Raising his league-leading strikeout total to 303, most ever in one season for a righthander in the N. L., J.R. Richard pitched the Astros to a 4-3 victory over the Braves. Richard also hit a homer. The Astros scored two runs in the seventh inning to win. Jose Cruz led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice by Julio Gonzalez. A pinch-double by Reggie Baldwin tallied Cruz and a single by Rafael Landestoy plated Baldwin. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Atlanta Braves 3
Game Played on Thursday, September 28, 1978 (Night game) at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Astros       0  0  2    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   4  9  2
Braves       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  2  0  -   3  5  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Braves               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy ss          4   0   2   1     0   0   .271      Royster ss            4   0   1   0     0   1   .257
Puhl cf               3   1   0   0     1   0   .291      Miller lf             3   2   0   0     0   0   .111
Leonard lf            4   0   2   0     0   1   .381      Beall 1b              3   1   2   1     1   0   .249
Watson 1b             4   0   0   0     0   2   .292      Matthews rf           3   0   1   0     1   1   .287
  Bergman 1b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .235      Office cf             4   0   1   2     0   1   .252
Cabell 3b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .294      Hubbard 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .273
Cruz rf               4   1   2   0     0   0   .312        Garber p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .071
Gonzalez 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .229      Gilbreath 3b          3   0   0   0     1   1   .244
Bochy c               4   0   1   0     0   0   .264      Benedict c            3   0   0   0     0   1   .256
Richard p             2   1   1   1     0   0   .178        Nolan ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .233
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .130      McWilliams p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .063
  Baldwin ph          1   1   1   1     0   0   .242        Whisenton ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .167
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Ruiz 2b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .275
  Forsch p            1   0   0   0     0   1   .185        Burroughs ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .302

Totals               34   4   9   3     1   4             Totals               32   3   5   3     3   6

Time of Game: 2:14   Attendance:  2,560
Left on Base: Astros 5, Braves 6
DP: Astros 0, Braves 0
Errors: Cabell, Bochy, Hubbard, Gilbreath
Doubles: Landestoy (5), Baldwin (5), Beall (7)
Home Runs: Richard (1)
Stolen Bases: Miller (3)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (9)
Sacrifice Hits: Gonzalez (5)
Hit by Pitch: Miller (1,by Andujar)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(18-11)        5     1   0   0   2   6   0  18   3.11
Andujar                 1     1   1   1   0   0   0   5   3.43
Williams                1.2   3   2   2   1   0   0   9   4.67
Forsch SV(7)            1.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   2.70
Totals                  9     5   3   3   3   6   0  36

Braves                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McWilliams L(9-3)       8     9   4   3   1   3   1  33   2.81
Garber                  1     0   0   0   0   1   0   3   2.19
Totals                  9     9   4   3   1   4   1  36

Hit by Pitch: Andujar (4)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy doubled; Puhl grounded out (first to
pitcher) [Landestoy to third]; Leonard reached on a fielder's
choice [Landestoy out at home (third to catcher)]; Watson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 1ST: Royster was called out on strikes; Miller grounded
out (second to first); Beall doubled; Matthews struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell flied out to center; Cruz grounded out
(pitcher to first); Gonzalez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Braves 0.

BRAVES 2ND: Office struck out; Hubbard flied out to left;
Gilbreath was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Braves 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Bochy flied out to right; Richard homered; Landestoy
flied out to right; Puhl walked; Leonard singled [Puhl to
second]; Watson reached on an error by Hubbard [Puhl scored
(error by Gilbreath) (unearned) (no RBI), Leonard out at home
(third to second to first to catcher), Watson to second]; 2 R (1
ER), 2 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 3RD: Benedict made an out to catcher; McWilliams struck
out; Royster grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to center; Cruz singled; Cruz was
caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Gonzalez grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Braves 0.

BRAVES 4TH: Miller grounded out (second to first); Beall walked;
Matthews forced Beall (shortstop to second); Office grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Bochy singled; Richard made an out to first;
Landestoy flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 5TH: Hubbard flied out to center; Gilbreath walked;
Benedict struck out; McWilliams grounded out (first unassisted);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Leonard was called out on strikes; Watson struck
out; Cabell flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Braves 0.

BRAVES 6TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Royster flied
out to right; Miller was hit by a pitch; Miller stole second
[Miller to third (error by Bochy)]; Beall grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Miller scored]; Matthews singled to third
[Matthews to second (error by Cabell)]; Office flied out to
right; 1 R, 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Braves 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz singled; Gonzalez out on a sacrifice bunt
(pitcher to first) [Cruz to second]; Bochy made an out to
catcher; BALDWIN BATTED FOR ANDUJAR; Baldwin doubled [Cruz
scored]; Landestoy singled [Baldwin scored]; Puhl grounded out
(first to pitcher); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 7TH: WILLIAMS REPLACED BALDWIN (PITCHING); Hubbard
grounded out (third to first); Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop
to first); Benedict grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard singled; Watson flied out to right; Cabell
made an out to shortstop; Cruz flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 1.

BRAVES 8TH: BERGMAN REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 1B); WHISENTON
BATTED FOR MCWILLIAMS; Whisenton flied out to left; Royster
singled; Miller forced Royster (pitcher to shortstop); Beall
singled [Miller to second]; Matthews walked [Miller to third,
Beall to second]; Office singled [Miller scored, Beall scored,
Matthews to third]; FORSCH REPLACED WILLIAMS (PITCHING); Hubbard
forced Office (shortstop to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 3.

ASTROS 9TH: GARBER REPLACED HUBBARD (PITCHING); RUIZ REPLACED
WHISENTON (PLAYING 2B); Gonzalez grounded out (first to
pitcher); Bochy grounded out (second to first); Forsch struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Braves 3.

BRAVES 9TH: Gilbreath grounded out (shortstop to first); NOLAN
BATTED FOR BENEDICT; Nolan flied out to center; BURROUGHS BATTED
FOR RUIZ; Burroughs flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Braves 3.