Enos Cabell hit a homer and Alan Ashby drove in two runs with a double and single to provide the Astros with a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Joe Niekro, after four failures, gained credit for his second victory of the season, pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing seven hits. Lou Brock and Keith Hernandez had three apiece. Brock's hits brought his career total to 2,920. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1
Game Played on Thursday, May       3, 1979 (Day game) at Busch Stadium II
Astros       0  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  2  -   4 14  1
Cardinals    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   1  7  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cardinals            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf               5   0   3   0     0   1   .292      Templeton ss          4   0   0   0     0   0   .290
Reynolds ss           5   0   1   0     0   1   .280      Brock lf              4   0   3   1     0   0   .339
Cedeno cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .296        Littell p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz lf               4   0   2   0     0   0   .333        Knowles p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Leonard lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .357        Bruno p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cabell 3b,1b          4   1   2   1     0   0   .300      Hernandez 1b          4   0   3   0     0   0   .237
Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     0   0   .256      Simmons c             4   0   0   0     0   1   .272
  Landestoy 2b        1   1   1   0     0   0   .375      Hendrick rf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .268
Howe 2b,3b            3   2   2   0     1   0   .218      Scott cf              4   0   0   0     0   1   .320
Ashby c               4   0   2   2     0   0   .246      Reitz 3b              3   0   1   0     0   0   .301
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   2   .000        Oberkfell pr,3b     1   1   0   0     0   0   .313
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .500      Tyson 2b              3   0   0   0     0   0   .240
  Gonzalez ph         1   0   0   1     0   0   .000      Vuckovich p           2   0   0   0     0   1   .286
  Andujar p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Iorg ph,lf          0   0   0   0     1   0   .263

Totals               38   4  14   4     1   4             Totals               32   1   7   1     2   3

Time of Game: 2:28   Attendance:  7,530
Left on Base: Astros 8, Cardinals 6
DP: Astros 0, Cardinals 2
Errors: Cruz, Templeton, Knowles
Doubles: Ashby (3), Hernandez (9), Reitz (10)
Triples: Cruz (3)
Home Runs: Cabell (2)
Stolen Bases: Cabell (11)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (6), Brock 2 (4)
GIDP: Cabell (1)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(2-2)           7.2   7   1   1   1   2   0  29   3.57
Sambito                 0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.24
Andujar SV(3)           1     0   0   0   1   1   0   4   1.46
Totals                  9     7   1   1   2   3   0  34

Cardinals              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Vuckovich L(2-1)        8    11   2   2   0   3   1  32   2.25
Littell                 0     1   2   2   1   0   0   2   3.29
Knowles                 0.2   2   0   0   0   1   0   4   4.05
Bruno                   0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   3.95
Totals                  9    14   4   4   1   4   1  39

Wild Pitches: Niekro (2)

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


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to right; Puhl was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Reynolds flied out to center; Cedeno
singled to left; Cruz grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 1ST: Templeton lined to center; Brock grounded out
(pitcher to first); Hernandez doubled to center; Simmons
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cabell singled to center; Cabell stole second;
Watson flied out to center [Cabell to third]; Howe grounded out
(pitcher to first); Ashby popped to third in foul territory; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 2ND: Hendrick grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott
grounded out (second to first); Reitz grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro struck out; Puhl singled to first; Reynolds
singled to center [Puhl to second]; Cedeno lined into a double
play (third unassisted) [Puhl out at third]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 3RD: Tyson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Vuckovich grounded out (shortstop to first); Templeton grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Cardinals
0.

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

CARDINALS 4TH: Brock singled to shortstop; Brock was caught
stealing second (catcher to shortstop); Hernandez singled to
left [Hernandez to second (error by Cruz)]; Simmons struck out;
Hendrick flied out to right; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Niekro flied out to left; Puhl grounded out (third
to first); Reynolds grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 5TH: Scott flied out to center; Reitz grounded out
(shortstop to first); Tyson grounded out (third to first); 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
singled to center; Cabell grounded into a double play (third to
second to first) [Cruz out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 6TH: Vuckovich struck out; Templeton flied out to
right; Brock singled to center; Brock was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Watson grounded out (first unassisted); Howe singled
to left; Ashby doubled to left [Howe scored]; Niekro struck out;
Puhl struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 7TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 2B); HOWE
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING 1B); Hernandez singled to center; Niekro threw a wild
pitch [Hernandez to second]; Simmons flied out to center;
Hendrick grounded out (pitcher to first) [Hernandez to third];
Scott popped to third; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2,
Cardinals 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Reynolds grounded out (first unassisted); Cedeno
flied out to left; Cruz tripled to right; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 0.

CARDINALS 8TH: LEONARD REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING LF); Reitz doubled
to right; OBERKFELL RAN FOR REITZ; Tyson flied out to center;
IORG BATTED FOR VUCKOVICH; Iorg walked; Templeton popped to
first in foul territory; Brock singled to left [Oberkfell
scored, Iorg to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Hernandez popped to third in foul territory; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 2, Cardinals 1.

ASTROS 9TH: IORG STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); OBERKFELL STAYED
IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); LITTELL REPLACED BROCK (PITCHING);
Landestoy singled to center; Howe walked [Landestoy to second];
KNOWLES REPLACED LITTELL (PITCHING); Howe was picked off first
but was safe on an error by Knowles [Landestoy to third, Howe to
second]; Ashby singled to right [Landestoy scored, Howe to
third]; GONZALEZ BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Gonzalez grounded out
(third to first) [Howe scored, Ashby to second]; Puhl singled to
right [Ashby to third]; Reynolds was called out on strikes;
BRUNO REPLACED KNOWLES (PITCHING); Cedeno forced Puhl (shortstop
to second); 2 R, 3 H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cardinals 1.

CARDINALS 9TH: ANDUJAR REPLACED GONZALEZ (PITCHING); Simmons
grounded out (second to first); Hendrick walked; Scott struck
out; Oberkfell flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
4, Cardinals 1.