After Craig Reynolds bunted safely to open the eighth inning, Enos Cabell and Jose Cruz came through with two-out singles to supply the Astros' winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Padres. Joe Niekro held the Padres to four hits, but Gene Richards tripled and scored on an infield out by Broderick Perkins in the third and homered to tie the score in the eighth. The Astros' early runs included a circuit clout by Alan Ashby. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, San Diego Padres 2
Game Played on Friday, May       18, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  1    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  4  1
Astros       0  0  1    0  1  0    0  1  x  -   3 10  2


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Richards cf           4   2   2   1     0   0   .254      Puhl rf               3   0   1   0     0   0   .263
Perkins 1b            3   0   0   1     1   1   .306      Reynolds ss           4   1   3   0     0   0   .276
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .125      Leonard cf            4   0   1   1     0   0   .327
Turner lf             3   0   0   0     1   0   .274      Watson 1b             3   0   0   0     1   1   .259
Winfield rf           3   0   0   0     1   0   .340        Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .222
Bevacqua 3b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .308      Cabell 3b,1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .295
  Evans pr            0   0   0   0     0   0   .206      Cruz lf               4   0   2   1     0   0   .321
Tenace c              3   0   0   0     1   1   .242      Howe 2b,3b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .205
Almon 2b,ss           4   0   1   0     0   1   .295      Ashby c               3   1   2   1     0   1   .252
Smith ss              2   0   0   0     0   0   .156      Niekro p              2   1   0   0     0   1   .105
  Briggs ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .265
  Gonzalez 2b         1   0   0   0     0   0   .259
Owchinko p            1   0   0   0     1   0   .000
  Hargrove ph,1b      1   0   0   0     0   0   .176

Totals               30   2   4   2     5   4             Totals               31   3  10   3     1   3

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance:  9,445
Left on Base: Padres 6, Astros 7
DP: Padres 2, Astros 2
Errors: Bevacqua, Reynolds, Cabell
Triples: Richards (2)
Home Runs: Richards (2), Ashby (1)
Stolen Bases: Reynolds (4)
Caught Stealing: Bevacqua (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (3), Niekro (1)
GIDP: Richards (1), Watson (2), Leonard (1)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Owchinko                7     7   2   1   1   2   1  28   4.30
Fingers L(2-3)          1     3   1   1   0   1   0   6   3.82
Totals                  8    10   3   2   1   3   1  34

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(4-2)           9     4   2   2   5   4   1  35   3.03
Totals                  9     4   2   2   5   4   1  35

Wild Pitches: Niekro (3)

Umpires: HP - Dave Pallone, 1B - Jim Rains, 2B - Bob Davis, 3B - Murray Strey


PADRES 1ST: ump1b,rainj901 ump2b,davib903 ump3b,strem901
timeofgame,152 attendance,9445 Debut for umpire Bob Davis;
Richards flied out to center; Perkins struck out; Turner walked;
Winfield walked [Turner to second]; Bevacqua flied out to
center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to left; Reynolds made an out to
third; Leonard grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Tenace lined to left; Almon grounded out (pitcher to
first); Smith flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres
0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Watson walked; Cabell forced Watson (third to
second); On a bunt Cruz singled to third [Cabell to second];
Howe flied out to center; Ashby struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Owchinko lined to third; Richards tripled to center;
Perkins grounded out (shortstop to first) [Richards scored];
Turner made an out to second; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro reached on an error by Bevacqua [Niekro to
first]; Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Niekro
to second]; Reynolds singled to left [Niekro to third]; Leonard
singled to right [Niekro scored (unearned), Reynolds to second];
Watson grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to
first) [Leonard out at second]; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 1, Astros 1.

PADRES 4TH: Winfield grounded out (shortstop to first); Bevacqua
grounded out (shortstop to first); Tenace walked; Almon struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cabell flied out to center; Cruz grounded out
(pitcher to first); Howe made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 1.

PADRES 5TH: Smith grounded out (first unassisted); Owchinko
walked; Richards grounded into a double play (second to
shortstop to first) [Owchinko out at second]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Ashby homered; Niekro struck out; Puhl singled to
first; Reynolds singled to center [Puhl to third]; Leonard
grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first)
[Reynolds out at second]; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1,
Astros 2.

PADRES 6TH: Perkins grounded out (second to first); Turner
grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Winfield grounded out
(catcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Watson grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
grounded out (third to first); Cruz grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 2.

PADRES 7TH: Bevacqua reached on an error by Reynolds [Bevacqua
to first]; Tenace struck out while Bevacqua was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Almon singled to third [Almon to
second (error by Cabell)]; BRIGGS BATTED FOR SMITH; Briggs
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 7TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED BRIGGS (PLAYING 2B); ALMON CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING SS); Howe flied out to center; Ashby singled
to left; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to second)
[Ashby to second]; Puhl grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 1, Astros 2.

PADRES 8TH: HARGROVE BATTED FOR OWCHINKO; Hargrove lined to
third; Richards homered; Perkins walked; Turner flied out to
right; Winfield lined to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: HARGROVE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); FINGERS
REPLACED PERKINS (PITCHING); Reynolds singled to third; Reynolds
stole second; Leonard flied out to left; Watson struck out;
Cabell singled to third [Reynolds to third]; Cruz singled to
center [Reynolds scored, Cabell to third]; Howe made an out to
second; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.

PADRES 9TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED WATSON (PLAYING 2B); HOWE CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B); CABELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B);
Bevacqua singled to center; EVANS RAN FOR BEVACQUA; Niekro threw
a wild pitch [Evans to second]; Tenace flied out to center;
Almon made an out to third; Gonzalez made an out to shortstop; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 2, Astros 3.