Homers by Willie Stargell and Bill Madlock highlighted the Pirates' 5-3 triumph over the Astros, who suffered their sixth straight loss. Stargell hit his round-tripper in the fourth inning. Madlock's blast with a man on base in the seventh lifted the Pirates to a 3-2 lead. The Pirates then chased Joe Niekro and scored their two deciding runs on singles by Tim Foli and Dave Parker in the eighth. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Thursday, July      12, 1979 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    1  0  0    2  2  0  -   5  7  1
Astros       1  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  1  -   3  7  0


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Moreno cf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .297      Puhl cf               4   0   1   0     0   1   .284
Foli ss               4   1   1   1     0   0   .278      Gonzalez ss           4   0   0   0     0   1   .225
Parker rf             4   0   2   1     0   0   .299      Cedeno 1b             4   1   1   0     0   0   .270
Stargell 1b           4   1   1   1     0   0   .307      Cruz lf               2   1   1   1     2   0   .285
Milner lf             2   1   0   0     1   0   .248      Cabell 3b             4   0   1   1     0   0   .265
  B. Robinson lf      1   0   0   0     0   0   .269      Walling rf            4   0   0   0     0   1   .293
Madlock 3b            3   1   2   2     1   0   .275      Howe 2b               4   1   1   0     0   1   .236
Ott c                 4   0   0   0     0   1   .262      Ashby c               3   0   0   0     1   0   .225
Stennett 2b           3   0   0   0     0   0   .232      Niekro p              3   0   2   0     0   0   .118
Blyleven p            2   0   0   0     0   1   .163        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  Tekulve p           1   0   0   0     0   0   .400        Leonard ph          1   0   0   1     0   0   .276

Totals               32   5   7   5     2   2             Totals               33   3   7   3     3   4

Time of Game: 2:44   Attendance: 22,956
Left on Base: Pirates 2, Astros 7
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 2
Errors: Stennett
Doubles: Cruz (20), Howe (12)
Home Runs: Stargell (17), Madlock (8)
Stolen Bases: Madlock (14), Moreno (34), Cedeno (24), Cruz (22)
Sacrifice Hits: Puhl (6)
GIDP: Stennett (6), Stargell (2), Cedeno (10)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blyleven W(7-3)         6.1   6   2   2   3   4   0  28   3.66
Tekulve SV(13)          2.2   1   1   1   0   0   0   9   3.73
Totals                  9     7   3   3   3   4   0  37

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Niekro L(13-4)          7.2   6   5   5   2   1   2  29   3.02
Sambito                 1.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   5   1.00
Totals                  9     7   5   5   2   2   2  34

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Jim Quick, 2B - Fred Brocklander, 3B - Paul Pryor


PIRATES 1ST: Moreno grounded out (second to first); Foli flied
out to right; Parker flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl struck out; Gonzalez grounded out (second to
pitcher); Cedeno singled to left; Cedeno stole second; Cruz
doubled to left [Cedeno scored]; Cabell flied out to right; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell grounded out (first unassisted); Milner
made an out to second; Madlock walked; Madlock stole second; Ott
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 2ND: Walling was called out on strikes; Howe made an out
to shortstop; Ashby lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first);
Blyleven struck out; Moreno grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Niekro singled to left; Puhl out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Niekro to second]; Gonzalez grounded out
(second to first) [Niekro to third]; Cedeno flied out to left; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Foli grounded out (pitcher to first); Parker
grounded out (second to first); Stargell homered; Milner
grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates
1, Astros 1.

ASTROS 4TH: Cruz walked; Cruz stole second; Cabell singled to
right [Cruz scored, Cabell to second (on throw to home)];
Walling grounded out (second to first) [Cabell to third]; Howe
struck out; Ashby was walked intentionally; Niekro grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

PIRATES 5TH: Madlock singled to third; Ott forced Madlock
(second to shortstop); Stennett grounded into a double play
(second to shortstop to first) [Ott out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 5TH: Puhl flied out to left; Gonzalez struck out; Cedeno
flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

PIRATES 6TH: Blyleven flied out to right; Moreno grounded out
(second to first); Foli made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

ASTROS 6TH: Cruz walked; Cabell forced Cruz (shortstop to
second); Walling grounded out (second to first) [Cabell to
second]; Howe grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Pirates 1, Astros 2.

PIRATES 7TH: Parker singled to right; Stargell grounded into a
double play (second to shortstop to first) [Parker out at
second]; Milner walked; Madlock homered [Milner scored]; Ott
made an out to second; 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Astros
2.

ASTROS 7TH: Ashby flied out to center; Niekro singled to left;
Puhl singled to third [Niekro to second]; TEKULVE REPLACED
BLYLEVEN (PITCHING); Gonzalez reached on an error by Stennett
[Niekro to third, Puhl to second, Gonzalez to first]; Cedeno
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Gonzalez out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3,
Astros 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Tekulve
grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); Moreno singled to
center; Moreno stole second; Foli singled to left [Moreno
scored, Foli to second (on throw to home)]; SAMBITO REPLACED
NIEKRO (PITCHING); Parker singled to left [Foli scored];
Stargell grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 5, Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: B. ROBINSON REPLACED MILNER (PLAYING LF); Cruz
grounded out (second to first); Cabell grounded out (third to
first); Walling grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 2.

PIRATES 9TH: B. Robinson made an out to second; Madlock made an
out to second; Ott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 5,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe doubled to left; Ashby grounded out (second to
first) [Howe to third]; LEONARD BATTED FOR SAMBITO; Leonard
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Howe scored]; Puhl grounded
out (third to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 5, Astros 3.