A two-run pinch-single by Ken Griffey in the ninth inning enabled the Reds to pick up a 9-8 decision over the Astros. The Reds trailed, 8-7, going into the bottom of the ninth when Dan Driessen and George Foster opened with consecutive walks.

Johnny Bench sacrificed the runners along and Griffey hit Dan Warthen's first offering for the game-winning blow. Dave Tomlin, who blew a one-run lead by yielding consecutive homers to Bruce Bochy and pinch-hitter Jesus Alou in the top of the ninth, received credit for the victory. [The Sporting News]



Cincinnati Reds 9, Houston Astros 8
Game Played on Monday, September 11, 1978 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       3  0  2    0  1  0    0  0  2  -   8 10  0
Reds         0  0  0    0  1  0    6  0  2  -   9 10  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          5   1   2   0     0   0   .282      Rose 3b               5   1   2   1     0   0   .301
Gonzalez 2b           4   1   0   0     1   0   .232        Knight 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .194
Puhl cf               4   3   1   0     1   1   .298      Morgan 2b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .241
Watson 1b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .299      Driessen 1b           2   2   0   0     3   0   .261
  Sexton pr,3b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .188      Foster lf             4   2   1   4     1   0   .279
Cabell 3b,1b          4   0   3   2     0   0   .296      Bench c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .254
Cruz rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .311      Summers rf            3   1   2   0     1   0   .571
Walling lf            3   0   0   0     0   0   .259        Borbon p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .182
  Howard ph,lf        1   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .200
Bochy c               4   1   1   1     0   1   .257        Griffey ph          1   0   1   2     0   0   .287
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     1   1   .083      Concepcion ss         4   0   1   1     0   1   .294
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167      Geronimo cf           3   1   1   0     1   1   .228
  Alou ph             1   1   1   1     0   0   .336      Norman p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130        Spilman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Warthen p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Soto p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Collins ph          0   1   0   0     1   0   .228
                                                            Sarmiento p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Henderson ph,rf     2   1   1   1     0   1   .206

Totals               36   8  10   6     3   3             Totals               34   9  10   9     7   4

Time of Game: 2:47   Attendance: 20,400
Left on Base: Astros 4, Reds 8
DP: Astros 0, Reds 1
Errors: Rose, Summers, Concepcion
Doubles: Cabell (26), Summers (1), Rose (47), Geronimo (15), Concepcion (30)
Home Runs: Watson (14), Bochy (3), Alou (2), Foster (32)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (32)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (14)
Sacrifice Hits: Bench (1)
GIDP: Cruz (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle                   6     5   3   3   4   1   0  27   2.80
Sambito                 2     4   4   4   1   3   1  11   3.14
Andujar L(5-5)          0.1   0   2   2   2   0   0   3   3.30
Warthen                 0     1   0   0   0   0   0   1  18.00
Totals                  8.1  10   9   9   7   4   1  42

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Norman                  3     6   5   3   0   1   1  15   3.77
Soto                    2     1   1   1   2   0   0   9   4.50
Sarmiento               2     0   0   0   0   1   0   6   3.80
Borbon                  0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0   2   4.69
Tomlin W(8-1)           1.2   2   2   2   1   1   2   7   5.67
Totals                  9    10   8   6   3   3   3  39

Wild Pitches: Norman (4)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center; Gonzalez reached on an
error by Concepcion [Landestoy to second, Gonzalez to first];
Puhl forced Gonzalez (second to shortstop) [Landestoy to third];
Norman threw a wild pitch [Landestoy scored (unearned), Puhl to
second]; Watson homered [Puhl scored]; Cabell doubled to right;
Cruz grounded out (first to pitcher) [Cabell to third]; Cabell
was caught stealing home (pitcher to catcher); 3 R (2 ER), 3 H,
1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Rose grounded out (second to first); Morgan flied out
to right; Driessen grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling flied out to center; Bochy struck out; Ruhle
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Reds 0.

REDS 2ND: Foster grounded out (shortstop to first); Bench
grounded out (shortstop to first); Summers doubled to right;
Concepcion struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy singled to center; Gonzalez forced
Landestoy (pitcher to shortstop); Puhl singled to right
[Gonzalez scored (error by Rose) (no RBI), Puhl to second (error
by Summers)]; Watson flied out to right [Puhl to third]; Cabell
singled to right [Puhl scored (unearned)]; Cabell stole second;
Cruz flied out to right; 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 0.

REDS 3RD: Geronimo walked; SPILMAN BATTED FOR NORMAN; Spilman
grounded out (first unassisted) [Geronimo to second]; Debut
game for Harry Spilman; Rose flied out to center; Morgan
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 4TH: SOTO REPLACED SPILMAN (PITCHING); Walling grounded
out (second to first); Bochy popped to catcher in foul
territory; Ruhle walked; Landestoy popped to catcher in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

REDS 4TH: Driessen walked; Foster flied out to left; Bench flied
out to center; Summers flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
walked; Watson grounded out (third to first) [Puhl to second];
Cabell singled to center [Puhl scored]; Cruz grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 0.

REDS 5TH: Concepcion grounded out (second to first); Geronimo
flied out to center; COLLINS BATTED FOR SOTO; Collins walked;
Rose doubled [Collins scored]; Morgan flied out to center; 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 1.

ASTROS 6TH: SARMIENTO REPLACED COLLINS (PITCHING); Walling flied
out to left; Bochy lined to shortstop; Ruhle struck out; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 1.

REDS 6TH: Driessen grounded out (first unassisted); Foster
grounded out (shortstop to first); Bench singled to center;
Summers walked [Bench to second]; Concepcion grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez
grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl flied out to left; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 1.

REDS 7TH: Geronimo doubled to right; HENDERSON BATTED FOR
SARMIENTO; Henderson singled to center [Geronimo scored];
SAMBITO REPLACED RUHLE (PITCHING); Rose singled to right
[Henderson to second]; Morgan flied out to left; Driessen walked
[Henderson to third, Rose to second]; Foster homered [Henderson
scored, Rose scored, Driessen scored]; Bench struck out; Summers
singled to center; Concepcion doubled [Summers scored]; Geronimo
struck out; 6 R, 6 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 6, Reds 7.

ASTROS 8TH: HENDERSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); BORBON
REPLACED SUMMERS (PITCHING); Watson singled to right; SEXTON RAN
FOR WATSON; Cabell flied out to right; TOMLIN REPLACED BORBON
(PITCHING); Cruz grounded into a double play (first to shortstop
to first) [Sexton out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
6, Reds 7.

REDS 8TH: SEXTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); CABELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); Henderson struck out; Rose flied out to
right; Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
6, Reds 7.

ASTROS 9TH: KNIGHT REPLACED ROSE (PLAYING 3B); HOWARD BATTED FOR
WALLING; Howard grounded out (second to first); Bochy homered;
ALOU BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Alou homered; Landestoy grounded out
(shortstop to first); Gonzalez walked; Puhl struck out; 2 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 8, Reds 7.

REDS 9TH: HOWARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); ANDUJAR REPLACED
ALOU (PITCHING); Driessen walked; Foster walked [Driessen to
second]; Bench out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Driessen to third, Foster to second]; GRIFFEY BATTED FOR
TOMLIN; WARTHEN REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Griffey singled to
left [Driessen scored, Foster scored]; 2 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 8, Reds 9.