU; Gonzalez grounded into a double play (second to first to shortstop) [Sexton out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 3. PADRES 8TH: SEXTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); PUJOLS REPLACED HOWARD (PLAYING C ); Smith grounded out (second to first); Perkins singled; ALMON RAN FOR PERKINS; Winfield struck out; Turner forced Almon; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 3. ASTROS 8TH: TENACE REPLACED ALMON (PLAYING 1B); Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first); Cruz doubled; Cabell made an out to first; Watson was walked intentionally; BERGMAN RAN FOR WATSON; Walling grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 3. PADRES 9TH: BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Evans struck out; REYNOLDS BATTED FOR ROBERTS; Reynolds struck out; GAMBLE BATTED FOR BAKER; Gamble struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Padres 2, Astros 3.

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