Posting a league-high 10th victory and his ninth win in a row, Joe Niekro scattered nine hits in hurling the Astros to a 4-3 triumph over the Phillies. Cesar Cedeno drove in three runs, stroking singles in the first and third innings to score Terry Puhl, who singled and stole second on both occasions. Art Howe belted a homer in the fourth and later in the same frame, Alan Ashby doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single by Cedeno. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3
Game Played on Wednesday, June      13, 1979 (Night game) at Veterans Stadium
Astros       1  0  1    2  0  0    0  0  0  -   4 13  2
Phillies     0  0  1    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   3  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Phillies             AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   2   4   0     0   0   .283      Rose 1b               4   1   1   0     1   0   .352
Reynolds ss           5   0   1   0     0   1   .300      Bowa ss               4   0   2   0     1   0   .315
Cedeno 1b             4   0   3   3     1   0   .270      Maddox cf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .282
Cruz lf               3   0   1   0     2   1   .282      Luzinski lf           5   0   0   0     0   2   .247
Cabell 3b             5   0   1   0     0   0   .293      Schmidt 3b            4   2   2   0     0   1   .269
Leonard rf            4   0   1   0     1   0   .304      McBride rf            3   0   2   1     0   0   .242
Howe 2b               3   1   1   1     1   0   .220      Boone c               3   0   0   0     1   1   .255
  Landestoy pr,2b     0   0   0   0     0   0   .163      Harrelson 2b          4   0   1   0     0   2   .280
  Walling ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .269      Ruthven p             0   0   0   0     1   0   .129
  Gonzalez 2b         0   0   0   0     0   0   .276        Reed p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
Ashby c               4   1   1   0     0   2   .229        Gross ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .257
Niekro p              4   0   0   0     0   2   .105        McGraw p            0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000
                                                            McCarver ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .250
                                                            Bird p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Unser ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .290
                                                            Eastwick p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               37   4  13   4     5   6             Totals               35   3   9   1     4   7

Time of Game: 2:53   Attendance: 33,627
Left on Base: Astros 12, Phillies 10
DP: Astros 0, Phillies 1
Errors: Cruz, Leonard, Maddox
Doubles: Ashby (7), Bowa (8)
Triples: Schmidt (2)
Home Runs: Howe (3)
Stolen Bases: Puhl 2 (10), Leonard (5), McBride (14)
Caught Stealing: Cruz (4)
Sacrifice Flies: McBride (1)
GIDP: Howe (6)
Hit by Pitch: Puhl (2,by Ruthven)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(10-2)          9     9   3   2   4   7   0  40   2.43
Totals                  9     9   3   2   4   7   0  40

Phillies               IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ruthven L(6-4)          3.2   8   4   4   1   2   1  21   3.67
Reed                    0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   4.93
McGraw                  3     3   0   0   2   4   0  13   2.20
Bird                    1     1   0   0   0   0   0   3   5.74
Eastwick                1     1   0   0   1   0   0   4   6.65
Totals                  9    13   4   4   5   6   1  43

Hit by Pitch: Ruthven (2)
Wild Pitches: Niekro (5)

Umpires: HP - John McSherry, 1B - Paul Runge, 2B - Bob Engel, 3B - Dick Stello


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl singled to third; Puhl stole second; Reynolds
singled to pitcher [Puhl stayed at second]; Cedeno singled to
left [Puhl scored, Reynolds to second]; Cruz flied out to left;
Cabell popped to first; Leonard forced Cedeno (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 1ST: Rose singled to left [Rose out at second (left to
second)]; Bowa walked; Maddox flied out to center; Luzinski
popped to second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Howe flied out to center; Ashby struck out; Niekro
struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 2ND: Schmidt popped to first in foul territory; McBride
grounded out (second to first); Boone flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Phillies 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl singled to center; Puhl stole second; Reynolds
flied out to right; Cedeno singled to center [Puhl scored,
Cedeno to second (error by Maddox)]; Cruz was walked
intentionally; Cabell forced Cruz (third to second); Leonard
flied out to right; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 0.

PHILLIES 3RD: Harrelson grounded out (shortstop to first);
Ruthven walked; Rose forced Ruthven (second to shortstop); Bowa
doubled to right [Rose scored (error by Leonard) (unearned) (no
RBI)]; Maddox grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H,
1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Phillies 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Howe homered; Ashby doubled to center; Niekro
grounded out (first to second); Puhl was hit by a pitch;
Reynolds flied out to right; Cedeno singled to left [Ashby
scored, Puhl to second]; REED REPLACED RUTHVEN (PITCHING); Cruz
walked [Puhl to third, Cedeno to second]; Cabell flied out to
right; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 1.

PHILLIES 4TH: Luzinski struck out; Schmidt singled to third;
McBride singled to shortstop [Schmidt to second]; Boone walked
[Schmidt to third, McBride to second]; Harrelson was called out
on strikes; GROSS BATTED FOR REED; Niekro threw a wild pitch
[Schmidt scored, McBride to third, Boone to second]; Gross
struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 5TH: MCGRAW REPLACED GROSS (PITCHING); Leonard singled to
right; Howe grounded into a double play (third to second to
first) [Leonard out at second]; Ashby was called out on strikes;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 5TH: Rose grounded out (second to first); Bowa flied
out to right; Maddox singled to left; Luzinski struck out; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Niekro flied out to center; Puhl singled to right;
Reynolds struck out; Cedeno walked [Puhl to second]; Cruz struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 6TH: Schmidt struck out; McBride singled to second;
McBride stole second; Boone struck out; Harrelson was called out
on strikes; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 7TH: Cabell singled to shortstop; Leonard forced Cabell
(first to shortstop); Leonard stole second; Howe was walked
intentionally; LANDESTOY RAN FOR HOWE; Ashby grounded out (first
to pitcher) [Leonard to third, Landestoy to second]; Niekro
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 7TH: LANDESTOY STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 2B); MCCARVER
BATTED FOR MCGRAW; McCarver grounded out (first unassisted);
Rose walked; Bowa singled to left [Rose to second]; Maddox
popped to first; Luzinski flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

ASTROS 8TH: BIRD REPLACED MCCARVER (PITCHING); Puhl singled to
center [Puhl out at second (center to shortstop)]; Reynolds
grounded out (first to pitcher); Cedeno flied out to right; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 2.

PHILLIES 8TH: Schmidt tripled to right; McBride hit a sacrifice
fly to center [Schmidt scored]; Boone popped to third in foul
territory; Harrelson singled to center; UNSER BATTED FOR BIRD;
Unser grounded out (first unassisted); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Phillies 3.

ASTROS 9TH: EASTWICK REPLACED UNSER (PITCHING); Cruz singled to
right; Cruz was caught stealing second (catcher to second);
Cabell popped to first in foul territory; Leonard walked;
WALLING BATTED FOR LANDESTOY; Walling grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 4, Phillies 3.

PHILLIES 9TH: GONZALEZ REPLACED WALLING (PLAYING 2B); Rose
reached on an error by Cruz [Rose to second]; Bowa grounded out
(shortstop to first); Maddox grounded out (shortstop to first);
Luzinski grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Phillies 3.