A two-run homer by Terry Puhl capped a four-run ninth inning that carried the Astros to a 6-5 come-from-behind triumph over the Cardinals. The Cards led, 4-2, entering the ninth and brought on Tom Bruno to assume the mound chores. A leadoff double by Enos Cabell and successive singles by Bob Watson and Art Howe quickly sent Bruno to the showers in favor of Buddy Schultz.

A sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Jeff Leonard tied the game and, one out later, Puhl unloaded over the right field wall. The Cards filled the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth but could get only one run. Free tickets for a "Busch Basch" promotion swelled the attendance to 50,983 for the game. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 6, St. Louis Cardinals 5
Game Played on Monday, April     30, 1979 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       2  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  4  -   6 10  0
Cardinals    0  2  0    0  1  0    0  1  1  -   5 11  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               5   2   2   2     0   1   .308      Templeton ss          5   0   1   0     0   0   .302
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .284      Brock lf              4   1   3   0     0   0   .314
Cedeno cf             3   0   0   0     1   1   .300        Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz lf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .315        Schultz p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b,1b          2   1   1   0     2   0   .295        Carbo ph            0   0   0   1     0   0   .167
Watson 1b             4   0   2   1     0   1   .267      Hernandez 1b          5   0   0   0     0   0   .232
  Sexton pr,2b        0   1   0   0     0   0   .000      Simmons c             3   0   0   0     1   0   .257
Howe 2b,3b            4   1   1   1     0   0   .213      Hendrick rf           4   1   2   1     0   0   .267
Ashby c               3   0   0   0     0   1   .204      Scott cf              4   1   1   1     0   1   .321
  Leonard ph          0   0   0   1     0   0   .357      Reitz 3b              3   1   2   1     1   0   .324
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Oberkfell pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .333
Ruhle p               2   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Tyson 2b              2   0   1   1     1   0   .262
  Landestoy ph        1   0   1   0     0   0   .286        Iorg ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .273
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .111
  Bochy ph,c          1   0   0   0     0   0   .176        Knowles p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Mumphrey lf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .167

Totals               33   6  10   6     3   6             Totals               35   5  11   5     3   2

Time of Game: 2:56   Attendance: 10,778
Left on Base: Astros 5, Cardinals 7
DP: Astros 1, Cardinals 1
Doubles: Cruz (6), Cabell (4), Hendrick (4), Scott (4), Tyson (2), Reitz (9)
Triples: Brock (1)
Home Runs: Puhl (2), Reitz (1)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (9), Cedeno (3)
Caught Stealing: Brock (2)
Sacrifice Hits: Reynolds (8)
Sacrifice Flies: Leonard (4), Carbo (2)
GIDP: Cedeno (3), Knowles (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruhle                   6     6   3   3   0   0   1  23   2.75
Sambito W(2-0)          2     3   1   1   2   1   0  10   1.23
Andujar SV(2)           1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   1.66
Totals                  9    11   5   5   3   2   1  39

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  6.2   6   2   2   3   4   0  27   4.60
Knowles                 1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   4.76
Bruno L(1-1)            0     3   3   3   0   0   0   3   2.13
Schultz                 1     1   1   1   0   0   1   4   5.19
Totals                  9    10   6   6   3   6   1  38

Umpires: HP - Bob Sharp, 1B - Dave Pallone, 2B - Joe Bendekovits, 3B - Bob Freels


ASTROS 1ST: Debut for umpire Bob Freels; Puhl singled to
center; Reynolds out on a sacrifice bunt (catcher to first)
[Puhl to second]; Cedeno struck out; Cruz doubled to left [Puhl
scored]; Cabell walked; Watson singled to center [Cruz scored,
Watson out at second (right to shortstop to third to
shortstop)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton grounded out (shortstop to first);
Brock grounded out (second to first); Hernandez popped to
shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe popped to third in foul territory; Ashby struck
out; Ruhle grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Simmons grounded out (second to pitcher);
Hendrick doubled to left; Scott doubled to right [Hendrick
scored]; Reitz popped to shortstop; Tyson doubled to left [Scott
scored]; Forsch grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl flied out to left; Reynolds singled to second;
Cedeno grounded into a double play (pitcher to second to first)
[Reynolds out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 3RD: Templeton grounded out (second to first); Brock
singled to left; Brock was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Hernandez flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz singled to right; Cabell forced Cruz (shortstop
unassisted); Cabell stole second; Watson struck out; Howe
grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 4TH: Simmons popped to first in foul territory;
Hendrick grounded out (third to first); Scott grounded out
(first unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Ashby grounded out (second to first); Ruhle was
called out on strikes; Puhl grounded out (pitcher unassisted); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 2.

CARDINALS 5TH: Reitz homered; Tyson flied out to center; Forsch
lined to left; Templeton grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Reynolds lined to first; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole
second; Cruz flied out to left; Cabell walked; Watson forced
Cabell (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Brock singled to center; Hernandez flied out to
center; Simmons grounded out (second to first) [Brock to
second]; Hendrick flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Howe grounded out (shortstop to first); Ashby lined
to second; LANDESTOY BATTED FOR RUHLE; Landestoy singled to
center; KNOWLES REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); Puhl struck out; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 7TH: SAMBITO REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Scott
struck out; Reitz doubled to left; Tyson was walked
intentionally; Knowles grounded into a double play (pitcher to
third to second) [Reitz out at third, Tyson out at second]; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Reynolds struck out; Cedeno grounded out (third to
first); Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 8TH: Templeton grounded out (shortstop to first);
Brock tripled to left; Hernandez grounded out (first
unassisted); Simmons walked; Hendrick singled to center [Brock
scored, Simmons to second]; Scott popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 4.

ASTROS 9TH: BRUNO REPLACED BROCK (PITCHING); MUMPHREY REPLACED
KNOWLES (PLAYING LF); Cabell doubled to left; Watson singled to
right [Cabell to third]; SEXTON RAN FOR WATSON; Howe singled to
center [Cabell scored, Sexton to third]; SCHULTZ REPLACED BRUNO
(PITCHING); LEONARD BATTED FOR ASHBY; Leonard hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Sexton scored]; BOCHY BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Bochy
flied out to center; Puhl homered [Howe scored]; Reynolds
grounded out (third to first); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 6,
Cardinals 4.

CARDINALS 9TH: SEXTON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); CABELL
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); HOWE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING
3B); ANDUJAR REPLACED LEONARD (PITCHING); BOCHY STAYED IN GAME
(PLAYING C ); Reitz walked; OBERKFELL RAN FOR REITZ; IORG BATTED
FOR TYSON; Iorg singled to right [Oberkfell to second]; Mumphrey
struck out; Templeton singled to right [Oberkfell to third, Iorg
to second]; CARBO BATTED FOR SCHULTZ; Carbo hit a sacrifice fly
to center [Oberkfell scored]; Hernandez grounded out (first to
pitcher); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 6, Cardinals 5.