Phil Garner hit a single and homer, driving in three runs, and Ed Ott accounted for two with a double as the Pirates defeated the Astros, 9-3. The victory was the Pirates' fifth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games, while the Astros lost their fourth straight and 11th in the last 12.

With the help of Ott's double, the Pirates jumped off to a three-run lead in the first inning. Art Howe homered for the Astros in the third, but Garner batted in two runs with his single in the Pirates' half. Garner then homered in the sixth when the Pirates iced the decision with three runs. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 9, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, July      20, 1979 (Night game) at Three Rivers Stadium
Astros       0  0  1    1  0  1    0  0  0  -   3  8  0
Pirates      3  0  2    0  0  3    1  0  x  -   9 12  2


Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Landestoy 2b          5   0   0   0     0   1   .182      Moreno cf             5   1   1   1     0   0   .302
Gonzalez ss           5   0   0   0     0   1   .221      Foli ss               5   1   1   0     0   0   .273
Puhl cf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .281      Parker rf             5   1   3   1     0   2   .303
Leonard rf            4   2   2   0     0   0   .267      Stargell 1b           4   2   1   1     0   1   .309
Cabell 1b             4   0   2   1     0   0   .259      B. Robinson lf        3   1   1   0     1   1   .276
Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .282      Ott c                 3   1   1   2     1   1   .264
Howe 3b               2   1   2   1     2   0   .243      Garner 3b             4   1   2   3     0   0   .297
Ashby c               2   0   0   0     1   1   .224      Stennett 2b           3   1   2   1     1   0   .239
  Alou ph             1   0   1   0     0   0   .167      Candelaria p          4   0   0   0     0   2   .136
Richard p             2   0   0   0     0   1   .096
  Roberge p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Sexton ph           1   0   1   0     0   0   .217
  LaCorte p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Baldwin ph          1   0   0   0     0   0   .231

Totals               35   3   8   2     3   4             Totals               36   9  12   9     3   7

Time of Game: 2:40   Attendance: 23,585
Left on Base: Astros 8, Pirates 6
DP: Astros 1, Pirates 0
Errors: Stennett 2
Doubles: Ott (13), Stennett (10), Parker (23)
Home Runs: Howe (6), Garner (5)
Stolen Bases: Leonard (7), Garner (8), Moreno (40)
Caught Stealing: Cabell (9)


Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Richard L(7-11)         5.1  10   8   8   3   5   1  28   3.84
Roberge                 0.2   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   1.40
LaCorte                 2     1   1   1   0   2   0   8   6.97
Totals                  8    12   9   9   3   7   1  39

Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Candelaria W(9-7)       9     8   3   2   3   4   1  38   3.30
Totals                  9     8   3   2   3   4   1  38

Wild Pitches: LaCorte (3)

Umpires: HP - John Kibler, 1B - Terry Tata, 2B - Jerry Crawford, 3B - Charlie Williams


ASTROS 1ST: Landestoy popped to catcher in foul territory;
Gonzalez flied out to center; Puhl grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 0.

PIRATES 1ST: Moreno flied out to center; Foli singled to right;
Parker singled to center [Foli to third, Parker to second (on
throw to 3b)]; Stargell reached on a fielder's choice [Parker
out at third (shortstop to third), Foli scored]; B. Robinson
singled to left [Stargell to second]; Ott doubled to center
[Stargell scored, B. Robinson scored]; Garner made an out to
second; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 2ND: Leonard grounded out (second to first); Cabell
singled to right; Cabell was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Cruz grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Astros 0, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 2ND: Stennett grounded out (second to first); Candelaria
struck out; Moreno flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 0, Pirates 3.

ASTROS 3RD: Howe homered; Ashby walked; Richard struck out;
Landestoy forced Ashby (second to shortstop); Gonzalez flied out
to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 1, Pirates 3.

PIRATES 3RD: Foli flied out to left; Parker singled to left;
Stargell singled to left [Parker to second]; B. Robinson struck
out; Ott walked [Parker to third, Stargell to second]; Garner
singled to center [Parker scored, Stargell scored, Ott to
third]; Garner stole second; Stennett walked; Candelaria
grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Astros 1,
Pirates 5.

ASTROS 4TH: Puhl popped to shortstop in foul territory; Leonard
singled to center; Cabell grounded out (third to first) [Leonard
to second]; Cruz reached on an error by Stennett [Leonard scored
(error by Stennett) (unearned) (no RBI), Cruz to second]; Howe
walked; Ashby grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1
H, 2 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 4TH: Moreno grounded out (second to first); Foli
grounded out (shortstop to first); Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 5TH: Richard grounded out (third to first); Landestoy
grounded out (pitcher to first); Gonzalez grounded out (first
unassisted); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 5TH: Stargell struck out; B. Robinson walked; Ott lined
into a double play (first unassisted) [B. Robinson out at
first]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 2, Pirates 5.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl grounded out (second to first); Leonard singled
to left; Leonard stole second; Cabell singled to left [Leonard
scored]; Cruz popped to first in foul territory; Howe singled to
center [Cabell to second]; Ashby struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 5.

PIRATES 6TH: Garner homered; Stennett doubled to left;
Candelaria struck out; Moreno singled to center [Stennett
scored]; ROBERGE REPLACED RICHARD (PITCHING); Moreno stole
second; Foli grounded out (pitcher to second to first) [Moreno
to third]; Parker doubled to center [Moreno scored]; Stargell
grounded out (second to first); 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3,
Pirates 8.

ASTROS 7TH: SEXTON BATTED FOR ROBERGE; Sexton singled to center;
Landestoy struck out; Gonzalez struck out; Puhl made an out to
second; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 8.

PIRATES 7TH: LACORTE REPLACED SEXTON (PITCHING); B. Robinson
popped to third in foul territory; Ott struck out but advanced
to first on a wild pitch; Garner grounded out (pitcher to
shortstop to first) [Ott to second]; Stennett singled to center
[Ott scored]; Candelaria flied out to left; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 9.

ASTROS 8TH: Leonard flied out to right; Cabell grounded out
(third to first); Cruz flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Astros 3, Pirates 9.

PIRATES 8TH: Moreno made an out to shortstop; Foli flied out to
left; Parker struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Astros 3,
Pirates 9.

ASTROS 9TH: Howe walked; ALOU BATTED FOR ASHBY; Alou singled to
right [Howe to second]; BALDWIN BATTED FOR LACORTE; Baldwin
grounded out (second to first) [Howe to third, Alou to second];
Landestoy flied out to right; Gonzalez grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Astros 3, Pirates 9.