Jose Cruz drove in eight runs as the Astros toppled the Giants in a doubleheader, 4-3 and 9-1. The Astros snapped a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning of the opener when Terry Puhl singled, stole second, went to third on an infield out and scored on a grounder by Denny Walling.

The Astros breezed in the nightcap. A two-run single by Enos Cabell in the first inning started the rout and Cruz clouted a homer in the fifth to make the score 5-0. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, San Francisco Giants 3 (Game 1)
Game Played on Sunday, April     15, 1979 (Day game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       0  0  0    3  0  1    0  0  0  -   4  6  0
Giants       0  0  1    0  2  0    0  0  0  -   3  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf,rf            4   2   2   0     0   0   .270      North cf              2   2   1   0     2   1   .171
Reynolds ss           4   1   1   0     0   0   .171      Whitfield lf          4   1   3   0     0   0   .342
Walling rf            3   0   0   2     0   0   .000      Madlock 2b            3   0   1   2     0   0   .132
  Leonard ph,cf       0   0   0   0     1   0   .600      Clark rf              4   0   1   0     0   1   .324
Cruz lf               4   1   1   2     0   0   .250      Evans 3b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .297
Cabell 3b,1b          3   0   1   0     1   0   .273      Ivie 1b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .361
Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     0   1   .179      Hill c                4   0   0   0     0   2   .118
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Metzger ss            3   0   0   0     0   0   .194
Howe 2b,3b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .200        Cruz ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Ashby c               4   0   1   0     0   1   .269      Montefusco p          2   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Herndon ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
  Landestoy 2b        1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Roberts p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            McCovey ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .750

Totals               32   4   6   4     3   5             Totals               33   3   8   2     2   8

Time of Game: 2:43
Left on Base: Astros 4, Giants 6
DP: Astros 0, Giants 2
Errors: Madlock
Doubles: Reynolds (2), Whitfield (4)
Home Runs: Cruz (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (5), Puhl (2), Cruz (5), North (2)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (2), Whitfield (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Madlock (2)
GIDP: Richard (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard W(3-0)          6     7   3   3   2   5   0  26   2.21
Sambito SV(1)           3     1   0   0   0   3   0  10   0.00
Totals                  9     8   3   3   2   8   0  36

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Montefusco L(1-2)       7     6   4   4   0   2   1  26   4.12
Roberts                 2     0   0   0   3   3   0   9   0.00
Totals                  9     6   4   4   3   5   1  35

Wild Pitches: Richard (9)

Umpires: HP - Roy Roth, 1B - Fred Brocklander, 2B - Jim Cuneo, 3B - Tony Patch


ASTROS 1ST: On a bunt Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first);
Reynolds grounded out (second to first); Walling flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: North was called out on strikes; Whitfield singled
to right; Madlock flied to left in foul territory; Whitfield was
caught stealing second (catcher to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz popped to catcher in foul territory; Cabell
singled to left; Cabell stole second; Watson grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Cabell to third]; Cabell was caught stealing
home (catcher unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: Clark struck out; Evans singled to right; Ivie
singled to left [Evans to second]; Hill struck out; Metzger
popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
0, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby
singled to center; Richard grounded into a double play (first to
shortstop to first) [Ashby out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 0, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: Montefusco grounded out (third to first); North
walked; Whitfield singled to right [North to third]; Madlock hit
a sacrifice fly to center [North scored]; Clark singled to left
[Whitfield to second]; Evans flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 0, Giants 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl singled to left; Reynolds doubled to right
[Puhl to third]; Walling grounded out (pitcher to first to
pitcher) [Puhl scored, Reynolds to third]; Cruz homered
[Reynolds scored]; Cabell flied out to center; Watson struck
out; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

GIANTS 4TH: Ivie grounded out (third to first); Hill was called
out on strikes; Metzger grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Howe grounded out (third to first); Ashby lined to
second; Richard struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Giants 1.

GIANTS 5TH: Montefusco struck out; North walked; Whitfield
doubled to right [North to third]; Madlock singled to right
[North scored, Whitfield to third]; Richard threw a wild pitch
[Whitfield scored, Madlock to second]; Clark grounded out (third
to first); Evans flied out to right; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 3, Giants 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl singled to center; Puhl stole second; Reynolds
grounded out (first unassisted) [Puhl to third]; Walling reached
on a fielder's choice [Puhl scored]; Cruz reached on an error by
Madlock [Walling to third, Cruz to first]; Cruz stole second;
Cabell hit into a double play (right to shortstop) [Cruz out at
third]; 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 6TH: Ivie popped to first in foul territory; Hill flied
out to center; Metzger grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson popped to catcher in foul territory; Howe
grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 7TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED RICHARD (PLAYING 2B); SAMBITO
REPLACED WATSON (PITCHING); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
1B); HOWE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); HERNDON BATTED FOR
MONTEFUSCO; Herndon was called out on strikes; North singled to
center; North stole second; Whitfield flied to left in foul
territory; Madlock grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 8TH: ROBERTS REPLACED HERNDON (PITCHING); Landestoy
struck out; Puhl made an out to first; Reynolds flied out to
left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 8TH: Clark popped to catcher in foul territory; Evans
made an out to second; Ivie struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Giants 3.

ASTROS 9TH: LEONARD BATTED FOR WALLING; Leonard walked; Cruz
grounded out (pitcher to first) [Leonard to second]; Cabell was
walked intentionally; Sambito walked [Leonard to third, Cabell
to second]; Howe struck out; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 4, Giants 3.

GIANTS 9TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING CF); PUHL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); Hill grounded out (second to first);
CRUZ BATTED FOR METZGER; Cruz struck out; MCCOVEY BATTED FOR
ROBERTS; McCovey lined to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Giants 3.