Splitting a doubleheader, the Reds ran away with the first game, 17-5, and the Astros won the second game, 8-2. In the opener, Champ Summers led the Reds' assault with four hits, including a homer, and drove in five runs. Joe Morgan, with a homer and single and three RBIs, and Cesar Geronimo, with three hits including a bases-loaded double, shared the hitting honors with Summers.

Making his first start in three years, Frank Riccelli pitched a five-hitter for eight innings and doubled in three runs to pace the Astros in the nightcap. A walk to Cesar Cedeno, double by Jeff Leonard and singles by Enos Cabell and Bob Watson gave the Astros two runs in the fourth inning and they added three more in the fifth, two on a bases-loaded single by Cabell. Riccelli's two-bagger came after a single by Watson, an error and a hit batsman had filled the sacks. [The Sporting News]

Cincinnati Reds 17, Houston Astros 5 (Game 1)

Game Played on Sunday, May 6, 1979 (Night game) at Riverfront Stadium

Astros       4  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   5  9  2
Reds         5  2  0    0  0  3    6  1  x  -  17 17  0


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl rf,cf            5   0   1   1     0   0   .292      Griffey rf            6   2   3   3     0   1   .377
Reynolds ss           5   0   0   0     0   0   .281      Concepcion ss         4   2   2   2     1   1   .324
Cedeno cf             3   1   0   0     1   1   .288        Auerbach pr,ss      1   1   0   0     0   1   .188
  Alou rf             1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Morgan 2b             4   2   2   3     1   0   .322
Cruz lf               4   1   1   0     0   0   .323        Kennedy 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
  Walling lf          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Foster lf             4   1   0   0     1   1   .353
Cabell 3b             4   1   2   1     0   1   .301      Summers 1b            4   2   4   5     1   0   .280
  Sexton 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Knight 3b             5   0   0   0     0   0   .301
Watson 1b             3   1   1   3     1   0   .247      Bench c               4   2   1   0     1   0   .208
Howe 2b               3   0   1   0     0   0   .224      Geronimo cf           5   3   3   3     0   0   .196
  Gonzalez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Bonham p              1   0   0   0     0   1   .000
Ashby c               4   1   1   0     0   1   .234        DeFreites ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Richard p             1   0   1   0     0   0   .200        Borbon p            3   2   2   0     0   1   .400
  Williams p          0   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Landestoy ph        1   0   0   0     0   0   .273
  McLaughlin p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Wilson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Leonard ph          1   0   1   0     0   0   .400

Totals               35   5   9   5     3   3             Totals               42  17  17  16     5   6

Time of Game: 2:48
Left on Base: Astros 7, Reds 6
DP: Astros 0, Reds 1
Errors: Reynolds 2
Doubles: Cabell (5), Ashby (5), Griffey (9)
Triples: Geronimo (2)
Home Runs: Watson (2), Concepcion (2), Morgan (3), Summers (1)
Stolen Bases: Concepcion (5)
GIDP: Ashby (2)
Hit by Pitch: Howe (1,by Bonham)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(4-1)          1.1   4   7   3   3   3   2  12   3.21
Williams                3.2   2   0   0   0   0   0  13   0.00
McLaughlin              0     3   3   3   1   0   0   4  12.46
Wilson                  3     8   7   6   1   3   1  18  11.05
Totals                  8    17  17  12   5   6   3  47

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham                  3     5   4   4   2   1   1  17   4.50
Borbon W(1-0)           6     4   1   1   1   2   0  22   2.70
Totals                  9     9   5   5   3   3   1  39

Passed Balls: Ashby (3)
Hit by Pitch: Bonham (1)

Umpires: HP - Dick Tremblay, 1B - Bob Nelson, 2B - Hank Rountree, 3B - Les Treitel


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to center; Reynolds flied out to
center; Cedeno walked; Cruz singled to second [Cedeno to
second]; Cabell singled to right [Cedeno scored, Cruz to third];
Watson homered [Cruz scored, Cabell scored]; Howe was hit by a
pitch; Ashby flied out to left; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4,
Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Griffey struck out; Concepcion struck out but advanced
to first on a passed ball; Concepcion stole second; Morgan
walked; Foster walked [Concepcion to third, Morgan to second];
Summers singled to right [Concepcion scored (unearned), Morgan
scored (unearned), Foster to second]; Knight flied out to
center; Bench walked [Foster to third, Summers to second];
Geronimo tripled to right [Foster scored, Summers scored
(unearned), Bench scored (unearned)]; Bonham struck out; 5 R (1
ER), 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 5.

ASTROS 2ND: Richard singled to center; Puhl popped to shortstop;
Reynolds forced Richard (second to shortstop); Cedeno grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 5.

REDS 2ND: Griffey flied out to right; Concepcion homered; Morgan
homered; WILLIAMS REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Foster grounded
out (shortstop to first); Summers singled to second; Knight
forced Summers (second unassisted); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Cabell doubled
to right; Watson walked; Howe forced Watson (third to second)
[Cabell to third]; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 4, Reds 7.

REDS 3RD: Bench grounded out (second to first); Geronimo flied
out to center; DEFREITES BATTED FOR BONHAM; DeFreites grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds
7.

ASTROS 4TH: BORBON REPLACED DEFREITES (PITCHING); Williams
walked; Puhl grounded out (second to first) [Williams to
second]; Reynolds grounded out (second to first) [Williams to
third]; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds
7.

REDS 4TH: Griffey flied out to left; Concepcion flied out to
right; Morgan flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first); Cabell struck
out; Watson flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4,
Reds 7.

REDS 5TH: Foster popped to second; Summers singled to first;
Knight popped to shortstop; Bench flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Reds 7.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe popped to catcher in foul territory; Ashby
doubled to left; LANDESTOY BATTED FOR WILLIAMS; Landestoy flied
out to left; Puhl singled to center [Ashby scored]; Reynolds
forced Puhl (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros
5, Reds 7.

REDS 6TH: MCLAUGHLIN REPLACED LANDESTOY (PITCHING); Geronimo
singled to left; On a bunt Borbon singled [Geronimo to second];
Griffey singled to left [Geronimo scored, Borbon to second];
Concepcion walked [Borbon to third, Griffey to second]; WILSON
REPLACED MCLAUGHLIN (PITCHING); Morgan singled to right [Borbon
scored, Griffey scored, Concepcion to third, Morgan out at
second (right to second)]; Foster struck out; Summers walked;
Knight flied out to right; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds
10.

ASTROS 7TH: Cedeno grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded
out (second to first); Cabell grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 10.

REDS 7TH: WALLING REPLACED CRUZ (PLAYING LF); Bench singled to
right; Geronimo singled to right [Bench to second]; On a bunt
Borbon singled [Bench scored (error by Reynolds) (no RBI),
Geronimo to third, Borbon to second]; Griffey singled to second
[Geronimo scored, Borbon to third]; Concepcion singled to center
[Borbon scored, Griffey to second]; AUERBACH RAN FOR CONCEPCION;
Morgan popped to first; Foster popped to third in foul
territory; Summers homered [Griffey scored, Auerbach scored];
Knight grounded out (shortstop to first); 6 R, 6 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 5, Reds 16.

ASTROS 8TH: AUERBACH STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING SS); KENNEDY
REPLACED MORGAN (PLAYING 2B); Watson popped to second; Howe
singled; Ashby grounded into a double play (shortstop to second
to first) [Howe out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 5,
Reds 16.

REDS 8TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); ALOU REPLACED
CEDENO (PLAYING RF); PUHL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); SEXTON
REPLACED CABELL (PLAYING 3B); Bench popped to catcher in foul
territory; Geronimo reached on an error by Reynolds [Geronimo to
first]; Borbon struck out; Griffey doubled to left [Geronimo
scored (unearned)]; Auerbach struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 17.

ASTROS 9TH: LEONARD BATTED FOR WILSON; Leonard singled to
center; Puhl flied out to left; Reynolds forced Leonard (second
to shortstop); Alou popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 5, Reds 17.

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