Joe Niekro, who pitched 7 2/3 innings before yielding to Joe Sambito, gained his 13th victory when the Astros defeated the Cubs, 4-2. The Astros' first two runs came on a single by Cesar Cedeno and homer by Jose Cruz in the first inning.

Singles by Alan Ashby and Terry Puhl around a sacrifice by Niekro added a run in the fourth. The Astros' final tally counted on a single by Art Howe and double by Ashby in the eighth. Jerry Martin and Dave Kingman homered for the Cubs. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 4, Chicago Cubs 2
Game Played on Friday, July      6, 1979 (Day game) at Wrigley Field
Astros       2  0  0    1  0  0    0  1  0  -   4 14  0
Cubs         0  1  0    0  0  0    0  1  0  -   2  8  1


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Cubs                 AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Puhl cf               5   0   3   1     0   0   .281      De Jesus ss           3   0   1   0     2   1   .276
Reynolds ss           5   0   1   0     0   0   .284      Thompson rf           5   0   1   0     0   0   .313
Cedeno 1b             5   1   2   0     0   1   .263      Buckner 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .294
Cruz lf               5   1   2   2     0   1   .285      Kingman lf            4   1   1   1     0   0   .293
Cabell 3b             4   0   2   0     1   0   .272      Martin cf             4   1   2   1     0   0   .288
Walling rf            4   0   1   0     0   0   .333      Ontiveros 3b          4   0   0   0     0   1   .283
Howe 2b               3   1   1   0     1   1   .237      Foote c               4   0   2   0     0   0   .236
  Landestoy 2b        0   0   0   0     0   0   .192        Dillard pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .286
Ashby c               4   1   2   1     0   1   .230      Sizemore 2b           3   0   1   0     1   0   .255
Niekro p              3   0   0   0     0   1   .083      McGlothen p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .194
  Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250        Biittner ph         1   0   0   0     0   0   .257
                                                            Hernandez p         0   0   0   0     0   0   .500
                                                            Henderson ph        0   0   0   0     1   0   .238
                                                            Tidrow p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333
                                                            Vail ph             1   0   0   0     0   1   .342

Totals               38   4  14   4     2   5             Totals               34   2   8   2     4   3

Time of Game: 2:50   Attendance: 25,612
Left on Base: Astros 10, Cubs 9
DP: Astros 1, Cubs 0
Errors: De Jesus
Doubles: Puhl (10), Ashby (10), Thompson (7)
Home Runs: Cruz (5), Martin (13), Kingman (29)
Stolen Bases: De Jesus (14)
Caught Stealing: Puhl (14), Cabell (8)
Sacrifice Hits: Niekro (6)
GIDP: Thompson (2)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro W(13-3)          7.2   6   2   2   4   2   2  32   2.87
Sambito SV(10)          1.1   2   0   0   0   1   0   6   1.05
Totals                  9     8   2   2   4   3   2  38

Cubs                   IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
McGlothen L(9-7)        5    10   3   3   2   3   1  26   4.35
Hernandez               2     2   0   0   0   0   0   7   4.28
Tidrow                  2     2   1   1   0   2   0   8   4.62
Totals                  9    14   4   4   2   5   1  41

Umpires: HP - Frank Pulli, 1B - Eric Gregg, 2B - Doug Harvey, 3B - Lanny Harris


ASTROS 1ST: Puhl popped to second; Reynolds lined to second;
Cedeno singled; Cruz homered [Cedeno scored]; Cabell walked;
Walling singled [Cabell to second]; Howe walked [Cabell to
third, Walling to second]; Ashby struck out; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3
LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 1ST: De Jesus walked; Thompson grounded into a double play
(second to first) [De Jesus out at second]; Buckner lined to
pitcher; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Niekro struck out; Puhl singled; Reynolds forced
Puhl (second to shortstop); Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 0.

CUBS 2ND: Kingman grounded out (shortstop to first); Martin
homered; Ontiveros popped to shortstop; Foote flied out to
center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Cruz singled; Cabell flied out to left; Walling
grounded out (second to first) [Cruz to second]; Howe popped to
first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 1.

CUBS 3RD: Sizemore flied out to center; McGlothen lined to
shortstop; De Jesus walked; De Jesus stole second; Thompson
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 2, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Ashby singled; Niekro out on a sacrifice bunt (first
to second) [Ashby to second]; Puhl singled [Ashby scored]; Puhl
was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop); On a bunt
Reynolds singled; Cedeno singled [Reynolds to second]; Cruz
grounded out (first to pitcher); 1 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros
3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 4TH: Buckner lined to center; Kingman grounded out (first
unassisted); Martin popped to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Cabell singled; Walling lined to left; Howe struck
out; Ashby grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 5TH: Ontiveros was called out on strikes; Foote singled;
Sizemore singled [Foote to second]; BIITTNER BATTED FOR
MCGLOTHEN; Biittner grounded out (first unassisted) [Foote to
third, Sizemore to second]; De Jesus struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E,
2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 6TH: HERNANDEZ REPLACED BIITTNER (PITCHING); Niekro
grounded out (second to first); Puhl doubled; Reynolds grounded
out (second to first); Cedeno grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 6TH: Thompson doubled; Buckner grounded out (second to
first) [Thompson to third]; Kingman popped to first; Martin
flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Cruz flied out to right; Cabell singled; Cabell was
picked off and caught stealing second (pitcher to first to
shortstop); Walling flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Cubs 1.

CUBS 7TH: Ontiveros lined to second; Foote flied out to left;
Sizemore walked; HENDERSON BATTED FOR HERNANDEZ; Henderson
walked [Sizemore to second]; De Jesus flied out to center; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Cubs 1.

ASTROS 8TH: TIDROW REPLACED HENDERSON (PITCHING); Howe singled;
Ashby doubled [Howe scored, Ashby to third (error by De Jesus)];
Niekro grounded out (pitcher to first); Puhl grounded out (first
to second); Reynolds popped to second; 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 1.

CUBS 8TH: LANDESTOY REPLACED HOWE (PLAYING 2B); Thompson flied
out to right; Buckner grounded out (shortstop to first); Kingman
homered; Martin singled; SAMBITO REPLACED NIEKRO (PITCHING);
Ontiveros forced Martin (shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Cedeno struck out; Cruz was called out on strikes;
Cabell grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 4, Cubs 2.

CUBS 9TH: Foote singled; DILLARD RAN FOR FOOTE; Sizemore flied
out to left; VAIL BATTED FOR TIDROW; Vail struck out; De Jesus
singled [Dillard to second]; Thompson flied out to left; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 4, Cubs 2.