A bases-loaded single by Willie McCovey drove in the tie-breaking run in a six-run eighth inning that carried the Giants to a 6-3 triumph over the Astros. The Giants began their winning rally with one out when Johnnie LeMaster and Marc Hill singled. A pinch-hit double by Mike Ivie plated LeMaster and brought on Tom Dixon in relief of starter Ken Forsch for the Astros.

Bill North stroked a two-run single, stole second and reached third on a throwing error. After Terry Whitfield walked, Jack Clark grounded to third, but North escaped a rundown and returned safely to third base. Joe Sambito replaced Dixon and McCovey singled to left, scoring North. Darrell Evans then followed with a two-run double to cap the scoring. [The Sporting News]



San Francisco Giants 6, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Wednesday, June      27, 1979 (Night game) at Candlestick Park
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    1  0  0  -   3  6  1
Giants       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  6  x  -   6  9  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Giants               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               3   0   0   0     1   0   .276      North cf              4   1   1   2     0   1   .280
Gonzalez ss           3   1   0   0     0   0   .250      Whitfield lf          3   1   2   0     1   0   .311
Cedeno 1b             1   0   0   0     3   0   .255      Clark rf              4   1   0   0     0   1   .286
Leonard rf            4   0   1   0     0   1   .299      McCovey 1b            4   0   1   1     0   1   .270
Cabell 3b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .270        Roberts pr,p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cruz lf               3   1   1   0     1   0   .277      Evans 3b              4   0   1   2     0   0   .259
Bochy c               4   0   1   0     0   2   .194      Metzger 2b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .192
Landestoy 2b          4   0   1   1     0   0   .197      LeMaster ss           3   1   1   0     0   0   .257
Forsch p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .103      Hill c                3   1   2   0     0   0   .200
  Dixon p             0   0   0   0     0   0  1.000      Nastu p               1   0   0   0     0   0   .043
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Herndon ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .311
  Baldwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .333        Minton p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Ivie ph,1b          1   1   1   1     0   0   .265

Totals               30   3   6   3     5   4             Totals               32   6   9   6     1   4

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 11,563
Left on Base: Astros 6, Giants 3
DP: Astros 1, Giants 0
Errors: Bochy, Nastu
Doubles: Hill (3), Ivie (6)
Triples: Landestoy (2)
Home Runs: Cabell (5)
Stolen Bases: Cedeno (20), North (28)
Caught Stealing: Cedeno (4)
Hit by Pitch: Gonzalez (2,by Nastu)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Forsch                  7.1   6   3   3   0   3   0  27   2.80
Dixon L(1-2)            0     1   3   3   1   0   0   3   5.21
Sambito                 0.2   2   0   0   0   1   0   3   1.13
Totals                  8     9   6   6   1   4   0  33

Giants                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Nastu                   6     4   2   2   2   2   1  23   3.49
Minton W(1-0)           2     1   1   1   3   1   0   9   3.00
Roberts SV(3)           1     1   0   0   0   1   0   4   2.57
Totals                  9     6   3   3   5   4   1  36

Passed Balls: Hill (2)
Hit by Pitch: Nastu (2)
Wild Pitches: Roberts (2)

Umpires: HP - Dick Stello, 1B - John McSherry, 2B - Dave Pallone, 3B - Bob Engel


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Gonzalez was
hit by a pitch; Cedeno flied out to right; Leonard singled to
center [Gonzalez to third]; Cabell singled to center [Gonzalez
scored, Leonard to third]; Cruz grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 1ST: North grounded out (pitcher to first); Whitfield
grounded out (second to first); Clark grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Bochy flied out to left; Landestoy flied out to
right; Forsch was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 2ND: McCovey was called out on strikes; Evans grounded
out (first to pitcher); Metzger grounded out (second to first);
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Puhl grounded out (pitcher to first); Gonzalez lined
to left; Cedeno walked; Cedeno stole second; Cedeno was picked
off second but was safe on an error by Nastu [Cedeno to third];
Cedeno was out trying to advance to home (center to catcher); 0
R, 0 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

GIANTS 3RD: LeMaster grounded out (third to first); Hill doubled
to left; Nastu grounded out (shortstop to first) [Hill to
third]; North grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
1 LOB.  Astros 1, Giants 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Leonard grounded out (shortstop to first); Cabell
homered; Cruz flied out to left; Bochy singled to left;
Landestoy forced Bochy (third to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 4TH: Whitfield singled to third; Clark struck out;
McCovey lined into a double play (first unassisted) [Whitfield
out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Forsch flied out to right; Puhl flied out to right;
Gonzalez made an out to pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 5TH: Evans made an out to third; Metzger grounded out
(second to first); LeMaster flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Cedeno walked; Cedeno was caught stealing second
(pitcher to first); Leonard struck out; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

GIANTS 6TH: Hill grounded out (third to first); HERNDON BATTED
FOR NASTU; Herndon grounded out (third to first); North struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Giants 0.

ASTROS 7TH: MINTON REPLACED HERNDON (PITCHING); Cruz walked;
Bochy was called out on strikes; Landestoy tripled to right
[Cruz scored]; Forsch reached on a fielder's choice [Landestoy
out at home (pitcher to catcher to third), Forsch to second];
Puhl was walked intentionally; Gonzalez grounded out (third to
first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 0.

GIANTS 7TH: Whitfield singled to pitcher; Clark flied out to
center; McCovey flied out to center; Evans grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 0.

ASTROS 8TH: Cedeno walked; Cedeno was picked off first (pitcher
to first); Leonard grounded out (third to first); Cabell
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Giants 0.

GIANTS 8TH: Metzger made an out to shortstop; LeMaster singled
to left; Hill singled to left [LeMaster to second]; IVIE BATTED
FOR MINTON; Ivie doubled to right [LeMaster scored, Hill to
third]; DIXON REPLACED FORSCH (PITCHING); North singled to
center [Hill scored, Ivie scored]; North stole second [North to
third (error by Bochy)]; Whitfield walked; Clark reached on a
fielder's choice [Whitfield to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED DIXON
(PITCHING); McCovey singled to left [North scored, Whitfield to
third, Clark to second]; ROBERTS RAN FOR MCCOVEY; Evans singled
to left [Whitfield scored, Clark scored, Roberts out at third
(left to third), Evans to second (on throw to 3b)]; Metzger
struck out; 6 R, 6 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 6.

ASTROS 9TH: IVIE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); ROBERTS STAYED IN
GAME (PITCHING); Cruz singled to left; Hill allowed a passed
ball [Cruz to second]; Roberts threw a wild pitch [Cruz to
third]; Bochy struck out; Landestoy grounded out (pitcher to
first); BALDWIN BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Baldwin flied out to right;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Giants 6.