Joe Niekro, with relief help from Ken Forsch, prevented brother Phil Niekro from gaining his 20th victory as the Astros blanked the Braves, 2-0. The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Terry Puhl walked, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on single by Jose Cruz.

An insurance marker was added in the fourth when Cruz struck out but reached first on a passed ball, stole second and scored on a single by Julio Gonzalez. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 2, Atlanta Braves 0
Game Played on Tuesday, September 26, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  0
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  7  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          5   0   1   0     0   0   .272      Royster ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Leonard lf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .308      Office cf             3   0   0   0     0   0   .254
Puhl cf               2   1   0   0     2   0   .292      Matthews rf           4   0   2   0     0   1   .287
Cruz rf               3   1   2   1     1   1   .313      Burroughs lf          4   0   0   0     0   2   .305
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .295      Nolan c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .234
Watson 1b             2   0   2   0     2   0   .294      Murphy 1b             2   0   0   0     2   1   .228
  Sexton pr           0   0   0   0     0   0   .194      Hubbard 2b            4   0   2   0     0   0   .289
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Gilbreath 3b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .248
Gonzalez 2b           4   0   2   1     0   0   .233      Niekro p              3   0   1   0     0   0   .214
Pujols c              4   0   0   0     0   3   .127        Beall ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .243
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   2   .141
  Forsch p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .192

Totals               32   2   8   2     5   6             Totals               32   0   7   0     2   4

Time of Game: 2:15   Attendance:  3,089
Left on Base: Astros 8, Braves 9
DP: Astros 2, Braves 2
Errors: Gilbreath
Doubles: Matthews (20)
Stolen Bases: Puhl (31), Cruz 2 (37), Royster (27)
GIDP: Gonzalez (7), Cabell (13), Beall (4)
Hit by Pitch: Royster (3,by Niekro), Office (6,by Niekro)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(13-14)         8     6   0   0   2   4   0  33   3.96
Forsch SV(6)            1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2.73
Totals                  9     7   0   0   2   4   0  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(19-17)         9     8   2   1   5   6   0  37   2.84
Totals                  9     8   2   1   5   6   0  37

Passed Balls: Nolan 2 (14)
Hit by Pitch: Niekro 2 (9)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (9)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy grounded out (second to first); Leonard
grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl walked; Puhl stole
second; Nolan allowed a passed ball [Puhl to third]; Cruz
singled [Puhl scored]; Cruz stole second; Cabell flied out to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was hit by a pitch; Royster stole second;
Office was hit by a pitch; Matthews was called out on strikes;
Burroughs forced Royster (shortstop to third) [Office to
second]; Nolan flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Gonzalez grounded into a double play
(second to first) [Watson out at second]; Pujols struck out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Murphy struck out; Hubbard grounded out (third to
first); Gilbreath made an out to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro struck out; Landestoy grounded out (shortstop
to first); Leonard flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Niekro flied out to left; Royster grounded out
(catcher to first); Office grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); Cruz struck
out but advanced to first on a passed ball; Cruz stole second;
Cabell flied out to right; Watson walked; Gonzalez singled to
left [Cruz scored (unearned), Watson out at third (left to third
to second to shortstop)]; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Matthews grounded out (shortstop to first);
Burroughs was called out on strikes; Nolan singled; Murphy
walked [Nolan to second]; Niekro threw a wild pitch [Nolan to
third, Murphy to second]; Hubbard flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Pujols struck out; Niekro struck out; Landestoy
singled; Leonard singled [Landestoy to second]; Puhl grounded
out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
0.

BRAVES 5TH: Gilbreath flied out to right; Niekro grounded out
(third to first); Royster grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz walked; Cruz was picked off first (pitcher to
first); Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); Watson
singled; Gonzalez forced Watson (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: Office flied out to center; Matthews singled;
Burroughs flied out to right; Nolan grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Pujols struck out; Niekro made an out to third;
Landestoy grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 7TH: Murphy grounded out (shortstop to first); Hubbard
singled; Gilbreath singled [Hubbard to second]; Niekro singled
to left [Hubbard to third, Gilbreath to second]; Royster hit
into a double play (left to second to catcher) [Hubbard out at
home]; 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard grounded out (shortstop to first); Puhl
walked; Cruz singled [Puhl to second]; Cabell grounded into a
double play (second to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 8TH: Office grounded out (second to first); Matthews
doubled; Burroughs struck out; Nolan made an out to first; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 9TH: Watson singled; SEXTON RAN FOR WATSON; Gonzalez
singled [Sexton to second]; Pujols reached on an error by
Gilbreath [Sexton out at home (third to second to first to
catcher), Gonzalez to second, Pujols to first]; Niekro made an
out to first; Landestoy forced Pujols (shortstop to second); 0
R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 9TH: BERGMAN REPLACED SEXTON (PLAYING 1B); Murphy walked;
FORSCH REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Hubbard singled [Murphy to
second]; Gilbreath made an out to first; BEALL BATTED FOR
NIEKRO; Beall grounded into a double play (second to first)
[Hubbard out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves
0.