Posting their fifth straight victory and 21st in the last 29 games, the Dodgers closed in on the West division championship by shading the Astros, 2-1. The Dodgers' runs came on homers by Davey Lopes in the first inning and Ron Cey in the fourth. [The Sporting News]



Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Thursday, September 14, 1978 (Night game) at Dodger Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   1  8  0
Dodgers      1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  x  -   2  5  3


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Dodgers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          5   0   2   0     0   0   .270      Lopes 2b              4   1   2   1     0   0   .284
Gonzalez 2b,3b        5   0   0   0     0   3   .224      North cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .227
Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .300      Monday rf             2   0   0   0     2   1   .259
  Bochy ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .259        Law pr              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz rf               2   0   0   0     2   1   .309        Simpson rf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b,1b          4   1   1   0     0   0   .297      Garvey 1b             4   0   1   0     0   1   .307
Watson 1b             3   0   2   0     0   1   .297      Cey 3b                4   1   1   1     0   0   .272
  Bergman pr,1b       0   0   0   0     0   0   .234      Baker lf              2   0   0   0     0   1   .266
  Baldwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .238      Russell ss            3   0   0   0     0   1   .280
  Drumright 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .156      Yeager c              2   0   0   0     1   1   .192
Walling lf            3   0   1   1     0   0   .257      Rhoden p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .130
  Leonard ph,lf       1   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Rautzhan p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Pujols c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .122        Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .341
  Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .188
Niekro p              1   0   0   0     0   0   .155
  Howard ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .248

Totals               35   1   8   1     2   5             Totals               27   2   5   2     3   6

Time of Game: 2:27   Attendance: 37,423
Left on Base: Astros 11, Dodgers 6
DP: Astros 0, Dodgers 0
Errors: Lopes 2, North
Doubles: Garvey (32)
Home Runs: Lopes (17), Cey (21)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (32)
Caught Stealing: Law (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro 2 (8), Rautzhan (2)
Hit by Pitch: Baker (3,by Niekro)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(12-13)         8     5   2   2   3   6   2  32   4.23
Totals                  8     5   2   2   3   6   2  32

Dodgers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rhoden W(9-7)           6     6   1   1   2   2   0  28   3.64
Rautzhan                2     1   0   0   0   2   0   7   1.67
Forster SV(20)          1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.09
Totals                  9     8   1   1   2   5   0  39

Hit by Pitch: Niekro (7)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (7), Rhoden (6)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy singled to center [Landestoy to second
(error by North)]; Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice
[Landestoy out at third (shortstop to third)]; Puhl grounded out
(third to first) [Gonzalez to second]; Rhoden threw a wild pitch
[Gonzalez to third]; Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Cabell
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 0.

DODGERS 1ST: Lopes homered; North grounded out (second to
first); Monday struck out; Garvey doubled to center; Cey
grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson singled to left; Walling flied out to left;
Pujols forced Watson (third to second); Niekro popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 2ND: Baker grounded out (first unassisted); Russell
struck out; Yeager was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy flied out to left; Gonzalez grounded out
(shortstop to first); Puhl singled to left; Cruz walked [Puhl to
second]; Cabell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 3RD: Rhoden singled to center; Lopes singled to left
[Rhoden to second]; North struck out; Monday grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Rhoden to third, Lopes to second]; Garvey
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson was called out on strikes; Walling reached on
an error by Lopes [Walling to first]; Pujols reached on an error
by Lopes [Walling to second, Pujols to first]; Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Walling to third, Pujols to
second]; Landestoy flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 2
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 1.

DODGERS 4TH: Cey homered; Baker struck out; Russell grounded out
(shortstop to first); Yeager grounded out (third to first); 1 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Gonzalez struck out; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 5TH: Rhoden grounded out (third to first); Lopes
grounded out (shortstop to first); North grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cabell singled to center; Watson singled to center
[Cabell to second]; BERGMAN RAN FOR WATSON; Walling singled to
right [Cabell scored, Bergman to second]; Pujols forced Bergman
(pitcher to third) [Walling to second]; Niekro out on a
sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second) [Walling to third, Pujols to
second]; Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 6TH: BERGMAN STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Monday walked;
Niekro threw a wild pitch [Monday to second]; Garvey grounded
out (second to first) [Monday to third]; Cey grounded out (third
to first); Baker was hit by a pitch; Russell forced Baker
(shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers
2.

ASTROS 7TH: RAUTZHAN REPLACED RHODEN (PITCHING); Gonzalez struck
out; Puhl grounded out (second to first); Cruz struck out; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 7TH: Yeager walked; Rautzhan out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Yeager to second]; Lopes lined to third;
North lined to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Cabell lined to right; BALDWIN BATTED FOR BERGMAN;
Baldwin grounded out (shortstop to first); LEONARD BATTED FOR
WALLING; Leonard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

DODGERS 8TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); DRUMRIGHT
REPLACED BALDWIN (PLAYING 2B); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); GONZALEZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); Monday walked; LAW
RAN FOR MONDAY; Law was caught stealing second (catcher to
second); Garvey popped to first; Cey flied out to left; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.

ASTROS 9TH: SIMPSON REPLACED LAW (PLAYING RF); ALOU BATTED FOR
PUJOLS; Alou singled to left; HOWARD BATTED FOR NIEKRO; SEXTON
RAN FOR ALOU; FORSTER REPLACED RAUTZHAN (PITCHING); Howard flied
out to right; Landestoy singled to catcher [Sexton to second];
Gonzalez struck out; BOCHY BATTED FOR PUHL; Bochy grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Dodgers 2.