Joe Niekro, with relief help from Bert Roberge, won his seventh straight game to become the league's first eight-game winner as the Astros completed the series sweep over the Expos, posting a 5-4 victory. The Astros scored four runs in the third frame. Rafael Landestoy walked, Niekro sacrificed and Terry Puhl got an infield single.

After Craig Reynolds and Jose Cruz each singled a run across, a double by Jeff Leonard drove home two more. The eventual winning marker came in the sixth when Art Howe singled, moved up on a sacrifice and tallied on a single by Landestoy. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 5, Montreal Expos 4
Game Played on Sunday, June      3, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Expos        0  0  2    0  1  0    1  0  0  -   4  9  0
Astros       0  0  4    0  0  1    0  0  x  -   5 10  1


Expos                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Dawson cf             4   0   2   2     0   0   .268      Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     0   0   .269
Scott 2b              4   0   0   0     0   0   .216      Reynolds ss           4   1   2   1     0   2   .297
Cromartie lf          4   0   1   0     0   0   .323      Cedeno 1b             4   1   1   0     0   2   .268
Perez 1b              4   0   0   0     0   1   .280      Cruz lf               4   1   1   1     0   1   .299
Carter c              4   0   0   0     0   0   .301      Leonard rf            4   0   1   2     0   0   .319
Valentine rf          4   1   1   0     0   0   .255      Howe 3b               4   1   2   0     0   0   .209
Parrish 3b            4   1   2   1     0   0   .277      Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   1   .223
Speier ss             3   1   2   0     0   0   .248      Landestoy 2b          3   1   1   1     1   0   .184
Rogers p              1   1   0   0     0   0   .241      Niekro p              2   0   1   0     0   0   .129
  Hutton ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .235        Roberge p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  May p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  White ph            1   0   1   0     0   0   .271
  Fryman p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   4   9   3     0   1             Totals               31   5  10   5     2   6

Time of Game: 2:32   Attendance: 33,821
Left on Base: Expos 3, Astros 6
DP: Expos 1, Astros 2
Errors: Cruz
Doubles: Leonard (4)
Home Runs: Parrish (2)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (12)
Caught Stealing: Reynolds (3)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (3), Ashby (1)
GIDP: Scott (2)


Expos                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Rogers L(5-3)           4     6   4   4   1   3   0  19   2.85
May                     2     3   1   1   0   1   0   9   3.94
Fryman                  2     1   0   0   1   2   0   7   1.86
Totals                  8    10   5   5   2   6   0  35

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(8-2)           7.1   9   4   4   0   1   1  30   2.70
Roberge SV(1)           1.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   4   0.00
Totals                  9     9   4   4   0   1   1  34

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Jim Quick, 3B - Ed Vargo


EXPOS 1ST: Dawson grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott flied
out to center; Cromartie flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (shortstop to first); Reynolds
struck out; Cedeno struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0,
Astros 0.

EXPOS 2ND: Perez grounded out (first unassisted); Carter popped
to third in foul territory; Valentine flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz flied out to left; Leonard made an out to
first; Howe singled to pitcher; Ashby grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 0, Astros 0.

EXPOS 3RD: Parrish singled to center; Speier singled to right
[Parrish to third]; Rogers reached on a fielder's choice
[Parrish out at home (pitcher to third), Speier to second];
Dawson singled to center [Speier scored, Rogers to third]; Scott
grounded into a double play (first to second to first) [Rogers
scored (no RBI), Dawson out at second]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Expos 2, Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Landestoy walked; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Landestoy to second]; Puhl singled to third
[Landestoy to third]; Reynolds singled to right [Landestoy
scored, Puhl to second]; Cedeno forced Puhl (shortstop to third)
[Reynolds to second]; Cruz singled to left [Reynolds scored,
Cedeno to second]; Leonard doubled to right [Cedeno scored, Cruz
scored]; Howe grounded out (third to first); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 4.

EXPOS 4TH: Cromartie lined to second; Perez struck out; Carter
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos
2, Astros 4.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby struck out; Landestoy grounded out (second to
first); Niekro singled to right; Puhl flied out to center; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 2, Astros 4.

EXPOS 5TH: Valentine singled to left; Parrish flied out to
right; Speier singled to center [Valentine to third]; HUTTON
BATTED FOR ROGERS; Hutton popped to third in foul territory;
Dawson singled to left [Valentine scored, Speier to third,
Dawson to second (error by Cruz)]; Scott made an out to third; 1
R, 3 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 5TH: MAY REPLACED HUTTON (PITCHING); Reynolds was called
out on strikes; Cedeno singled to third; Cedeno stole second;
Cruz grounded out (pitcher to first) [Cedeno to third]; Leonard
lined to shortstop; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 4.

EXPOS 6TH: Cromartie flied out to left; Perez flied out to
center; Carter grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 4.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe singled to right; Ashby out on a sacrifice bunt
(second unassisted) [Howe to second]; Landestoy singled to
center [Howe scored, Landestoy to second (on throw to home)];
Niekro flied out to center [Landestoy to third]; Puhl flied out
to left; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 3, Astros 5.

EXPOS 7TH: Valentine flied out to right; Parrish homered; Speier
flied out to left; WHITE BATTED FOR MAY; White singled to
center; Dawson flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos
4, Astros 5.

ASTROS 7TH: FRYMAN REPLACED WHITE (PITCHING); Reynolds singled
to pitcher; Cedeno was called out on strikes; Cruz struck out
while Reynolds was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4, Astros 5.

EXPOS 8TH: Scott flied out to center; Cromartie singled to
center; ROBERGE REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING); Perez lined into a
double play (second to first) [Cromartie out at first]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4, Astros 5.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard popped to first in foul territory; Howe
flied out to left; Ashby walked; Landestoy flied out to right; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Expos 4, Astros 5.

EXPOS 9TH: Carter flied out to left; Valentine flied out to
left; Parrish flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Expos 4,
Astros 5.