John Denny, who had not been a winner since the opening day of the season, pitched the Cardinals to a 5-2 victory over the Astros. Denny's route-going performance ended a string of 18 games in which the Cardinals were forced to go to their bullpen. Tony Scott had three hits in the game for the sixth time this season as the Cardinals handed Ken Forsch his first defeat of the season. [The Sporting News]



St. Louis Cardinals 5, Houston Astros 2
Game Played on Wednesday, May       2, 1979 (Night game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  8  2
Cardinals    1  0  0    0  2  0    0  2  x  -   5  9  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .277      Templeton ss          4   0   1   1     0   1   .302
Reynolds ss           2   1   1   0     2   0   .284      Scott cf              4   2   3   0     0   0   .333
Cedeno cf             4   0   1   1     0   0   .303      Hernandez 1b          2   1   0   1     1   0   .213
Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     1   1   .325      Simmons c             4   0   2   1     0   0   .286
Cabell 3b             3   0   1   0     1   0   .291      Hendrick rf           3   0   1   1     0   0   .279
Watson 1b             4   1   1   1     0   0   .265      Iorg lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .263
Howe 2b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .202        Mumphrey pr,lf      0   0   0   0     0   0   .143
Ashby c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .230      Reitz 3b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .300
Forsch p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .105      Tyson 2b              3   1   1   1     0   0   .255
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143      Denny p               3   0   0   0     0   1   .000

Totals               31   2   8   2     4   1             Totals               31   5   9   5     1   2

Time of Game: 1:57   Attendance:  5,190
Left on Base: Astros 7, Cardinals 5
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 2
Errors: Reynolds, Ashby
Doubles: Cedeno (8), Tyson (3)
Triples: Scott (5)
Home Runs: Watson (1)
Stolen Bases: Cruz (9), Scott (5)
Caught Stealing: Templeton (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Forsch (2)
Sacrifice Flies: Hernandez (2), Hendrick (1)
GIDP: Watson (1), Cedeno (4)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch L(3-1)           8     9   5   3   1   2   0  34   2.47
Totals                  8     9   5   3   1   2   0  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Denny W(2-2)            9     8   2   2   4   1   1  36   3.00
Totals                  9     8   2   2   4   1   1  36

Wild Pitches: Denny (1)
Balks: Denny (1)

Umpires: HP - Jim Jones, 1B - Dave Pallone, 2B - Bob Sharp, 3B - Bob Freels


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (first to pitcher); Reynolds
walked; Denny balked [Reynolds to second]; Cedeno doubled to
left [Reynolds scored]; Denny threw a wild pitch [Cedeno to
third]; Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Cabell was walked
intentionally; Watson grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Cabell out at second]; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton grounded out (first unassisted); Scott
tripled to center; Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Scott scored]; Simmons popped to third; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe flied out to left; Ashby singled to center;
Forsch out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Ashby to
second]; Puhl grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hendrick singled to third; Iorg flied out to
left; Reitz flied out to center; Tyson popped to shortstop; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Reynolds walked; Cedeno grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Reynolds out at second]; Cruz
singled to center; Cabell singled to shortstop [Cruz out at
third (first to shortstop)]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 3RD: Denny struck out; Templeton struck out; Scott
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
1, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Watson homered; Howe grounded out (shortstop to
first); Ashby singled to center; Forsch forced Ashby (first to
shortstop); Puhl forced Forsch (second to shortstop); 1 R, 2 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 4TH: Hernandez grounded out (first unassisted);
Simmons flied out to right; Hendrick popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Reynolds singled to center; Cedeno grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Reynolds to second]; Cruz struck out;
Cabell grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 5TH: Iorg reached on an error by Reynolds [Iorg to
first]; Reitz grounded out (first unassisted) [Iorg to second];
Tyson doubled to left [Iorg scored (unearned)]; Denny grounded
out (second to first) [Tyson to third]; Templeton singled to
center [Tyson scored (unearned)]; Templeton was caught stealing
second (catcher to shortstop); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson flied out to center; Howe grounded out
(second to first); Ashby flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 6TH: Scott singled to left; Hernandez forced Scott
(first to shortstop); Simmons singled to right [Hernandez to
second]; Hendrick flied out to left; Iorg grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 7TH: Forsch grounded out (third to first); Puhl flied out
to center; Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 7TH: Reitz grounded out (pitcher to first); Tyson
grounded out (shortstop to first); Denny lined to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno flied out to center; Cruz grounded out
(second to first); Cabell grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 3.

CARDINALS 8TH: Templeton grounded out (shortstop to first);
Scott singled to left; Scott stole second [Scott to third (error
by Ashby)]; Hernandez was walked intentionally; Simmons singled
to right [Scott scored, Hernandez to third]; Hendrick lined out
on a sacrifice fly to center [Hernandez scored]; Iorg singled to
left [Simmons to second]; MUMPHREY RAN FOR IORG; Reitz forced
Mumphrey (third to second); 2 R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 5.

ASTROS 9TH: MUMPHREY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Watson
grounded out (second to first); Howe singled to left; Ashby
flied out to left; WALLING BATTED FOR FORSCH; Walling lined to
shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 5.