Rallying for two runs in the seventh inning, the Astros rolled to their sixth straight victory and opened up a 10-game lead in the N. L. West by edging the Reds, 3-2. The Astros trailed, 2-1, entering the seventh, but Jose Cruz batted in the tying run with a double and Jeff Leonard hit a pinch-single for the deciding tally.

The teams engaged in a sixth-inning free-for-all after Reds' starter Bill Bonham threw at Astros' starter Joaquin Andujar in retaliation for the latter's throwing close to Joe Morgan in the fourth frame. Reds' third baseman Ray Knight and Astros' first baseman Cesar Cedeno were ejected after the brawl. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 3, Cincinnati Reds 2
Game Played on Wednesday, July      4, 1979 (Day game) at Riverfront Stadium
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  1    2  0  0  -   3  6  0
Reds         1  0  0    0  1  0    0  0  0  -   2  4  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Reds                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .274      Griffey rf            4   1   1   1     0   1   .299
Reynolds ss           4   0   1   0     0   2   .286      Concepcion ss         1   0   0   0     0   1   .292
Cedeno 1b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .262        Auerbach ss         3   0   0   0     0   1   .183
  Landestoy 2b        2   1   0   0     0   0   .192      Morgan 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .274
Cruz lf               4   1   2   1     0   0   .287      Bench c               4   0   0   0     0   0   .251
Cabell 3b,1b          4   0   1   0     0   0   .266      Driessen 1b           3   1   1   0     0   0   .259
Walling rf            2   0   0   0     0   0   .339      Knight 3b             2   0   0   0     0   0   .303
  Leonard ph,rf       1   0   1   1     0   0   .284        Kennedy 3b          1   0   0   0     0   0   .276
Howe 2b,3b            3   1   1   0     0   0   .230      Cruz lf               3   0   0   0     0   0   .114
Ashby c               3   0   0   1     0   0   .228      Geronimo cf           3   0   1   1     0   1   .242
Andujar p             3   0   0   0     0   1   .033      Bonham p              2   0   0   0     0   0   .138
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Tomlin p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Blair ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .181
                                                            Bair p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   3   6   3     0   4             Totals               31   2   4   2     0   5

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 25,713
Left on Base: Astros 2, Reds 2
DP: Astros 0, Reds 1
Errors: Cruz
Doubles: Cruz (17), Driessen (12), Morgan (15)
Home Runs: Griffey (7)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Andujar W(10-4)         7     4   2   2   0   2   1  25   2.63
Sambito SV(9)           2     0   0   0   0   3   0   6   1.07
Totals                  9     4   2   2   0   5   1  31

Reds                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bonham L(3-2)           6.1   5   3   2   0   3   0  23   4.24
Tomlin                  1.2   1   0   0   0   1   0   6   2.16
Bair                    1     0   0   0   0   0   0   3   3.80
Totals                  9     6   3   2   0   4   0  32

Umpires: HP - Paul Pryor, 1B - Satch Davidson, 2B - Fred Brocklander, 3B - Ed Vargo


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl flied out to center; Reynolds struck out;
Cedeno grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 0.

REDS 1ST: Griffey homered; Concepcion struck out; Morgan popped
to second; Bench grounded out (catcher to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz singled to center; Cabell forced Cruz
(shortstop to second); Walling hit into a double play (right to
shortstop to first) [Cabell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 2ND: Driessen flied out to center; Knight grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cruz grounded out (shortstop to first);
Dave Concepcion left with groin injury; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 3RD: AUERBACH REPLACED CONCEPCION (PLAYING SS); Howe
popped to shortstop; Ashby grounded out (second to first);
Andujar grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 3RD: Geronimo grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonham
flied out to left; Griffey flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl lined to second; Reynolds struck out; Cedeno
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 4TH: Auerbach struck out; Joaquin Andujar threw a pitch
near Joe Morgan's head; Morgan grounded out (first
unassisted); Bench grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cruz flied out to center; Cabell grounded out (third
to first); Walling grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 1.

REDS 5TH: Driessen doubled to right; Knight grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Driessen to third]; Cruz popped to second;
Geronimo singled to left [Driessen scored]; Bonham popped to
third; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Reds 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Howe singled to left [Howe to third (error by
Cruz)]; Ashby grounded out (shortstop to first) [Howe scored
(unearned)]; Andujar grounded out (shortstop to first);
Joaquin Andujar threw a pitch at Joe Morgan in the fourth
inning, so Bill Bonham retaliated by throwing a pitch behind
Andujar here; both benches clear; and a brawl ensued; Cesar
Cedeno and Ray Knight ejected by HP umpire Paul Pryor;
KENNEDY REPLACED KNIGHT (PLAYING 3B); Puhl struck out; 1 R (0
ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

REDS 6TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED CEDENO (PLAYING 2B); CABELL CHANGED
POSITIONS (PLAYING 1B); HOWE CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 3B);
Griffey grounded out (first to pitcher); Auerbach popped to
shortstop; Morgan doubled to right; Bench popped to second; 0 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Reds 2.

ASTROS 7TH: On a bunt Reynolds singled; Landestoy forced
Reynolds (pitcher to shortstop); Cruz doubled to left [Landestoy
scored]; Cabell singled to shortstop [Cruz to third]; TOMLIN
REPLACED BONHAM (PITCHING); LEONARD BATTED FOR WALLING; Leonard
singled to left [Cruz scored, Cabell to second]; Howe flied out
to center; Ashby flied out to left; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 2.

REDS 7TH: LEONARD STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Driessen popped
to first; Kennedy grounded out (shortstop to first); Cruz
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros
3, Reds 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Andujar struck out; Puhl grounded out (pitcher to
first); Reynolds flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Reds 2.

REDS 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED ANDUJAR (PITCHING); Geronimo struck
out; BLAIR BATTED FOR TOMLIN; Blair struck out; Griffey struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 2.

ASTROS 9TH: BAIR REPLACED BLAIR (PITCHING); Landestoy grounded
out (shortstop to first); Cruz flied out to center; Cabell flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 2.

REDS 9TH: Auerbach popped to shortstop; Morgan flied out to
center; Bench popped to third in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 3, Reds 2.