Pinch-hitter Oscar Gamble delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to give the Padres a 2-1 victory over the Astros and enable Gaylord Perry to win his 19th game, one day after the veteran righthander's 40th birthday.

Broderick Perkins opened the ninth with a single and gave way to pinch-runner Derrel Thomas. Dave Winfield walked and Jerry Turner beat out a bunt to load the bases. Joaquin Andujar took over for Joe Sambito on the mound for the Astros and struck out Gene Tenace, but Gamble batted for Barry Evans and came through with his run-scoring fly. [The Sporting News]



San Diego Padres 2, Houston Astros 1
Game Played on Saturday, September 16, 1978 (Night game) at San Diego Stadium
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   1  5  1
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  5  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          4   0   1   0     0   1   .267      Richards lf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .297
Cannon lf             4   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Smith ss              4   0   0   0     0   0   .263
Puhl cf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .297      Perkins 1b            3   1   1   0     1   0   .244
Walling rf            4   1   1   0     0   0   .258        Thomas pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .229
Cabell 3b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .298      Winfield cf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .303
Obradovich 1b         3   0   1   1     0   0   .333      Turner rf             4   0   3   1     0   0   .281
Drumright 2b          3   0   0   0     0   1   .128      Tenace c              4   0   0   0     0   2   .220
Bochy c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Evans 3b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .238
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   2   .071        Gamble ph           0   0   0   1     0   0   .276
  Bergman ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .233      Champion 2b           3   0   1   0     0   1   .250
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Almon pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .255
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130        Gonzalez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .241
                                                          Perry p               3   0   0   0     0   0   .100

Totals               31   1   5   1     0   5             Totals               30   2   5   2     3   3

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 10,171
Left on Base: Astros 4, Padres 6
DP: Astros 0, Padres 0
Errors: Bochy, Champion
Doubles: Walling (11), Cabell (28)
Triples: Obradovich (1)
Stolen Bases: Richards (36), Turner (4)
Caught Stealing: Cannon (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (3)
Sacrifice Flies: Gamble (5)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle                   7     2   1   1   2   2   0  25   2.60
Sambito L(4-9)          1     3   1   1   1   0   0   7   3.20
Andujar                 0.2   0   0   0   0   1   0   2   3.28
Totals                  8.2   5   2   2   3   3   0  34

Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Perry W(19-6)           9     5   1   1   0   5   0  32   2.90
Totals                  9     5   1   1   0   5   0  32

Umpires: HP - Jerry Dale, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Paul Runge, 3B - Bob Engel


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (shortstop to first); Cannon
reached on an error by Champion [Cannon to first]; Cannon was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Puhl grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

PADRES 1ST: Richards walked; Richards stole second; Smith
grounded out (first unassisted) [Richards to third]; Perkins
grounded out (first unassisted); Winfield grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Padres 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling doubled to right; Cabell made an out to
second; Obradovich tripled to center [Walling scored]; Drumright
struck out; Bochy struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 0.

PADRES 2ND: Turner made an out to third; Tenace flied out to
center; Evans grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Ruhle struck out; Landestoy struck out; Cannon
grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Padres 0.

PADRES 3RD: Champion struck out; Perry grounded out (shortstop
to first); Richards grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Walling
grounded out (second to first); Cabell doubled to left;
Obradovich made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 4TH: Smith flied out to center; Perkins grounded out
(shortstop to first); Winfield lined to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Drumright flied out to right; Bochy flied out to
center; Ruhle struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Padres 0.

PADRES 5TH: Turner singled to right; Turner stole second [Turner
to third (error by Bochy)]; Tenace struck out; Evans grounded
out (shortstop to first); Champion flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Landestoy made an out to shortstop; Cannon singled
to right; Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first)
[Cannon to second]; Walling grounded out (first to pitcher); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 6TH: Perry made an out to second; Richards grounded out
(first unassisted); Smith grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Obradovich
flied out to right; Drumright flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 0.

PADRES 7TH: Perkins walked; Winfield grounded out (shortstop to
first) [Perkins to second]; Turner singled to right [Perkins
scored, Turner to second (on throw to home)]; Tenace grounded
out (third to first); Evans flied out to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Bochy grounded out (second to first); BERGMAN BATTED
FOR RUHLE; Bergman flied out to left; Landestoy singled to
center; Cannon flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
1, Padres 1.

PADRES 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED BERGMAN (PITCHING); Champion
singled to center; ALMON RAN FOR CHAMPION; On a bunt Perry
popped to catcher in foul territory; Richards flied out to
center; Smith grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 1.

ASTROS 9TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED ALMON (PLAYING 2B); Puhl grounded
out (second to first); Walling flied out to center; Cabell
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Padres 1.

PADRES 9TH: Perkins singled to third; THOMAS RAN FOR PERKINS;
Winfield walked [Thomas to second]; Turner singled to left
[Thomas to third, Winfield to second]; ANDUJAR REPLACED SAMBITO
(PITCHING); Tenace struck out; GAMBLE BATTED FOR EVANS; Gamble
hit a sacrifice fly to left [Thomas scored]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Padres 2.